The "About" section
Ryan grew up in Pflugerville, TX outside of Austin, where as a kid he would sneak into the garage to play on his dad's drum set when no one was home. Eventually, he began his open focus on music when he started band in the 6th grade. Deciding to do this for a living, Ryan graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Music Education and looked for adventure by moving to Atlanta, where he taught at Lassiter High School, Allatoona High School, Mabry Middle School, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 2012, life brought him back to Texas where he finally took up being a full time band director at Katy High School, laid down roots, and started a family. However, the desire to perform lead Ryan to completing a Master's degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Colorado - Boulder in 2019 with certificates in Music Theory and College Teaching. He currently serves as the Percussion Director and Assistant Band Director at McCallum High School and Fine Arts Academy in Austin. Ryan has worked with groups across the spectrum of the marching arts, including many drum and bugle corps such as the Glassmen (2011-12), Crossmen (2007), and Phantom Regiment (2015-2020) as well as indoor percussion units like Rise Percussion (2018-2019), Odyssey Percussion Theatre(2010-2012), and Gateway Independent (2012). A bit of a chameleon, Ryan filled positions for these groups ranging from front ensemble instructor to battery coordinator and caption head. As an arranger and founder of Off the Left Productions, he's been fortunate to arrange and work with groups from around the country, having experience with over 75 marching band, drum corps, and indoor drumline productions. Currently, Ryan serves as the battery coordinator for the WGI world class percussion ensemble Rhythmic Force. As a performer, Ryan has been fortunate to create music with the Boulder Symphony, Longmont Symphony, Boulder Bach Festival, multiple ensembles at the University of Colorado and Texas State University, as well as the Falcons Drumline and Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps. He's toured the US and Europe as both a performer and educator, and greatly enjoys collaborating with other musicians outside of percussion to create unique and interesting performances. Favorite composers are Stravinsky, Debussy, Steve Reich, Radiohead, Alt-J, and Snarky Puppy. In his free time, Ryan is an avid runner, rock climber, and enjoys spending time with his wife, Dr. Katie Harper, their son Emerson, and dogs Rachmaninoff and Charlie. |
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