By: Lathan Gil
2024-2025 was one of the most successful years in 107.7 The Bronc’s history! And, it was no coincidence that our Radiothon was one of the most successful events we’ve ever had. With your help we raised more than $55,000 to invest into the radio station, so we decided to use some of that funding to upgrade our equipment!
One of the first things we wanted to improve was The Bronc’s DJ equipment. Student General Manager, Rosalyn Tiangco ‘26 had an approach of not judging the book by its cover. “There was nothing really wrong with it, but because we used it for so long with all of our events, it got natural wear and tear. And we want to be the best radio station we can be, so we wanted to make sure we have the best equipment to make us sound the best.”
Our resident DJ and Promotions Director, Jaden Foreman ‘27 is the person who uses this equipment the most. He however, has a different outlook on the need for new equipment. “It’s about reliability. The old equipment was heavy, a bit much to lug around, and it was limited and damaged. There were signs for us to upgrade.”
What’s New?
107.7 The Bronc was able to acquire a brand new 600-watt, seven channel portable Fender sound system complete with lighter speakers, two wireless microphones, plus two wired microphones, and microphone stands!
This new DJ set-up will be used on and off-campus for Open Houses, Admitted Students Days, Scream Screen, The Eggscellent Egghunt, at both indoor and outdoor events.
Jaden Foreman describes the new setup as “a mini concert in a way.”
The Selection Process
The new upgraded items were hand selected by General Manager John Mozes. “I reached out to John about getting new stands, because the old ones had to be replaced” For Jaden Foreman it’s also about the little things, “I also reached out to him saying we needed new cable ties. But John was the one who picked out the new Fender system. He sent it to me. I thought it looked really good, and then when we got it, it was like a piece of cake!”
What Goes Into an Event?
The process from inception to execution on paper really seems kind of simple the way Jaden Foreman explains it, “First a student organization or campus department fills out a DJ request form. When we get the form, we get the date, location, and everything they want. We put it in our calendar, then we reach out to the person and confirm the information. Then we put together a team, its usually me and two to three other people. We show up two hours earlier, so we can troubleshoot and test stuff to make sure it works. Then we do the event. We play music, take requests, and when it’s done we break it down and bring it back to the station, then wait for the next one.”
What Goes Into the Job?
On paper, DJ-ing may seem easy right? … WRONG! A lot of knowledge is actually needed in order to be a great and versatile DJ. “I have an understanding of music. The DJ turntables are a musical instrument. You don’t need to know EVERYTHING about music, but you need to know how it works. You need to know how to count it, what keys things are in, how to come in on a certain beat. Dj-ing is really about knowing music.”
On top of music, you also need immense stage presence. The audience has to be captivated by your performance with how you interact with them. If you don’t have the audience you don’t have a show.
For Jaden, his upbringing instilled the love for music in him. “I was raised all around music! When I started DJ-ing, it was my father who actually introduced me to it. He was Dj-ing then eventually [he] let me have a turn. Then over a few months I gained an understanding of how the system works.”
At the end of the day, the two things he cites that are needed to DJ are;
Music History
Basic Music Theory
Events on Events on Events
In a little light-hearted moment, I asked Jaden what his favorite events to DJ were. And to my surprise, they were the biggest events that 107.7 The Bronc does every year! “It’s so hard to just say one! I think every event we do is very fun. Scream Screen was a lot of fun, because we had a LOT of Halloween music, The Egg Hunt was fun too, because the weather was great, it was outside, and everybody was just on the field and it was fun to see. Everyone came out for those!”
See us using the new equipment at Welcome Week and during your favorite Rider University event this academic year.