Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Crary.
Hi Ryan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since I can remember, I’ve always loved the creative process and sharing the creativity with others. Throughout my youth I wrote songs and recorded them as ‘demos’ trying to mimic the sounds of the day (311 and Incubus being my most inspirational groups).
It wasn’t until my Junior year in College (UNF) that I discovered like minded individuals who wanted to take their talents and pursue their passions even further (See in my home it was always a ‘fun’ thing to do, but never a career path or a ‘smart choice’).
I graduated during a recession and had trouble putting my new college degree to work for me. So I made money playing bar gigs with some friends and serving tables at local restaurants, until my group gained so much popularity that we were gigging full time.
I wanted to see how far this passion would take me 🙂
I conquered the Jacksonville scene for a couple of years and then joined a regional touring band. We focused more on corporate events and weddings while supplementing our income at bars gigs, but I was still missing that creative passion.
I left the regional group after a year and focused on my solo act, and writing. Producing my own songs while gigging as a solo musician for 8 days a week is cumbersome, but I loved it!
Establishing relationships with venue owners, restaurant managers, and engaging crowds was quite rewarding. In fact I met my (now) wife at a wedding I performed at!
The peak of my career (Thus far) has been performing at large events much like the Jacksonville Fair, Jaguar Games, Jumbo Shrimp Games, large company parties, charity golf tournaments and celebrity golf tournaments.
I’ve met some amazing individuals in the music world (and outside) but today things look a bit different.
With two small kids and a full time job it can be difficult to feed the passion. Thanks to my lovely partner in life, I’m able to still “rock out” a few times a month to ‘scratch that itch’ and also build my studio where I am constantly writing and producing music.
The music I write and produce these days is intended for film/TV/Radio/Commercials etc… a fun new revenue stream I never knew existed before!
I am truly excited to see the next chapter of this interesting duality I have in life – Analyst by day, Rocker by night- and share that gift with the world.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have a tattoo of waves on my right arm. I originally got it done when my first born came into the world. It serves as a reminder that there are always ebbs and flows. It’s always easy to criticize yourself in retrospect, so mental strength is very important.
It most certainly has not been the smoothest road to get where I am, but you must enjoy the fun times and never forget the tough ones. The tougher times are the ones that mold and shape you as you grow.
One struggle is still trying to find dedicated like minded driven individuals to perform with, but the other main struggle is finding the time to write/produce. Typically the early hours of the morning, or the wee hours of the night, and sometimes writing a new song live in front of a crowd!
I’ve been fortunate to not have too many detrimental struggles as some of my friends have, but the mental strength that is needed to run your own business on your own talents is something to be proud of.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a musician/producer/engineer.
I’m known for performing popular covers of multiple genres, my original music, helping others/coaching them, and music production.
The way I view my business in terms of “what I do” is that I perform live for crowds (getting a full crowd to sing along is my favorite 🙂 ), use that income to build my studio in order to stay competitive in my music production. Sadly good equipment isn’t cheap!
One thing I am most proud of is how far I’ve come. I met my best friend back in 2014 (he was the best DJ in town) and working with him to do weddings and celebrity golf tournaments where we met the likes of Joel Murray, Bill Murray, Aaron Lewis, Melissa Joan Hart, Breckin Myer, and many many more wonderful people.
That specific year we performed all day during the tournament and then set up for the late night after party that went from 2am to sunrise! It was an amazing experience I will never forget.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are so many others that deserve credit!
The one person that comes to the forefront is my wife. I try to perform late night gigs to help with the house and kids, but ever so often I have one or two a month that take place right in the middle of our routine.
My parents of course deserve credit as well for supporting me in my career over the years. I’m sure they thought several things about it! My father actually gifted me studio time as a high school graduation present where I recorded one song, but he always tried to instill the risks of doing the arts full time (and he succeeded).
My mother took my sister and I to piano lessons as children and would help us learn music while introducing us to her favorite music.
My older brother (12 years older) has a similar passion and performed in several hair metal bands in his youth and I’m proud to say that he still rocks out today in Sanford FL!
There have been so many wonderful relationships with venues and fans that have kept my passion alive over the years. Even when I truly hit dark times they advocated for me to continue. I will never forget that.
Without those people and the wonderful people I’ve met along the way I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RyanCrary.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryancrarymusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanCraryMusic
- Twitter: https://x.com/RyanCrary
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj8iPIaPIePRbL7MxxJnXdA
