Michael Ryan Music
inspired by the passionate flair of the Spanish Guitar
Spirit of Ireland-March 9th, 2014
01 day ago
On Sunday, March 9th, we will, once again, have the opportunity to perform Spirit of Ireland!
We have such wonderful time putting on this show.
Last January at the Candlelight Pavilion, we laughed while sharing friendly jokes and played songs with beautiful meanings. We fed off of each other’s energy and had a great time!
Here we have Jongo, Danny and Dylan Oberbeck, Mark Alfred, Michael Ryan, Ken Soderlund, Hai Muradian, Martie Echito and Romy Stegen.
The dancers moved nimbly around the stage to the beat of the drums and the tunes our band. It was fun to watch them completing tough choreography with such grace and style! You can see Julia Straszewski, Caterina Coyne and Tasha Straszewski at the end of their dance.
Our soloist, Romy Stegen, sang beautifully and complimented the band. We could feel her emotions as she elegantly translated the songs’ mood through her inflection and intonation.
The highlight of the show for me was when the audience would sing along. I enjoy the feedback and looking into the crowd and seeing happy faces candidly singing the words to the songs we are playing. We are excited to share our love of music and story telling each time we play this special show and we find that through audience involvement we can reach out to our fans and feel more like friends!
Wilma Sheppard, who attended the Saturday show said, “Wonderful concert! Made my birthday celebration special. It brought out my Mother’s Irish roots in me. Thank you.”
Linda and Paul Lovelace also shared their experience saying, “Mike, Great as always! Thanks for a great show!”
“Loved every aspect of the show” stated Suzanne Duron.
It is important for people to feel happy and connected with one another. We love hearing comments such as “Absolutely fabulous!!! I want to join the band 
” from Marilyn Sousa. Through our production of this Irish Celebration, we are excited to be able to connect with individuals from a different continent, bring them to you, and embrace their history and culture through our rendition of the historical and newer aged songs and medleys. Being part Irish and being so inspired by the Irish music, I feel very honored to be able to produce an Irish show and spread the enthusiasm for enjoying our time together and celebrating the beauty in life! After seeing the show, Jeri Roth stated ”Incredible show! We loved the spirit, music and laughter.”
The crowd was alive and we could feel the enthusiasm radiating within the room. Their impressions of the show are what fuel our happy spirit and keep us smiling on stage as we perform our favorite productions!
Here the post from a few month ago about Irish music and culture:
Imagine rolling green hills and cloudy skies, or laughing, singing and sharing drinks at a cozy bar with close friends reminiscing of family, friends, history, politics, love and war. These images and ideas come to mind when we think of the Irish culture, but we can really experience this passionate people once we lend an ear to their music.
Music is more than just a form of entertainment; it paves the way for the expression of deep feelings and serves as a platform for establishing social, historical, and even political connections among artists and their listeners. If you were to visit the local pubs or attend a musical festival, you would most likely hear genres such as traditional Irish folk music, punk rock and the fusion of the two. Historically, the themes of love and war are commonly present in many of the lyrics written by Irish poets and songwriters. The stories behind the lyrics tell of the country’s early battles, the struggles of human kind in the wake of war, and the importance and impact of love while expressing the raw human emotions tied into living life.
When I was in Dublin I found many street musicians passionately singing on a corner. It is so inspiring to see individuals pursuing their passion and sharing their love of music with the public.
There’s a great movie to watch about an Irish Singer/Songwriter playing on the streets in Dublin. The film tells the story of a street musician and a Czech immigrant during an eventful week as they write, rehearse and record songs that reveal their unique love story.
The song “Falling Slowly’, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2007, which was performed in the movie “Once”. You can click the link to hear the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8mtXwtapX4
I highly recommend that you see the movie!
Take care!
Michael
Therapy Through Song: How Music Therapy Helps us Heal
01 week ago
Music has a way of speaking to us and getting us in touch with our inner emotions. Religious music is meant to inspire us, while the music in horror films is meant to keep us on edge. Hollywood does an excellent job of helping us follow the emotions involved in a storyline with the musical score. There are plenty of scenarios in which we can determine that music helps us to feel one way or another about events or situations.
