A is for Advertising

I started out DJing my first few “paid” events during my freshman year of high school while attending Dassel-Cokato High School. At the time I was “Mr. Social” and “DJing” was just a natural extension of this character complex. I got my first “Connection” from my brother Carson (who at the time was in the Middle School), and who worked hard to get me “Connected” with the right sponsors and teachers to DJ the dance. I believe Ms. Paige was the name of the sponsor who ultimately booked me for the first time. My main selling point was, “What I lack in experience, I make up for in enthusiasm, confidence and energy.” Also on a side note…Ms. Paige looked like Lois from the SUPER MAN show that was popular at the time. Lois was played by Terry Hatcher. I think Ms. Paige also thought she was Lois from SUPER MAN because she tended to show cleavage on the job. Most of my hormonely charged friends would look at her, and then….Well bottom line, as 6^th graders we all knew that we were destined to “be” with her…I remember in class Jeff Schultz and I would always sit there and just zone out staring at her. Staring at here in that weird lust-filled stalker way too. Oh that was a bad situation. She would always catch us ogling ber , but she could never really report us, because she was odd enough to wear tight figure showing clothes to a health-class filled with super sexually 8 grade boys who wanted to “be with her.” Back to the story…Well before we get back to the story, we also ogled Kelly O’Fallon, an Irish lassie who loved herself some Jake Linder….again back to the story…Since the school’s previous DJs (usually local FM radio stations) never interacted with the crowd or took the party the the “next level” I was sure I could out perform them. In fact looking back on it, anyone could have out performed them, or most FM radio DJs anywhere. These guys were jokers. FM DJs were the coolest to us at the time, but now that I know many of them, I realize that the AM hosts are the one’s with the talent today.

After several hard fought minutes of intense negotiations we settled on a “fair” price for a 15 year-old DJ with “no” experience…$75.00 per show. Which was a fair rate considering that it only took me 3 hours to setup and that I dj’ed for 4 hours, took down for 2 hours, and spent about 20 hours before each show prepping for the show and an additional  40 hours promoting the show. I think I made about $1.00 per hour spent working on the show, but it wasn’t there fault I wasn’t efficient yet. Getting paid $1.00 per hour is a great training on how to work fast.

As the 1^st show approached the reality of DJing for 250-350 kids hit me with a anxiety “kung foo” kick. I did not know this at the time, but this was my first “real” experience witnessing the power of innovation by necessity. I realized that not only did not really have a “game-plan” for the event, but I did not have the adequate sound and/or lighting needed to make the event possible. And so off I went to find DJ gear and to plan the perfect party…

The dance consumed me. Every doodling I did on my book-cover or in my note pad somehow incorporated the dance, or the phrase “I love Nicole.” I began writing “DJ Clay” and envisioning what that meant. I began thinking about all of the “boredom” that plagued the previous dances, I began thinking about “DJ Kool” and what it mean to truly take the party to the “next level.” And it was then that my “hunch” came to me.

I then proceeded to take action immediately. First I spoke with the Band Director to secure needed gear. Because of his benevolence I was able to obtain 1 guitar amp/speaker system. After making a few more calls I realized that, that that that was going to be all the gear I could secure from the school. I began talking and talking and talking about the dance with everyone, and then “BOOM” the connection was made. Morgan Phillipe (big shout out to Morgan) was in a band with “Ozwald” and they had some PA speakers. All I needed now was some lighting and some CD players, a mic, the adapters, the music and a “game-plan.”