For Ryan, music is not only a way of life, it's a way to experience the world in which we live. A lifelong student of musical styles, Ryan immersed himself first in classical music, eventually earning a Masters degree in Violin from the University of Colorado at Boulder. There he studied jazz in addition to classical violin, which began his fascination with American musical traditions. Ryan lives in Boulder, Colorado.
The investigation of his own musical roots has led Ryan back through time: from modern jazz improvisation concepts, through bluegrass fiddling, old-time American fiddle styles, and across the Atlantic to the musical traditions of Ireland, Sweden and Norway.
Ryan is a Fulbright scholar, having spent a year in Sweden teaching American roots music at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, while learning from Swedish folk masters such as Roger Tallroth, Ale Möller, and Ellika Frisell.