We have learned through many years of research across many cultures that we can help patients with serious illnesses or behavioral conditions to heal faster and diminish stress by introducing music therapy to their existing forms of treatment. Patients who have undergone bone marrow transplants in a University of Minnesota study had a decrease in fatigue when patients were concurrently treated with music therapy. Young toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in a University of Kansas study were more likely to interact with one another in a classroom setting when musical instruments, songs, and musical games were introduced. The abstracts for the aforementioned studies can be found here.
In fact, the American Cancer Society has been conducting research on the use of music therapy during chemotherapy treatments. Music therapy is much more than listening to music; patients undergoing this therapy can compose music, discuss lyrics, or even write lyrics of their own. This process can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and has even shown results in children as well as adults. The patients who can benefit from music therapy, as a result, can further benefit from an improved quality of life. The ACS reports that:
“Other clinical trials have revealed a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, insomnia, depression, and anxiety with music therapy. No one knows all the ways music can benefit the body, but studies have shown that music can affect brain waves, brain circulation, and stress hormones. These effects are usually seen during and shortly after the music therapy.”
NPR has numerous radio shows on the subject of music therapy.
Here are 3 very interesting podcasts:
Science Friday- Push Play, Feel Better
Talk of the Nation- Music Therapy
All Things Considered- Harp Therapy: Music as Medication
To learn more about this alternative treatment approach, you can visit the American Music Therapy Association’s website.
Take Care,
Michael
From Trash to Treasure: The Landfill Harmonic
63 weeks ago
Recently, I came across this video on the internet which showed children in Catuera, Paraguay playing instruments made in their hometown… from trash! The children performed beautifully on these instruments fashioned from old oil cans, spoons, pieces of wood and metal and other various items found in the landfill. If you have not heard of this inspirational story, please take a look at this video of what is known as The Landfill Harmonic in Catuera, Paraguay http://youtu.be/sJxxdQox7n0. It is truly inspiring!
Since the city is so saturated with trash there are several individuals, known as “recyclers,” who have been finding other uses for these forgotten materials. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure…” as the saying goes. One resident and recycler, Nicolas, has been creating makeshift instruments from the abundance of trash which has helped young people to find beauty in the heaps lying around them. The main goal of these music lessons are to help the children grow into positive contributing members of their society. These children are instructed by Maestro Luis Szaran to produce beautiful music in an orchestral arrangement and as a result, these children are able to embrace this new talent and enhance their lives through the involvement in music through manipulation of their environment.
Many times in life we are faced with challenges and hardships that seem extreme, but there is often a way to see the beauty in life and embrace it. The members of this community have done just that! Their ability to utilize the trash to create a future for their youth is beautiful and truly inspiring. There is a movie about this wonderful endeavor and it can be viewed at http://www.landfillharmonicmovie.com where you can also contribute to the cause! You can also find them on Facebook by searching “Landfill Harmonic.”
I am so grateful to be able to enjoy my love of music and to see young people who are half a world away also learn to harness this skill and enhance their lives.
Take Care,
Michael
Irish Celebration with Michael Ryan & Friends!
01 month ago
Hello Again,
Since our last publication, during the holidays, Michael Ryan and Friends have been enjoying the company of our European friends during rehearsals for the
Spirit of Ireland! We had a fun spirited time performing this show that we love for our fans.
For three nights, we laughed while sharing friendly jokes and played songs with beautiful meanings. We fed off of each other’s energy and had a great time!
Here we have Jongo, Danny and Dylan Oberbeck, Mark Alfred, Michael Ryan, Ken Soderlund, Hai Muradian, Martie Echito and Romy Stegen.
The dancers moved nimbly around the stage to the beat of the drums and the tunes our band. It was fun to watch them completing tough choreography with such grace and style! You can see Julia Straszewski, Caterina Coyne and Tasha Straszewski at the end of their dance.
Our soloist, Romy Stegen, sang beautifully and complimented the band. We could feel her emotions as she elegantly translated the songs’ mood through her inflection and intonation.
The highlight of the show for me was when the audience would sing along. I enjoy the feedback and looking into the crowd and seeing happy faces candidly singing the words to the songs we are playing. We are excited to share our love of music and story telling each time we play this special show and we find that through audience involvement we can reach out to our fans and feel more like friends!
Wilma Sheppard, who attended the Saturday show said, “Wonderful concert! Made my birthday celebration special. It brought out my Mother’s Irish roots in me. Thank you.”
