Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planning:

A Great Idea for Cocktail Hour A Great Idea for Cocktail Hour By Matthew King of Good Times Karaoke/DJs(Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-321-8030)

The quest for great fun and entertainment for cocktail hour is a difficult process. Here is something you may not have thought of. Have a game show! Game shows have become an exciting new way to keep the kids entertained during cocktail hour.
Everyone has dreamed of being a contestant on a TV game show. This basic desire is the driving force behind the success of games shows focusing on pure entertainment.
The game works well for groups of 10-120 and here is how it works: three of four people at a time are selected to become contestants for each round. The rounds are relatively short; this gives everyone a chance to become a contestant. The number of player positions dictates the number of contestants per round. Most entertainment companies have three or four player positions although some have as many as sixteen. With contestants in place, the host asks questions. After each question, one of the contestants (the first one to hit the button) will lockout the other player positions. At this point a sound is created through the sound system, the player position illuminates and the microphone at that position is activated-just like a real TV game show! If the contestant answers correctly, he or she receives the points. If they are wrong, points can be deducted, but usually are not. The game continues in this manner until the point when a winner is declared. A small prize is usually given to the winner of each round.
Throughout the country, entertainment companies offer the game show under a variety of names. The most common is Game Show Mania, but others include Game Show Madness and Quiz Show. With a good game show host, everybody wins because the children have fun and may even learn something. Do not get me wrong, these game shows are not just for the kids. Once the adults see the children enjoying themselves, they want to play too!
Ask your favorite entertainment company if they offer Game Show Mania or game show entertainment. Then enjoy your cocktail party!

Too much “Bar” and not enough “Mitzvah” isn’t good for your Simcha!
by Michael Pasternak, creator of THE AMAZING BOTTLE DANCERS (800-716-0556), www.bottledancers.com

DJs today can include MTV type dancers at your party. Bar and Bat Mitzvah themes range from Star Wars to “Elvis.” These are certainly fun and exciting, but with the exception of “Uncle Sidney” doing the motzi (the blessing on the bread), no one would really have a clue what they’re really there to celebrate.

As a result, more and more people are choosing a very “new” theme lately. It’s called “Bar Mitzvah!” What a concept! Actually, you don’t even have to abandon any of your creative and fun ideas, but to paraphrase the title of Jeffrey K. Salkin’s popular book on Bar Mitzvah’s: Don’t Forget to Put G-d on the Guest List!

Whether it’s having as a centerpiece a basket of canned goods to be donated to Sova, or a Klezmer band playing during the cocktail reception, there are ways to add some Jewishness and have fun! There’s also a variety of Jewish themes such as: The Tree of Life, Jewish Heros, Israel (complete with a back drop of The Western Wall), or as a design for each table or food station, famous Synagogues throughout the world.

Think about it. There’s a sameness to most Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. (An hour of hors d’oeuvres, followed by the typical introduction of the family, and a video montage.) These are all important parts of any celebration, but finally, here’s a chance to add something so wonderful, so unique, your guests will not only appreciate and enjoy it, they’ll find it refreshing! After all, a little tradition never hurt!

by Joe Pachino, Entertainment By Joe Pachino 410-653-2596

ASK! (Part I) Regardless of market size, how do you know who´s the cream of the crop? As you speak with DJs, pay particular attention to their professionalism on the phone. It often tends to spill over into their DJ style. A strained conversation doesn´t bode well for your piece of mind. Mobile Disc Jockey publications and trade groups exist. Does your DJ subscribe? Is he a participating member? Ask.

And ask about a request policy. A good DJ should work some guest requests into his routine. However, don´t expect him to play them all. They may be inappropriate for the mood of the event. A DJ isn´t just a record changer. He wants to motivate the crowd. The art of DJing is timing, and forcing him to ignore his instincts by playing every request will result in an “uneven” (and less fun) party. But DJs aim to please and anticipate requests. (I receive, in large part, the same ones at every affair!)

TELL It´s OK to provide a list of a few songs and tell your DJ that they´re MUST HAVE. But DON´T make a list pages long. Also remember, given the opportunity to make that list, the “nature of the beast” is that children are self-centered. They´ll always list their favorite tunes, giving no thought to adult preferences or DJ leeway. They won´t notice, nor care about, the adults who are sitting there gritting their teeth to the Top 10 on MTV.

Beats Per Minute should remain constant throughout a “dance” song. Slow dances have 60-80 BPM and up-tempo numbers have twice as many. If a tune goes through several rhythm changes, it´s quite difficult to dance to. And occasionally, adults won´t consider “danceability,” either. I recently played a party where a gentleman requested “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” by Crosby, Stills and Nash. We all grew up listening to this tune and, while I carry the song, I didn´t want to play it because you simply can´t dance to it. I knew that if I played it, it would clear the dance floor! Not only that, but the song is over seven minutes long. An empty floor for SEVEN MINUTES…watch the DJ start to schvitz! He´ll need a bath towel for the perspiration.

Your child will also give no thought to song lyrics. Unless you´re on top of today´s CDs (many have Parental Advisories), you may be shocked at some lyrics. And even if you happen to enjoy those songs yourself, Aunt Tilly might faint! Your DJ should be aware of the lyrics, but you can still supply him with a DON´T PLAY list. Lyric issues aside, some other songs are silly, but they´re fun. And that´s really all you want your affair to be, right? Just because you may be tired of novelty dances like The Hokey Pokey, Macarena, Hands Up, Bunny Hop, The Electric Slide or Cha-Cha Slide (AND CAN YOU BEGIN TO IMAGINE HOW WE DJs FEEL?), they´re known as Interactive Songs. If your DJ plays one or two, it´ll motivate your guests–even if they don´t feel like moving!

Variety in music is essential and your DJ will bring a much larger assortment, but time only allows for 60-70 songs in a typical 4-hour show. Having the proper 65 is what´s important. DJs won´t track through all of Engelbert Humperdinck´s Greatest Hits at your affair, just as they won´t play Heavy Metal or Rap music at a Class of ´60 Reunion.

PARTY DURATION The range is 3 to 5 hours. How long should yours be? If your function is for adults as well as children, plan 3 1/2 or 4 hours for a luncheon and 4 or 5 for an evening affair. NOTE: If your party is for your child´s friends only, 3 hours is sufficient. That fourth hour at a kids-only party seems to last much longer than 60 minutes!

TIME OF DAY Are you planning a luncheon or an evening reception? There are pros and cons to both. Either way, you have plenty of company. It doesn´t mean a thing one way or the other but, for the past several years, the percentage of my clients having luncheons has been increasing. Last year, it was just about a draw.

The preceding was excerpted from DJ´s Secrets Revealed! How To Select (And Get The Most Out Of) Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah DJ by Joe Pachino. For more valuable tips visit www.djs-secrets.com. Joe Pachino has been a Radio and Mobile DJ in Baltimore since 1974.