Ryan has been teaching and performing professionally for nearly 25 years. Since his introduction to music in guitar class as a teenager, he has studied jazz performance and composition at York University, bluegrass mandolin at Sore Fingers Summer School, sung with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto and taken lessons with many blues harmonica greats. As a performer he has toured across Canada, the US and Europe and has appeared on BBC Radio, RBB (Germany) and co-written an album that reached #16 on Norwegian iTunes charts. Ryan is an accomplished songwriter, who draws inspiration from all types of music, particularly rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk and country. He teaches all levels of students and has worked with at-risk youth, those with special needs and has taught at shelters throughout his career.