Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Whyman.
Ryan, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
It all started with my parents putting me in classical piano lessons when I was six. I never requested piano lessons, but my parents saw musical gift in me they thought should be pursued. After my first few lessons, I quickly discovered I now had facilities to play the music I could hear in my head. I would sit at the piano for hours and just improvise, and performed my first composition for my 2nd-grade class. Fast forward to high school – I was introduced to jazz and with it a whole new approach to music. My pursuit of jazz in high school and later college opened up my ear to many new colors, shapes, and harmonies. To this day, when I take the time to hone my musicianship, I’m generally transcribing jazz records. Jazz also opened the door to the vocabulary in a lot of the pop, rock, and RnB I play today.
In college, I wrote for every ensemble I could get my hands on – big bands, 60-piece orchestras, chamber ensembles… I finally decided to put together my own chamber/jazz ensemble, which became known as The Whyman Project. This ensemble consisted of a classical string quartet and a jazz rhythm section. I also took up the accordion, which became a key element in the group. Over the years this ensemble has evolved into the group it is today, which can have anywhere from five to nine people, playing anything from gypsy jazz to lush cinematic music.
My music is certainly diverse, and because of that, pinpointing an audience can be challenging. But, over the course of the years, I’ve consistently received the same feedback regardless of the ensemble or audience:
1) My compositions bring images and memories to mind. Audience members will describe a movie scene they imagined during one of my pieces, or a memory from childhood.
2) My music elevates and transports the listener to a higher place. One audience member told me: “When I hear your music, it makes me want to be a better nurse.” Highest compliment received to date! Another said, “I don’t believe in God, but your music makes me want to believe in him.”
Thus, I have realized that within music lies a deep, soul-searching, elevating power, which I seek to tap into with every piece I write and perform. At present, I’m finishing up an album called Fantasies & Memories, a piano-based album of cinematic material designed to transport the listener into their own fantasies and memories, as the title suggests. While this was originally intended to be a solo piano album, I ended up adding strings, rhythm section, vocals, and some other miscellaneous tidbits. I’m incredibly excited about it; the release date should be sometime in February or March!
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I write instrumental music – generally of the cinematic variety, with elements of classical, jazz, and world folk music thrown in there. I am usually playing piano or accordion in the music I write. On an inspirational level, faith and spirituality have always played an important role in my creative process. I relate to God as an artist and the ultimate Creator. I like to say that I am simply a voice for God’s music, as my writing process is to simply sit, listen, and write the music I hear. Nature has always been a place of divine encounter for me and is often both the subject matter and the actual writing location for my music. Much of my music is written to bring beauty into the world. Other pieces though are written as a lament, protest, or prayer; often my creative response to a tragedy or injustice in the world. My heart grieves for so much brokenness and injustice in the world, and one of my goals is that my music may be a prophetically creative solution to injustice in the world. When people listen to my music, I want them to come away refreshed and empowered, having encountered the Divine, with a deeper appreciation for the humanity of themselves and all they encounter. And, where applicable, to come away empowered to pursue justice.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
The concept of success has been a bit of a challenge for me. I have often viewed success simply in terms of popularity or money, but with that perspective comes inevitable discontentment. Success for me is fulfilling my purpose here on earth by maximizing my potential as an artist and as a human. That means maxing out my musical abilities to bring love and shalom to as many people as I possibly can.
I see three essential qualities of a successful artist.
1) Knowing what your goal, purpose, and message are. Music (and all other art forms) is powerful, and many don’t maximize that power. What do you want your music/art to accomplish?
2) Knowing where you stand apart from the rest. The internet is over-saturated with new music, much of which has already been done before. I have no reason to listen to a new band if at first listen it sounds the same as this other band I already listen to.
3) Relate to your audience like real people. The opposite extreme from unoriginal art is art that is so original no one can relate to it. I am a HUGE fan of redefining the boundaries of every art medium, but at the same time, people need to relate to the art they interact with. A healthy balance is key.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can go to www.ryanwhyman.com to find upcoming performances and album recordings! I highly recommend signing up for my email list… I only send out emails once a month max. Like I mentioned, I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a new album, Fantasies & Memories, coming out in a couple months. There will be more info on my website once I know my official release date, so stay tuned. You can support my work by purchasing that album of course (once it’s out) but you can also support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ryanwhyman.com
- Email: music@ryanwhyman.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/whymaniac/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/whymanmusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/ryanwhyman
- Other: www.patreon.com/ryanwhyman
Image Credit:
Mark Winterlin
Enrique Chavez
Luis Enriquez
Victor San Pedro
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