Barriers down, female DJ builds on clientele. (The Briefing).IT was once a novelty to see a female disc jockey disc jockey (DJ) Person who plays recorded music on radio or television or at a nightclub or other live venue. Disc jockey programs became the economic base of many radio stations in the U.S. after World War II. working a party. These days Lisa Kasberg and her I'm a Girl DJ are among a handful of women playing music in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Kasberg started out helping her brothers' DJ business in Palm Springs before striking out on her own She now employs two other DJs to help her keep up with the birthday and wedding business she has and plans on expanding into corporate parties. She charges around $1,500 per party, and is often booked a year in advance. "I started in 1988. My brothers needed another DJ and thought a female DJ would be a great idea. I was working a retail job and trying to break into the music business as a singer/songwriter on the weekends. After three years of working with my brothers, I realized that I could do this on my own, so I started I'm a Girl in 1993. "When I first started I was really intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. because it is such a male-dominated business and people treated me differently. But once I realized I could do it, it turned around. "Personality is huge difference. If you are an interactive DJ, you can dance, do a conga line. A great DJ knows when to use it and when not to. I have to figure out what would be best for the party. I try to personalize per·son·al·ize tr.v. per·son·al·ized, per·son·al·iz·ing, per·son·al·iz·es 1. To take (a general remark or characterization) in a personal manner. 2. To attribute human or personal qualities to; personify. the events for my clients, so when they walk away it is exactly what they requested, not what I think they wanted. "The most requested genres, since there isn't really a most requested song, are disco disco Style of dance music that arose in the mid-1970s, characterized by hypnotic rhythm, repetitive lyrics, and electronically produced sounds. Disco (short for discotheque) evolved largely from New York City underground nightclubs, in which disc jockeys would play dance and alternative '80s music like Duran Duran Duran Duran are an English pop group notable for a long series of popular singles and vivid music videos. They were the most commercially successful of the New Romantic bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. and Boy George George Alan O'Dowd, better known as Boy George (born June 14, 1961 in Eltham, London) is a rock singer-songwriter. George grew up in a large, working-class Irish family, which originated in Thurles, in Co. Tipperary, Ireland. . "I charge $1,500 for four hours on an average Saturday night and work two to three events a week. I have two other DJs working for me. Wedding and graduation seasons are busy, and December is mega-busy. "Clients can pick from my play list, and I encourage them to bring music if I don't have it. "When I started, my average party was $350 for four hours. Now it is $1,500 to $3,000 per party and I make around $80,000 per year. I'm starting a new leg of I'm a Girl DJ, working on huge corporate events. This will cost around $15,000 to $20,000 per party." |
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