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Thread: What would you reply...?

  1. #1

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    Default What would you reply...?

    I've just had this from a lady at the School disco I did last Friday (after inviting feedback)


    "It would be appropriate for certain songs to be omitted from the play list - 'sexy lady' - regardless of if they hear them at home.

    Some of the more traditional songs with actions may be more use and encourage audience participation rather than mindless running around - Macarena/Agadoo etc"

    She's obviously talking about Gangnam style which I played at the start and again at the end after being pestered for it every 30 seconds throughout the disco. Admittedly I did mix it straight into "Sexy and I know it"...

    I also did do a couple of party dances with them (Cha cha slide and the Macarena), but the requests I was getting were for current chart and I'm sure she didn't approve of most of them, and she should have heard the ones I turned away (212!!)

    What would you reply? This is Junior age kids by the way - 7-11yrs

    Julian
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  2. #2
    Jim - Scotland's Party DJ's Avatar
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    I'm a teacher, albeit high school and the kids are not shocked, or phased or anything like that when they get to us at 11 and 12 years old.

    As she already pointed out, they know this stuff from home and if they've not told you before hand not to play certain tunes then the school can't really complain if you do spin them.

    I mean unless you were playing stuff with swearing and so on, I don't really think it's inappropriate. Sexy and I know it is more of a daft song than anything else if you ask me and the kids probably don't even have a clue what Aga Do is. If they were going mental to Gangnam Style they've probably not been much different to the staff night out. I know myself and my colleagues had a right rammy when the DJ played it both times at our Xmas night on Friday...

    AYou did this as a freebie right?

    It's not really an arsey e-mail from them if that's verbatim what they wrote but I would reply back with something along the lines of "Thank you for the feedback. I apologise if you found certain songs inappropriate, I didn't intend to play anything questionable and have had no problems playing them at other school discos, Christenings and childrens parties. I appreciate your points about playing certain more traditional dance based songs, however the vast majority of what I played were requests from your students who wanted modern chart music."

    At the end of the day, if they're going to run a school disco, they have to appreciate the fact that the kids don't want to hear the stuff the teachers want to hear / think is appropriate.

  3. #3
    Jim - Scotland's Party DJ's Avatar
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    BTW I wouldn't hold my breath over getting any paid work from them in future even if you'd had an astounding gig.

  4. #4
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
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    Only one I was ever asked not to play at similar functions was "Sex on the beach". As long as you didn't play anything with profanities in them ( thank the Lord for Now albums ) I don't think they have cause for complaint. As Julian said, I bet the requests he got were for far worse than he played. You're on a loser, because you know full well the little darlings have got the ones you daren't play on their phones.
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  5. #5
    STEVE HANLEY's Avatar
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    We've just done 2 school discos tonight and the first thing the head teacher said as we walked through the doors was "Please tell me you have Gangnam Style for them" I wouldn't have got out the building alive. The second most popular request? Of course Sexy and I know it.

    Talk about political correctness gone mad. The teachers asked if they could put 2 cuddly toys of The Angry Birds on the deck stand? No problem and asked us to keep telling the kids if they wanted them they were on would have to visit (Get this) The Cross Birds Tombola stand. You're not allowed to say Angry Birds


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  6. #6
    Jim - Scotland's Party DJ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by STEVE HANLEY View Post

    Talk about political correctness gone mad. The teachers asked if they could put 2 cuddly toys of The Angry Birds on the deck stand? No problem and asked us to keep telling the kids if they wanted them they were on would have to visit (Get this) The Cross Birds Tombola stand. You're not allowed to say Angry Birds


    Madness.

    We can't use brainstorm any more because apparently that's a medical phrase for something that happens during an epilectic fit and it could offend epilectic pupils. Instead I've got to use the much more PC: "thought shower"

    Which defeats the purpose when you say "OK, let's thought shower" then have to explain to the kids wtf a thought shower is and why I'm not allowed to say brain storm.

  7. #7
    STEVE HANLEY's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post


    Madness.

    We can't use brainstorm any more because apparently that's a medical phrase for something that happens during an epilectic fit and it could offend epilectic pupils. Instead I've got to use the much more PC: "thought shower"

    Which defeats the purpose when you say "OK, let's thought shower" then have to explain to the kids wtf a thought shower is and why I'm not allowed to say brain storm.


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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post


    Madness.

