About Me
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." - Plato
Ryan Smith is a professional drummer, songwriter, and producer with a BA in Contemporary Music / Percussion from MI in Hollywood, CA. From a young age, music has been as much a part of him as the arms, legs, and spirit in which he uses to create it. In his pursuit of musical expression, Ryan developed skills on the piano, violin, and guitar before arriving at his true calling behind a drumset.
Honing his skills at the prestigious Musician's Institute, located in the heart of the entertainment capital of the world, Ryan was fortunate enough to have studied with drumming greats Donny Gruendler, Chuck Silverman, Tim McIntyre, and Jeff Bowders. Along with the collective knowledge of his professors, and the influence of legends including: Steve Jordan (SNL, Tonight Show, John Mayer), Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Session Artist), Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Session Artist), and Abe Laborial Jr. (Paul McCartney), Ryan's musical 'library' continues to grow as he sets his sights on a long and successful career in the music industry.
While playing drums with several great artists including singer / songwriters Lindsey Harper (myspace.com/lindseyharper), Ray Jordan (myspace.com/rayjordanmusic), and The Greg Haptor Band (myspace.com/greghaptor), Ryan has also performed / recorded with Ethan Robert's (The Veronicas, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez), Kevin Campos (Enrique Iglesias), and many others.
When not performing live, Ryan works as a session drummer in a variety of styles including: Rock, Pop, Funk, R&B, Latin and Jazz, is available for arranging parts for strings, horns, and full rhythm section, and teaches drums, piano, and guitar to several students in both the Orange County and Los Angeles areas.Currently, Ryan is putting together a catalog of of his own songs and working towards a music publishing contract and a long and successful career as a hit songwriter.
Artists I've had the pleasure of performing / recording with:
Lindsey Harper
Ray Jordan
Kevin Campos
One Year Yesterday
Vitamins For Voyeurs
The Kelly Brothers
Max Morgan
Andrew Ripp
The Greg Haptor Band
The Rick Hack Band
Myron & The ID
The Mining Company
Irrah
Bootstrap
