Styles

Modern Rock, Classic Rock, Metal, Modern Country, Alternative, Pop, Blues,Songwriting, Technique & Theory

Bio

Ryan began playing guitar at age 11 when his grandmother bought him his
first guitar and several lessons. After learning “Rock You Like a Hurricane” on
day one, he knew what he wanted to do with his life –ROCK! He began
working in a local guitar shop at age 16 and now has nearly 30 years of
experience working in the music industry, teaching full-time for well over a
decade. This experience provided Ryan with great learning opportunities and
exposed him to all varieties of styles and methods. Over the past thirty years,
Ryan has studied with such notables as Mike Johnson (works with the Jimi
Hendrix family developing educational material), Billy Raney (plays with Frank
Hannon of Tesla), and Tommy Armstrong-Leavitt (performed with Wynch and
Hurt, author of Chord Camp and Artist Relations Director for EMG pickups). He
has also learned a great deal about musical discipline, recording, and song
craft from his longtime friendship and collaboration with notable drummer
Richard Shepherd (Cake and Cause & Effect). Ryan has also collaborated with
some of his idols including Joey Allen (Warrant) and Scott Travis (Judas
Priest). He has performed live with Claudeous Creamer of metal legends
“Possessed”, and other acclaimed artists which include Larisa Bryski, Tommy
Armstrong, and Andrew Houston. Currently, Ryan writes and performs in the
band EX AEGIS with Truefire artist Scott Allen and co-hosts the Rock Guitar
Confidential Podcast, which explores all aspects of succeeding as a guitarist
and professional musician.

Method

Each student is profiled during a first free lesson. Ryan focuses on
fundamentals and the student’s individual needs and interests, relating theory
to real scenarios. As a guitar teacher he emphasizes technique to make
difficult passages easier to play. Ryan encourages his students to listen to
their instincts while using logic and deductive thinking to tackle musical
challenges.