    Instead I've got to use the much more PC: "thought shower"

    Which defeats the purpose when you say "OK, let's thought shower" then have to explain to the kids wtf a thought shower is .
    Something which is clearly deeply offensive to those with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) ?
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  9. #9
    DazzyD's Avatar
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    Macarena and Agadoo? It seem's that this lady was hoping to relive her own youth rather than let the kids express theirs.

    By the way, I find V2 of Macarena a lot more shocking than SAIKI -

    "Now donīt you worry ībout my boy friend
    the boy whoīs name is Nicorino
    I donīt want him, īcause sent him
    he was no good so I - hahaaaa
    Now, come on, what was I supposed to do ?
    He was outta town and his two friends were soooo fine..."

    This has sexual innuendo written all over it! Ah, but it's got a dance that the teacher knows!! She's not down "wit the yoof" and is probably feeling her age!!

    How would I reply? Pretty much the same as Jim, I would have thought.

    By the way, my two eldest are 6 and 7 and, from their older teenage sister (and dad being a DJ!), they know loads of chart music and they think it's great doing the dances. To see them dancing, laughing and having fun is one of the things I treasure most in life. Katie is 6 and she loves singing along to Starships (radio edit version, obviously!) and Firework and she's got a good voice, too. I think schools, even from this young age, should be encouraging an interest in music, of all types, and nuturing musical talent instead of stiffling it by being so restrictive. Of course, this is just my opinion. At my primary school, music was a big thing so I was taught well so maybe I'm a little biased!!
    Dazzy D
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  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post
    I'm a teacher, albeit high school and the kids are not shocked, or phased or anything like that when they get to us at 11 and 12 years old.
    Mine are 4, 8 and 9. My 9yr old is a bit eccentric with his musical tastes so he finds Gangnam Style "awful", but the 8 and 4yr olds are right into it. I think my eldest was the only kid not dancing to the song at his school disco as I put the video up too (and I'm including the teachers and parent helpers in that too!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post
    As she already pointed out, they know this stuff from home and if they've not told you before hand not to play certain tunes then the school can't really complain if you do spin them.
    In fairness to her when I did the first disco for this school she asked me to check the tracks for lyrical suitability as well as profanity, but that was 3yrs ago and she hasn't complained since.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post
    I mean unless you were playing stuff with swearing and so on, I don't really think it's inappropriate. Sexy and I know it is more of a daft song than anything else
    It is a daft song, but it does encourage some outlandish dance moves which aren't appropriate for younger children (I'd be concerned if I saw my 7yr old daughter copying them) - the video definitely isn't appropriate for primary age children, which is why I don't show it

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post
    And you did this as a freebie right?
    Nope, paid gig (albeit at a reduced rate that I offer all of the local schools), and I've been doing three a year for them (Xmas, Spring and Summer/Leavers) for the last 3yrs or so and next year they're making a big deal of the leavers do and holding it away from the school so it'll become 4 a year. The lady giving the feedback is a teacher in the school who was helping supervise the children on the night and not part of the Parents Association who actually make the bookings!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post
    At the end of the day, if they're going to run a school disco, they have to appreciate the fact that the kids don't want to hear the stuff the teachers want to hear / think is appropriate.
    I did leave this off the end of her second sentence : "maybe I'm just too old to supervise"

    My response to the school was that I am happy to abide by whatever music policy they decide to set and I am generally careful to vet the lyrics and language in anything I play, but Gangnam style puts me in a difficult position because it was requested multiple times by the children from the second they walked through the door right until the end of the night and there is a strong expectation that I will play it as it is the single biggest song of the year (for school disco's anyway). I then put that I'm happy to discuss this in more detail in advance of any future events.

    I did another disco last night for another school and asked the organisers beforehand if they thought that Gangnam style was appropriate or not to play. She replied that I'd be strung up if I didn't play it and she'd take any flack from the school and parents if there was any. I had the projector up (showing snow/xmas scenes throughout the night) so I put the video up as well (this is for 5-7yr olds) and the kids all watched and copied the dance. The Head of the school walked around while they were doing this and took photos of the kids dancing for the newsletter and then came over to me after the track finished and told me that the visuals were brilliant and really enhanced the whole evening!!

    It all just goes to show how different the attitudes can be between teachers...

    Julian
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    Weddings, Birthday Parties, Kids Parties, School Disco's and more
    https://julianburr.co.uk - Wedding, Family, Portrait and Product Photography

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