inthespotlight
Michael P. Ryan
by Justin O'Neill
July/August 2010
From childhood, Michael Ryan, 43, was a natural performer. As the youngest of five children in a musical family, he threw air guitar concerts for the whole neighborhood before he learned to play any instruments. As he got older, his parents fostered his interest in music. "My mom would find an instrument at a garage sale and bring it home," he says. "I was just really into musical instruments. It was inevitable that I would actually learn to play guitar."
When he was 16, his sister Tracy brought her boyfriend, Syracuse guitar legend Gary Zamory, home to meet the family. Zamory introduced Ryan, who had recently begun playing the guitar, to "real rock and roll guitar." Years later, Ryan dedicated his first album, Ride Out, to Zamory, who passed away in January 2007.
Ryan currently plays in four bands around the Syracuse area, including Mark Doyle and the Maniacs, The Wannabees, and CrossRhoads, but the Michael P. Ryan Band is the outlet for his original music. In these various bands, Ryan plays live shows five or six times a month.
Ryan is the IT Director at InterActive Therapy Group, which provides speech and special education therapy for children with autism. Ryan maintains a computer network to connect remote therapists to the home office. The company allows Ryan and his band to use their recreation room, where therapists observe the children at play, as a practice space.
This year the Michael P. Ryan Band released its second album, Cashtown on Jamb Kitchen Records. For the latest information on Ryan visit MichaelPatrickRyan.com.
GEARGuide
Fender Acoustasonic Junior DSP: "I played my guitar with a lot of different amps and I just found that this Fender Acoustasonic reproduced the sound of my guitar the best."
Martin OMC-16OGTE Acoustic/electric guitar: "I strictly play Martin guitars. People save their whole lives to get their Martins, and that's what I did. I finally justified buying this guitar with my current CD."
Who are your musical influences?
"I would say Jimi Hendrix, John Hiatt, and Edwin McCain. Those are the three biggies. Hendrix's Axis Bold as Love is my desert island album—the one I could listen to over and over again for the rest of my life."
Why do you continue to make music?
"It's in my soul. It's like a religion to me. I'm never going to change my mind about wanting to play music. It's constantly running through my head; no matter what I'm doing, I've got a song in my head."
How do you continue to learn?
"I learn from other musicians. If you're learning songs for a new band, or you're jamming with new people, that's really when you learn."
What benefits have you found to making music?
"I meet a lot of people through music, either fans or other musicians. If they get into my stuff, sometimes they'll turn me onto other stuff."
How do you make time for music in your life?
"This Saturday is actually my 17th wedding anniversary. It sounds like a long time, and it really is. Since I don't have kids, I am a kid. I'm not tied down by that aspect of my life, which is good and bad."
What advice do you have for someone getting back into music later in life?
"My advice would be, if you know how to play already, get out there and play in front of people. You can practice all you want, but live gigs and having to put that game face on is the best thing you can possibly do. I know a lot of people who gave up music, but now their kids are older and they want to get back into it. Get out to open mikes, play, meet people."
What is your best memory of making music?
"The best feeling I've had in making music was finishing my first CD. And that was about a five-year process, between writing enough material and recording with the right musicians. When that final mix was done and the packaging was done and I got my first batch of my records, that had to be the best moment so far."
