Enjoy our answers to the most common questions our clients ask:

1. What type of sound gear does the company provide?
2. What about lighting?
3. What about Video Screens & Projectors?
4. Can we choose the songs we want for the live music portion and for dancing?
5. Can our musician learn a new song for our event?
6. Will my musician/DJ make announcements during my event?
7. How early will my musician/DJ arrive?
8. How do I book my musician/DJ?
9. What types of payment do we accept?

Scroll down to read our answers...

1. What type of sound gear does John Ross Music and Production provide?

John Ross Music and Production offers 2 different types of sound systems for events. The first is a smaller line-array style speaker made by Bose. It looks good, sounds fantastic, provides surprisingly even room coverage and doesn't take up much space. This smaller system also comes with a microphone you can use for announcements / speeches. The second type of system is a more traditional PA with stereo mains and all DJ gear included. With our "Party" and "Corporate" packages, FX lighting for the dance floor is also included. See our FAQ related to lighting. The larger system includes a wireless handheld mic which is available for speeches / toasts.

2. Do you provide lighting for the dance floor? What about uplighting?

Our “party" and “corporate” packages come with FX lighting designed to spread color and movement around the dance floor. In many cases this can help the dance portion of the evening feel more like a party. Some of our DJ setups have FX lights mounted to the speaker stands and placed on the DJ table while other setups have the lights all located centrally in a road case up on a speaker stand. Either way the effect will be color and movement spread around the dance floor.

We also offer uplighting. This type of lighting is not designed to spread color or movement around the dance floor. Instead, it becomes part of the decor of the room, highlighting walls, columns or accent pieces. Our uplights are wireless, battery powered, high-output LEDs, that can be programmed to any color. Uplighting is available as an add-on at $35 per light, 9 lights minimum, including delivery, setup & teardown.

3. What about Video Screens & Projectors?

We do not own or provide video screens or projectors. We encourage clients to procure these items from their venue or a local rental house. We recommend Pro Sound and Lighting in SE PDX.

4. Can we choose the songs we want for the live music portion and for dancing? How do we share that information with John Ross Music?

Yes, absolutely. We want our clients to have as much direct input about their event music as possible! Unlike other music or DJ companies, we don’t come in with an agenda of doing “our thing.” Instead, we want to do “your thing.” Toward that end, we offer our help and advice and ask our clients to get involved in selecting music for their event. 

We provide each of our event clients with a special Client Site where they can login online and store answers to a questionnaires designed to provide us with all the info we need to prepare. Clients can select songs they want played (or not played) from their musician's "standard setlist" for live performances and give direction in terms of their “must play” and “do not play” songs for the dance party. 

5. Can our musician learn a new song for our event?

Absolutely! Each of our musicians has a “standard setlist” listing all the songs he currently knows/performs. Our musicians are always learning new material so we do our best to keep the lists online updated. Clients can hire their musician to learn and perform a song not currently on their list for a small fee. Our current rate to learn and perform a song of your choosing is $50/song.

6. Can John Ross Music staff make announcements at our event? Can they direct our guests so that everyone knows where to go and what’s happening next?

Many of our clients prefer to appoint their own MC or fill that role themselves - in that case we're happy to provide a microphone and make sure everyone can hear. If you'd prefer for us to make the announcements and direct your guests, we're very capable and happy to do so. 

7. How early will our musician/DJ arrive on site the day of the event?

Depending on the type of event and complexity of the sound gear we're providing we will arrive between 1 and 3 hours prior to the event. Our preference is to setup in a relaxed fashion, not rushing at the last minute or stressed out, which can add to the stress of your event. This extra time also allows us to trouble-shoot any issues that may arise and fix things before the event begins. While we can certainly setup faster if access to the venue is delayed, we prefer this longer window of time.

8. I’m ready to book my musician, how do I complete the process and secure my date?

Booking your event with John Ross Music involves two steps: 1) signing a contract with us and 2) submitting a deposit payment. Our contracts establish the basic logistical information about the event (who, where, when, etc) and detail the services we’ll be providing. They also set the terms of our agreement related to the sound gear we’ll provide and the policies we’ll use in case of cancellation, sickness and failure to perform. Clients sign their contract when they book and we countersign as well. The deposit payment for each event differs in amount since it is calculated as 50% of the total package price. Most deposits are somewhere between $300 and $500. Contracts and invoices for deposits are posted online where they can be reviewed, signed and paid securely.

9. What types of payment do you accept?

John Ross Music and Production accepts payment via cash, check and/or credit/debit card. Payments in cash must be made in person. Payments via check can be mailed to 3439 NE Sandy Blvd. #442, Portalnd, OR 97232. Payments via debit and credit card can be made online via our secure Client Sites. We do NOT charge any fees for paying via card.