The dance floor floods with eager dancers as a single beat captivates the crowd, becoming a euphoric mixture of movement and sound. Junior Eric Brougham brings the party when he turns up the music as DJ Brome. For the past year and a half, he has been mixing as DJ Brome for college and house parties, ranging his music from hip hop to electronic and even funk. Coming from a family of musicians, Brougham credits his relatives for his interest in mixing music.
“My uncle is a DJ, my sister is a phenomenal vocalist, and my brother plays jazz guitar in a band as well,” said Brougham. “I could not ask for more of an inspiration so close to me.”
Although he has struggled to acquire the right equipment before a show and overcome “dead-zones,” times when events are scarce, Brougham believes that his hardship has ultimately been worth the reward.
“Music in general is my fallback in life,” said Brougham. “When nothing else is going right, there is always something right about music.”
With such a strong appreciation for music, it is no wonder Brougham seeks to explore all different genres of sound. Having traveled to several countries such as Brazil, Spain and Latin America, Brougham has naturally been influenced by a variety of styles. On a recent trip playing at the University of Redlands, Calif., Brougham socialized with many unique student musicians and experimented with funk music for the first time. DJ Brome also looks for innovation in his work. While most DJs mix the end of one song to the beginning of another, Brougham focuses on mixing songs according to their specific keys to create a harmonious compilation of sound.
“I like to think of music like food, you cannot eat the same thing everyday,” said Brougham, “I want to emphasize that there is more than just Skrillex out there.”
While DJing helps Brougham release his creative side, it also keeps him grounded after difficult days. Spending almost all of his free time looking for and discovering new music, Brougham exerts his deepest emotions into what he hears. With an enormous iTunes library of 12,000 songs, Brougham is passionate about every last sound byte.
