Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Music, UNC Charlotte (2009)
“Establishing myself here involved a lot of paying my dues.”
In 2018, we interviewed Ryan for The College of Arts + Architecture's 10 year anniversary. This is an excerpt from our digital publication, CoA+A Community, where we asked Ryan's advice for students about making the move to New York City.
// WHAT WERE YOU MOST AFRAID OF WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVED?
Falling asleep on the subway late at night and waking up in The Bronx! This was a common story I heard from other friends about their first few months in the city.
// WHAT STEPS HAVE YOU TAKEN TO ESTABLISH A CAREER IN NYC?
Establishing myself here involved a lot of paying my dues. While I have some great gigs now, when I moved here I worked at a taqueria for nearly a year to make rent while taking all sorts of auditions and gigs (many I didn’t want to do). Networking is also incredibly valuable. While you need to have the skills to do the job, you’ve also got to meet people and put in your time. Everyone in the city wants things to happen fast, but you can’t really skip paying your dues.
// WHAT ABOUT YOUR EDUCATION AT UNC CHARLOTTE PREPARED YOU/INSPIRED YOU TO GO TO NYC?
I came to UNC Charlotte as part of my journey to NYC, really. Rick Dior, the percussion professor, grew up and studied in New York, and I knew that he would have great insight into what the place was about and what it would take to live and work here. While he taught me a lot about how to play and how music works, one of the most important things I learned from him was how to be a professional, what that really meant and how to prepare for things, and how to handle myself.
// WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS WHO MAY BE CONSIDERING THAT MOVE?
Save some money! And prepare to pay some dues. After being here a while I can admit that I’m always a little skeptical of people who are fresh on the scene. People take you more seriously, and trust you more, once you’ve been around for a while.