Al Pitch

From his club days in LOS ANGELES djing at the infamous MADAME WONGS WEST for acts like JOE JACKSON, ELVIS COSTELLO and BRIAN WILSON of the Beach Boys ROCKIN AL PITCH is known for his entertaining show.

No two shows are ever the same!

His shows always feature the latest in lighting, sound and visual entertainment but its his love and knowledge of music as an industry insider that ensures that your event will be a success. AL has a broadcasting Degree from USC and learned the tricks of the trade from his years of djing in the top clubs and private affairs such as Brian Wilsons comeback party, THAT'S INCREDIBLE CAST PARTY and many more. When he returned to Winnipeg after college he helped create the concept for the popular DESOTOS cabaret. It was shortly after the success of that venture that demand for his show increased to the point where he decided to leave the club and form his own DJ COMPANY.

When you book his show you get the experience you need delivered always delivered with the newest and freshest touches.

 

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Marketing to schools, weddings, and bar mitzvahs DECK:

Rockin' Al Pitch DJ a host of many events but high schools, weddings and bar mitzvahs make up the bulk of work for one of the most sought DJs in Winnipeg

By Matthew Wright

 

To say Rockin' Al has had an accomplished career as a DJ would be an understatement. He's been a DJ since he took up the offer to play at his high school dance back in the mid-70s. That was when he was 16 years old at Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles - yes, that same school popularized on the '90s teen angst television show by the same name with the area code 90210. Soon he was being asked to play at other schools in the area.

The native of Winnipeg finished off his broadcast degree at the University of Southern California, and after a series of on-air jobs, decided that his future lay in DJing.

At that time Pitch was the DJ for parties hosted by the likes of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. He also hosted Hollywood wrap parties for high-profile '80s television series wrap, such as That's Incredible.

Back then, Pitch would trudge boxes and boxes of albums around with him to shows but found that people generally were hooked on the song of the day.

"I'd run over with boxes of records and the people at these parties only wanted to hear one album, like the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever," he says, explaining that the movie was such a phenomenon at the time that just playing the soundtrack all night usually satisfied partygoers.

"Then Animal House came out and that's all people wanted to hear at all these toga parties hosted by the fraternities. It's all changed so much now."

Al Pitch, as he's otherwise known, returned to Winnipeg in 1985 to spin tunes for the masses north of the 49th parallel. In the 1980s, Pitch was also a DJ at the now defunct Winnipeg nightclub, Desotos, which had choreographed live dancing, featured music from the '50s and '60s and a DJ booth that Pitch designed to look like an old jukebox.

As demand for his shows increased, he realized it was time to open his own business and Superb Entertainment was born in 1990. Always a believer in providing more than just music to his customers, Pitch has always mixed extras into his shows in an effort to make them as memorable and entertaining as possible.

"It was the best thing I ever did. Basically my concept was to put on a show, bring costumes, wigs and props, jump on the speakers and generally be an active DJ," he says.

The majority of his clients these days are from high schools, weddings and bar mitzvahs. Many of the high schools he's played at call him every year to return for their events. Pitch finds those shows some of his favorites.

"The energy is crazy, you can get the students to scream like they're at a concert and I always have contests with giveaways," says Pitch, who was so well known for his enthusiastic stage antics that included jumping around and wearing wigs that friends and partygoers gave him the nickname Rockin' Al.

Marketing to high schools can sometimes be a tricky thing as their student councils are the contacts one has to make and they essential have a one-year turnover in personnel.

Pitch annually sends out faxes and e-mails to the councils or calls them directly. He's also quite well known in his hometown now and finds many jobs find him.

He feels it's always better to go down to the school to meet the student organizers first hand as making connections, especially the personal ones, are an extremely important part of promoting his business.

"Sometimes I go down and make a video or music presentations to them and offer to help plan their party if they need help. It's so important to form that relationship. You hope that eventually it'll become a long term relationship," Pitch says.

And it has. Pitch says that he hosts around 500 high school events over the years and still does about 40-50 a year.

Nelson MacIntyre Collegiate and Grant Park High School in Winnipeg have been steady clients of DJ Al Pitch for several years.

"Every show you do leads to another show if you're doing it the right way," he says.

His number one rule at any show he's playing is give the crowd what they want, a creed sometimes forgotten by emerging DJs.

"It's their party not mine. Some of DJs forget about that sometimes when they're younger and they'll play something and all of a sudden there's an empty dance floor. That's the worst feeling for a DJ," he says.

Pitch says that there are peak times to solicit the schools such as before prom, graduation or Halloween.

Through the school connections he's made, he even hosted a principal-teacher workshop this past October in the resort community of Gimli, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg.

"It was so much fun, they were so rowdy and to be honest, wilder than the students," he says with a laugh.

Because it's such a competitive business these days, Pitch has expanded his repertoire of offerings to include interactive games and contests such as a live game show complete with a TV set, game stations, applause signs and prize girls. There's also games such as Guitar Hero and dance motivators, such as the game Dance Dance Revolution.

But don't be fooled, the event is still about the music; it's just what you add to it to increase everyone's enjoyment of the experience.

Pitch has parlayed his list of hosted events to include video laser dance parties, staff parties, office lunches, corporate affairs and children's parties.

According to Pitch, the best advice he could give an emerging DJ is be professional.

"Always remember you're an entertainer, your not there for yourself but for the people. There are lots of jobs out there, some not paying as much as others and a good start would be to go out with a good DJ a few times and watch. Then let people know you exist, in the yellow pages, the Internet or the odd ad."

"Word of mouth is still the best marketing tool you have though hands down," he says.

Handling the initial challenges is sometimes difficult for an up and comer in such a competitive and personally demanding business.

"Yeah, I made my mistakes when I was young. As a DJ your job includes everyone else's social life and you have to separate that," he says.

Working in Winnipeg has been a plus for Pitch, it's a city that hosts thousands of weddings and is one of the few places that hold an unprecedented number of socials. Plus it's his home.