Disc Jockeys On Call, a Bethesda based deejay company that provides entertainment for wedding and events, has seen their business grow exponentially over the past few years, defying all economic indicators.
Even with the weakening economy, Disc Jockeys On Call’s business has more than doubled in the last five years, and it is projecting a 200% increase in revenue in 2008.
“Music makes an event memorable, and my goal is to make sure people remember the event well after it is finished,” said Disc Jockeys On Call founder and President Aaron Couch. “I am there to make sure that all the guests at the event have a good time.”
Couch has been having a good time since he arrived in the area in 2001 and started up Disc Jockeys On Call. He originally began working as a subcontractor to other disc jockey services in the area to get a feel for the DC scene. In the last three years however, Disc Jockeys On Call has experienced significant growth and has expanded by hiring additional disc jockeys and adding equipment.
“This year I’ll spend twice what I spent last year on equipment,” he noted. “I hired four deejays last year, and I plan to hire eight more this year.”
Couch, who was named a “Top Pick DJ” by Washingtonian Magazine in 2006 and 2007, was tapped to deejay the 2006 wedding of Justin and Indre Rockefeller, the son and daughter-in-law of Senator John D. Rockefeller IV. This wedding took place at the Rockefeller’s D.C. home and was one of the higher profile D.C. weddings in 2006. In 2007, Disc Jockeys On Call was the deejay at other high profile DC Weddings, such as the wedding of Ian and Lori McIntosh and the wedding of the owners of the new downtown wine bar Cork, Dianne Gross and Khalid Pitts.
Because the company handles weddings and other private and corporate events, Couch chooses his deejays carefully and insists on a three-month training program. “I have to know they’re going to be professional in every type of setting,” said Couch. “Many times we’re the key to what is a once in a lifetime event.”
What separates Disc Jockeys On Call from the competition is their versatility. “Any DJ can fulfill a music request,” says Couch. “What I am able to do is put my finger on the pulse of the crowd and use my vast music selection to play the song that is just right for that moment and that particular crowd.”
Disc Jockeys On Call expects to reinvest much of this year’s revenue in new equipment and music. Couch currently subscribes to “every music service there is,” many of them only available to professional disc jockeys.
Couch has over two terabytes of music stored on his two external hard drives, as well as thousands of CDs, which adds up to over 1,000,000 songs. “Thank goodness,” he noted, “that the price of external hard drives is coming down.”
Despite the fluctuating economy, Disc Jockeys On Call should see their business continue to grow. “People always want to dance,” Couch pointed out. “Music makes an event. It uplifts the soul.”
About Disc Jockeys On Call
Disc Jockeys On Call, headquartered in Bethesda, MD has consistently been named one of the Washington area’s top deejays, performing for Fortune 500 companies and a number of celebrities, professional athletes and politicians, as well as opening for Chris Rock, KRS-One, OutKast, Notorious B.I.G. and many others. The company recently partnered with Sterling Artists and Crystal Strings, and is an original member of the Washington, DC Couture Wedding Consortium, a hand-picked group of area wedding professionals that was founded in 2001.