LAUNCH: ETC

Cody Miller says he and his longtime buddy, Preston Hollow resident Ryan Pearlman, sort-of have a reputation for being the life of party. “We’re the guys you constantly see on the dance floor,” he explains. But the pair noticed that at most of these birthday shindigs or school functions, the music was outdated. “Don’t get me wrong, classic rock is great, but it can get boring when you’re hearing it over and over.” So the then 14-year-old friends decided to launch a DJ business targeted at a niche market: their generation. The pair began internships with a DJ who showed them the ropes, and it wasn’t long until they had branched off to start their own gig, RC Jams. The now-juniors at Parish Episcopal School say they tailor each playlist to the client, spending about a month creating a custom mix. “So if we’re going to a 13-year-old girl’s birthday party, we’ll throw in some Miley Cyrus,” Pearlman says, “and for a high school crowd, we’d probably play more rap or hip-hop, maybe some Lil Wayne.” And they bring a dancer to each event, “just to keep the crowd’s energy up,” Pearlman says. The boys, who book about 15 events per year, are now finalists for the TCU Young Entrepreneur Award, which could translate into some scholarship money. “I don’t think either one of us ever thought it’d snowball into this,” Miller says. If they attend the same university — as is the plan — they hope to continue their business throughout college. “Then,” Miller says, “who knows what’s next.”