Ryan has had the pleasure of working with a cappella singers of all levels to take their sound, performance, and musicianship to the next level. Ryan has workshopped high school, college, and semi-professional groups across the tri-state area, and has also been hired to speak at a cappella festivals on a cappella arrangement & performance. Ryan holds a B.A. in Music, summa cum laude, from Connecticut College.
Sample Clinic
Clinic Description: Arrangements are the foundation of a cappella music: to "wow" audiences, a cappella groups must invest in arrangements that take a song to a new place, rather than a beat-for-beat and chord-for-chord cover.
However, a good arrangement on paper can fall flat on stage. Arrangements need legs to stand on: they cannot stand on their own without emotion and dynamics from its singers.
From Good to Great: Emotion and Dynamics in A Cappella Performance will unpack how a cappella singers can get the most out of their arrangements with emotion and dynamics.
The Contemporary A Cappella Arranger's Toolkit
When staring at a blank sheet of staff paper, gearing up to start a new arrangement: arrangers can often feel overwhelmed with the realm of possibilities and directions one can take.
To aid the brainstorming process, Ryan created his take on a contemporary a cappella arranger's toolkit (linked here), which includes samples of some of his favorite arranging techniques.
Testimonials
Ryan came to rehearsal to workshop his arrangement with my group. We had a great session! I was drawn to the arrangement because it was a stretch piece for us and, with Ryan's help, by the end of rehearsal things were falling in place and sounding awesome! Because he's a bass, it was particularly useful for my lower voices who often get taken for granted, both in arrangements and in a masterclass situation. Ryan offers great suggestions to bring out performing potential. He's patient and knowledgeable. Great to work with!
- Timorell, TONEWALL pop a cappella of the NYC Gay Men's Chorus
Ryan has done an amazing job workshopping arrangements of varying levels of difficulty and nuance. He explains and implements musical concepts in a way that's simple and makes sense to even novice musicians. His breakdown of the music produces a unified and dynamic sound.
- Carly Atto, BLACKOUT NYC A Cappella
