Posted By Vincent DiFonzo on May 5, 2025 | 1 comment

During a performance at the Attic on Feb. 11 of this year, Ryder Hobbs ’25 sang upside down while hanging from the ceiling. (Photo Sofia Gutierrez/The Gettysburgian)

By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief 

When Ratul Pradhan ’25 and Jack Joiner ’25 arrived on campus as first-year students in 2021, they immediately noticed the lack of a live music scene in Gettysburg. After a semester of jamming in Joiner’s dorm room, the two came up with an ambitious idea — starting a community-oriented music club of their own. 

Soon after, Listeners and Performers (L&P) was born. After a late-night walk to 7/11, Pradhan and Joiner began discussing the possibility of forming a club for musicians and artists alike. 

L&P hosted their first event at Waldo’s & Company in Gettysburg that same semester, allowing talented students to form a community of artists and perform in front of a live audience of students and locals. This first L&P event was so well-attended that Waldo’s went over capacity. 

“Waldo’s inspired the philosophy, the founding principles of the club, in terms of creating purpose and community,” said Joiner. 

The first public performance organized by L&P was held at Waldo’s on April 2, 2022. (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian)

Since the club’s debut in the spring of 2022, L&P has grown from nothing more than an idea into one of Gettysburg College’s most active and far-reaching student organizations. Soon after, they successfully got funding to purchase instruments and equipment and worked with the Office of Student Activities and Greek Life (OSAGL) to secure a practice room in Plank Basement. 

“We’re seeing [students] using the [practice room] more than ever. There’s emerging bands coming up, and it’s really interesting to think about it, because these people are just doing what me and Ratul did in our first year dorm room, but in an actual [practice] space, and it’s much more encouraging to have a set practice space where you don’t feel worried about noise complaints, and you’re given access to pretty reliable equipment. It’s cool seeing these bands kind of naturally form,” said Joiner. 

“The club runs very idiosyncratically, where there is this built-in community with that, but everyone involved with that is part of different communities of their own. Like, we have people who are involved with Art House, we have people who are involved in Farm House. We have people who are involved in fraternities. We have people involved in the conservatory. And it’s almost like this one melting pot,” said Pradhan. “It’s a place where you can interact with people you normally would not have.” 

Since its founding, L&P has continued its growth with new members joining with each incoming class. Students have formed new bands and expanded where L&P performs, including performances at the Painted Turtle Farm, the Attic and Farm House. 

“Seeing [L&P] grow in the last four years has been honestly really rewarding,” said Pradhan. 

Joiner commented that his favorite part of being part of L&P has been seeing other students perform: “That’s the whole reason I started: to be able to see people I know play music and to have a space to hang out with music and support friends,” said Joiner. 

From left to right: Nate Kong ’25, Ratul Pradhan ’25 and Jack Joiner ’25 performing on Stine Lake in the spring 2022 semester. (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian)

Samantha Stancavage ’27 joined L&P after expressing interest to her first year RA, who, coincidentally, was Pradhan. 

“On my very first day at Gettysburg College, during icebreakers with the people on my floor, my RA, Ratul, asked us, ‘What do you want to get involved in on campus?’ I had no idea at the time that Ratul was one of the founders of the club, but I proudly shouted, ‘I want to join [L&P]!’ He laughed and said something like, ‘Well, perfect! That’s my club!’ From that moment on, I dove right in. Attending events, performing and going to meetings quickly became a weekly routine, and I couldn’t be happier,” she said. 

Just a few weeks into her first year, she performed live on campus for the first time at an open mic night. After the set, she recalled how she “immediately felt like I had found a place on campus that felt like home.” 

“By the time the next open mic rolled around a few weeks later, I was already helping run the sign-up table,” she said. 

Since then, with her acoustic guitar in hand, Stancavage has been a regular performer at L&P events. She shared that her favorite part of L&P has been meeting and learning from other student-musicians with different styles.

“That’s what makes it so special. Everyone brings their own sound and performs what they love. I’ve learned so much about music just by listening to others share their songs and their stories. More than anything, I’ve made lifelong friends through this club, and that’s the most meaningful part of all,” she said. 

Xander Romendio ’27 learned about L&P from his childhood friend and now-bandmate, Ben Sarnitsky ’26. 

“[Sarnitsky] told me about the club during his first year when he’d come back home for breaks. He mentioned all the gigs and bands that he was part of and all the people that were involved, and I just knew it was something that I had to be a part of,” said Romendio. “Hearing this from Ben was honestly a deciding factor on committing to Gettysburg.”

After arriving on campus, Romendio “made it [his] mission” to get involved with L&P. “I quickly met Jack Joiner and Ratul Pradhan and started helping move things for the club, set up performances, and performing at any events I could.”

Romendio met additional students through L&P who ended up forming a band together. He, along with drummer Sarnitsky, bassist Joiner and guitarist Hugo Pochan ’26, founded their band called Horseshoe. Romendio plays rhythm guitar and alternates vocals with Pochan. On April 3, they released “Snackies,” their debut EP, which was recorded in one day at Madhouse Records in Clifton Heights, Pa. Their EP is available for purchase on Bandcamp. 

Romendio gave a shout-out to their song “Drops,” and praised the songwriting of Pochan: “Drops has exactly what the title suggests: some kick-ass drops, and Hugo knocked it out of the park with his songwriting and lyricism.” 

Artwork for Horseshoe’s debut EP “Snackies,” which is available on Bandcamp.com.

“Whether it’s visual artists, other musicians or just music appreciators, I’m so grateful that LP offers a space for all of these people to engage with each other while supporting and creating each other’s art. [L&P] was the first community I found at the College and I’m beyond appreciative for all the opportunities that have come with the club,” he concluded.

As soon-to-be graduates, Pradhan and Joiner expressed sadness that their time with the club is coming to an end and excitement for the club’s future, praising the club’s newest leadership.

“It’s sad to leave. It’s like dropping your kid off for kindergarten,” Joiner said. “I’m excited to see how [L&P] grows and changes, and what type of new events they do [in the future].” 

This article originally appeared on pages 4-6 in the No. 6 April 2025 edition of The Gettysburgian magazine