For many college students, the weekends are filled with either work, play or both. But for one, their work is all about play—playing music that is.
Ryan Croucher ’18 is not only a global studies major, but is also a signed DJ under the label Bread Winners.
The Loyola senior and upstate New York native has always had a musical background, as he has played the piano since he was 4, drums since he was 8 and guitar since he was 12.
“I used to be in a jazz band and when I quit, my mom told me not to lose touch of my musical side,” Croucher said. “So, in my downtime I started making music.”
However, it was not until he studied abroad in Newcastle, England during the spring of 2017 that he found his newfound talent and hobby of DJing.
“I started to experience the club life in England, and I thought DJing was cool and something to consider,” he said.
Over that summer, Croucher interned with a technology firm, where he now has job offer for after he graduates.
“I used that money to invest in DJ equipment and started to promote vocalists, he said.”
Croucher now has his own turn table, music software and other add-ons.Most of his mixes include anything from throwback music to hip hop to electronic dance music (EDM). But unlike most DJs, Croucher does not have a set list of tracks made up.
“A lot of DJs prepare ahead of time but I just go to the gigs with the tracks I have and wing it,” he said. “I like to get the feeling of what mood everyone is in and go from there.”
And this feature of Crocher’s music is what keeps his audience coming back for more.
“People could dance all night listening to music he plays,” Dave Player ’18 said. “He knows how to keep it fresh.”
Croucher has been DJing for eight months at different bars, clubs, and private events. He works either every weekend or every other weekend, on top of being a full-time student and a building supervisor at the FAC.
“It is pretty easy to manage but you have to make sure to stay on top of your health,” he said.
Due to it being a nightlife-based profession, many DJs end up getting sick, so Croucher uses his other hobby of lifting to stay in shape and take care of himself.
Croucher often DJs at local bar and restaurant Zen West, where many students like to spend weekends.
“My favorite moment ever DJing was the other night at Zen. I was playing some mixes and decided to play ‘Breaking Free’ by Troy and Gabriella from ‘High School Musical’ as a joke,” he said. “I expected everyone to ‘boo,’ but once they heard the piano intro, everyone went wild. It was a really cool feeling to see the entire dance floor be so happy to hear ‘High School Musical’ and to sing along.”
Jeff Skiba ’18 said, “He knows how to keep it bumping.”
For anyone who is looking to be a DJ, Croucher says you can’t care about what other people think about you.
“No matter how good you are, people are going to ‘boo’ you at some point in the night,” he said. “You need to move with the crowd and not every individual person.”
While he enjoys the life of a DJ, Croucher does not plan to pursue this as a career. Instead, it is just a fun hobby. He said it sometimes can be tough, but once he “gets into a groove” and people are out on the dance floor, he really enjoys it.
“I’m getting paid to play music and do something I love,” he said. “I can’t really complain.”
