Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricky “Rocks” Lorek.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Well, I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. That’s where I began my involvement in music as a child. I started out playing guitar but that never stuck with me. However, I’ve always had an interest in the drums, so one day I decided to try out a friend of mines’ drum kit – immediately I fell in love with playing and apparently I had a knack. I eventually got my parents to buy me a drum kit and would practice on it non-stop. When I was about 14 years old, Bill Ludwig (the Founder of Ludwig drum company) began to manage me. I started a band that then led me to learning the business aspect of things when I started booking our shows. As the years went on the band started doing small tours and playing on the same bills as well-known acts, such as: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Trapt, Shinedown, Collective Soul, Buckcherry, etc. From there, I felt the urge to take my drumming a step further by incorporating it into the nightclub dance scene. My vision was to give the popular dance music a “live” feel whether it was top 40, Hip Hop, Latin, or 70s & 80s party classics. I quickly carved a niche for myself playing along side top name DJs in different markets all over the world. I always want the performance to be as tight as possible and add to the track with live percussion, not take away from it. Then after a while of being in the scene for so long and seeing so many different DJs and their styles I decided to get into the DJing side of things. After DJing many different types of events and nightclubs I decided to take my performance another step further and create a Custom All-In-One DJ/Percussion set up. With this set up I DJ and perform live on percussion, it gives me the ability to read the room musically and enhance the music with the live element. I currently DJ and perform at some of the industries most well-known nightclubs.
After gathering up a talented team of people I decided to start my own entertainment company called RCL Entertainment. I designed this company to provide for the client’s entertainment needs from A to Z whether it’s DJs, Emcee’s, Musicians, Live Entertainment, Lighting, Photo Booth services or anything in-between. We specialize in private corporate events, weddings, life celebrations, and work with SoCals top theme parks to help provide top shelf innovative entertainment for their various events and on going shows which I also personally perform on. I also hand pick musicians and choose their music selections forming bands to tailor the needs for each of our clients. In addition, I have also fallen into a niche of music programming which is the music that plays overhead and/or throughout certain theme parks, casinos, retail stores, fashion shows, restaurants, etc. I am fortunate for being seen as having a good ear for what the public wants to hear based on each venue’s demographic. Once I have the vision from the client I do my best to bring their vision over the top.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been a lot of ups and downs. You get very busy times of the year and slow times like any business but you have to work through it and continue to always network and build your brand. Finding the right people for your team can be a struggle, sometimes other people on your team don’t always have the same vision and it can take time to get on the same page. The key is to find the right people with a similar passion that want to go above and beyond to do a great job and grow with your team. Another struggle is brand awareness; it can be difficult to get your brand out there. It takes time to create a buzz, it’s important to go above and beyond for your clients so they can help spread your brand by word of mouth.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with RCL Entertainment – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As you already know, we provide DJ’s, Emcee’s, Live Musicians, Dance Bands, Dancers, Lighting, & Photo Booth Services. We also specialize in taking events to the next level by adding in Live Musicians (Percussion, Violin, Saxophone, etc) with a DJ, which is called our “Live Remix” package. We are known for providing over the top entertainment and quality production services. We are most proud of being selected to perform for major clients. Some of our reoccurring clients that we provide a wide variety of services for include: Disney, Warner Brothers, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Paramount, American Heart Association, & well known fashion & make up brands, etc.
What sets us apart is our experienced team, work ethic, and our ability to custom design entertainment and bring our client’s vision to life making each and every event unique and memorable.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the energy in the air and the endless opportunities! Yes, the traffic can be a downside, however, the amazing weather makes it easy to endure! I’m proud to call Los Angeles home!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rclentertainment.com
- Phone: 888-508-9792
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: rcl_entertainment
- Facebook: rclentertainment
- Twitter: rclentertainmnt
- Yelp: rclentertainment
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