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16 | July 11, 2019 | The wilmette beacon SCHOOL
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Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 13 days ago
New Trier students collaborate for DJ business
Alan P. Henry
Freelance Reporter
Blessed with a mix of
tech savvy, creative instincts,
musical flair and
entrepreneurial drive, two
rising New Trier freshmen
seem already on their
way to becoming business
wunderkinds.
Brandon Belian and
Ryan Kleczynski, who
graduated from Sunset
Ridge School, formed
a company last summer
called R and B City DJ/
Entertainment Co., and
have already brought
down the house at more
than 30 events.
“Business has been
booming,” said Belian,
known on the local party
circuit as DJ B-Dizel.
“We have done everything
from kid birthday parties,
adult parties, block parties,
school and other organization
fundraisers, and even a
wedding.”
While they are partying,
the pair is also finding out
what it takes to get bigger
and better.
“We are learning a lot
about how to invest in a
business by buying our
own equipment, getting
lessons from a professional
DJ and most importantly
marketing our services,”
said Kleczynski, aka DJ
RNK.
Belian and Kleczynski
have been friends since
second grade, and both
showed an affinity for
performance early on.
Belian played guitar at 9,
switched at 13 to bass guitar,
and taught himself to
play the keyboard. Growing
up, Kleczynski built
little stages with guitars
and microphones.
Both play cello in the
school orchestra. Since
sixth grade, both have
been on the school stage
crew, working on the lights
and sound. And the pair are
computer savvy as well.
“We help kids at school
if they have trouble with
their devices, usually their
chromebooks,” Belian
said. “Even teachers, if
they are having problems
with their smart boards,
they come to us first before
they go to a professional.”
The DJ bug bit Belian
and Kleczynski last summer,
when they took an
iPad and two speakers and
set up at a school field day
event.
“We thought we would
just try it out,” Kleczynski
said.
From that, they got a job
to DJ a 4th of July party
for 150 people.
Quickly, they realized
this was a legitimate business
opportunity and upgraded
with two more
speakers and a DJ board
that controls and manipulates
multiple audio signals.
“It was more high tech
and we realized we could do
more mixing with the board
and some of the songs are
cleaner,” Belian said.
They are now doing two
to three events a month,
ranging from $80 an hour
to $500, depending on the
events location and size of
the crowd.
“Brandon likes to be
on the mic more and talk,
and I like to be behind the
scenes mixing things together,”
said Kleczynski
of the division of labor.
They have donated their
services for several charitable
events, including
the Nora Project at Sunset
Ridge School.
To be sure, Belian and
Kleczynski’s parents and
family members have been
a big help in getting the
business up and going, but
the students are also putting
in the work.
New Trier freshmen
Brandon Belian and Ryan
Kleczynski run R and B
City DJ/Entertainment Co.
Photo submitted
On a regular basis, they
are being mentored by
Brandon from Famous DJ.
“He helps us learn how
to mix songs together, decide
what songs to play for
what crowd, how to read
a crowd and get them active
on the dance floor, and
how to play games with
the crowd,” Belian said.
They are also learning
marketing strategies, ranging
from search engine
optimization processes
to the use of flyers, slap
bracelets, business cards
and mini beach balls with
their name and Instagram
printed on them.
With an eye toward the
future, Belian and Kleczynski
are looking forward
to attending New Trier in
the fall.
“There are going to be
more people who share the
same interests with us and
who like to do the same
things,” Kleczynski said.
And, of course, they
hope to continue growing
the business.
“We want to have a
neighborhood company
everybody knows,” Kleczynski
said.
They can be reached
through rbcitydj.wixsite.
com/rbcitydj and Instagram:
@rbcitydj.