First Impressions: Ryan Roullard

PreSonus’ new recruit can take the heat

Occupation: Social media manager at PreSonus Audio Electronics
Previous residence: Seattle
Moved here: February 2014

What brought you to Baton Rouge?
The job. I’d been working from home for PreSonus for two and a half years, but one day they needed some heavy boxes moved and had me relocate.

What do you do for PreSonus?
I wrangle the social media presence for the family of PreSonus brands: PreSonus, Notion and Nimbit. Hit any of them up online, and I’m the one you’ll be hearing back from. I’m also responsible for the blog-writing around here, and much of the graphic design that is used in our email marketing and other online advertising. I help out with video production on occasion, and I have a knack for streamlining lumpy workflows that folks wouldn’t otherwise bother to improve.

Other than people you work with, who was the first person you met here?
I believe it was a barkeep at the Lock & Key. Headed straight there after I de-planed and got my bags.

What’s been the most surprising thing about Louisiana?
I had already experienced Southern hospitality in prior visits, so that wasn’t a surprise. Folks have been extraordinarily generous, particularly when helping me get settled here. I got more free furniture than I have room for! The kindness-to-strangers attitude here is as real as the Seattle freeze was back home. The surprise, however, has been the other side of “kindness to strangers.” There’s a noticeable amount of trash-talk that goes on behind the backs of folks who are actually friends.

So what do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m a reclusive audio nerd. Sound is my whole life. I moved an entire recording studio down here, and like to record my little solo projects, as well as other folks’, as long as I’m at least a little compelled by their creative vision. I’m more of an experimental recordist who is interested in strange sounds over good sounds. I collect esoteric recording equipment, synthesizers, drum machines, etc., and I document the collection at echoreturn.net.

How does your previous city compare to Baton Rouge?
Everyone told me to prepare for the worst traffic ever when moving down here. Seattle is worse. Furthermore, there’s nowhere to park in Seattle. And if you find a spot, you need to have a non-expired “Zone SEA1-Q” permit, unless it’s Thursday, and the meter costs like $15 per half-minute, and if you don’t feed the meter, the police disassemble your car and recycle it into bike parts and manatee habitats. Seattle is colder both socially and meteorologically. The rain there ain’t so bad—it’s the eight months per year with nigh-zero sunlight that brings folks down. If you see someone walking their dog in the morning and wish them a “good morning,” it will be met with silence about 70% of the time. I’m loving the sun and heat here and have gotten no fewer than three sunburns from just reading in the backyard. I miss my family and sidewalks.

Best and worst parts of Baton Rouge so far?
Best parts: the weather and the kind people. I feel like I’m supposed to mention the food, but the fact is deep-fried nonsense generally makes me feel sick, and I’ve yet to find good, traditional sushi here. That said, dining out is more economical here, since the portion sizes are often double what I would get in Seattle. Worst parts: I’ve stayed away from what I’ve been told are the worst parts.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or bar or other place you just like to hang out in?
Home, where I’m pleasantly surrounded by all my li’l music-robots. People ask me about the “culture shock” between living in Seattle and Baton Rouge, and the fact is it doesn’t matter where you live if you never leave the house. That said, even an anti-social media manager needs to get some air once and again, and Radio Bar is a stone’s throw from me, so that’s where I usually wind up, out of convenience.

What’s been your favorite event or night out in Baton Rouge?
Matsy’s soundtrack to The Man Who Laughs at Movies and Music on the Lawn [at Baton Rouge Gallery], Deltron 3030 at the Spanish Moon, Louisiana International Film Festival, watching the Fourth of July fireworks from a rooftop downtown.