Linda and Paul Lovelace also shared their experience saying, “Mike, Great as always! Thanks for a great show!”
“Loved every aspect of the show” stated Suzanne Duron.
It is important for people to feel happy and connected with one another. We love hearing comments such as “Absolutely fabulous!!! I want to join the band ” from Marilyn Sousa. Through our production of this Irish Celebration, we are excited to be able to connect with individuals from a different continent, bring them to you, and embrace their history and culture through our rendition of the historical and newer aged songs and medleys. Being part Irish and being so inspired by the Irish music, I feel very honored to be able to produce an Irish show and spread the enthusiasm for enjoying our time together and celebrating the beauty in life! After seeing the show, Jeri Roth stated ”Incredible show! We loved the spirit, music and laughter.”
The crowd was alive and we could feel the enthusiasm radiating within the room. Their impressions of the show are what fuel our happy spirit and keep us smiling on stage as we perform our favorite productions!
We are grateful to the Candlelight Pavilion in Claremont California for hosting our annual Irish Celebration and we’re so happy to have shared these nights with all who attended at the beginning of January.
On Sunday, March 9th , we will be joining back together at the University of La Verne for Spirit of Ireland, just in case you missed out on our previous one!
To see what other shows the Candlelight Pavilion offers, have a look at their website, it’s a beautiful venue with a wide variety of shows!
Take Care,
Michael
Jazz it up in New Orleans with Michael Ryan!
11 month ago
Hello everyone,
I recently visited New Orleans where I was fortunate enough to get to listen to Jazz concerts and gain an appreciation for the variance in cultures across America and the raw feeling that is interjected into this beautiful music. While I was listening to the swinging tunes, I began to think about the roots of the music. Where did Jazz come from and how is present day Jazz different from when it originated in New Orleans?
An early Jazz song had strong feelings and expressed the issues of Creoles in a young America. Small assemblies of musicians, played various drums and horns. This combination of African voodoo drums and European horns coupled with influence from churches and bars, bred a new form of musical expression known as Jazz (http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/music/musichistory/jazzbirthplace.html).
The slaves of the south sang the blues and played the music for themselves using makeshift instruments derived from animal bones and skins. Many dark skinned individuals could be seen congregating in Congo Park and participating in large musical sessions with ragtime beats, chanting and singing songs about day to day activities (http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/g/gioia-jazz.html).
The actual year in which Jazz originated is debatable, but one of the first classifiable combinations of European classical music and African drums is noted as early as 1847 in the song “La Bomboula-Danse Negre” (http://youtu.be/T73k3OPgeS4).
Although Jazz, at its conception, was mainly comprised of African beats and European melodies and was greatly influenced by the African culture, in the early years many of the performing musicians and bands were white only, or mixed-race individuals who appeared white. As the social standing of Black individuals in America changed, the subject of the Jazz songs also changed. The earliest Jazz songs depicted the plight of the African American slaves and eventually the content began to shift to love songs and what we know now as the “blues.” Over the years, at the hub of its creation in New Orleans, this cultural melting pot was recognized and embellished in the developing styles of jazz musicians and their music. Since Jazz is so expressive, each artist who made a name for him or herself entered the scene playing the ragtime blues with their own special flare and made a mark on this emerging art. This freedom to express oneself with the accompaniment of upbeat rhythms and flittering horns helped form Jazz as we know it; the genre which is known today as Classic American music.
Today if you were to look up Jazz on the internet or Pandora, you would find several categorizations which are mainly separated by era. The newest and probably the most commonly played now can be referred to as Smooth Jazz which has a higher production quality and longer duration than the early Jazz tunes. Although the music may have changed throughout the years, the main components of ragtime rhythms, melodic voices, and horn have remained consistent.
One of the highlights of my trip to New Orleans was to experience the music of a fabulous jazz singer, Charmaine Neville. We were lucky to get the last few seats at a small club called Snug Harbor. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZlPTCsWR60) Charmaine, who is the daughter of one of the highly acclaimed Neville Brothers, is engaging and puts on a great show of contemporary and traditional jazz. (www.charmainenevilleband.com/)
If you are interested in more contemporary music, you can go to http://www.contemporaryjazz.com and see what is new in the world of Jazz.
Take Care,
Michael