ryan mintz - let me be your monkey

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“In the meantime, I'll live like there's no tomorrow " - Alanis Morissette

The Short Version

Heartfelt… genuine… quirky. That’s what people say about Ryan’s music. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a penchant for honesty, this San Francisco singer/songwriter has touched listeners at coffee houses, pride festivals, and folk gatherings across the country. With a unique voice that many liken to Cat Stevens, Ryan brings a gentle vulnerability to his raw lyrics. Aching heart one minute, and wry smile the next, Ryan has the unique ability to make audiences laugh and cry… sometimes within the same song.

His debut record, Monkeys & Ice Cream, has earned critical acclaim. “The real draw of this album is the absolute honest nature with which each song was written,” wrote EDGE. And the Susanne Millsaps Performing Songwriter Showcase named Ryan a finalist in 2009.

A songwriter with heart, Ryan lives his musical life in alignment with his values. To help protect the planet, he released his CD in eco-friendly packaging and toured the country sans-automobile. Now he’s running The Green Musician, a project dedicated to sustainability in the music industry. On tour, he also made several stops at LGBT youth organizations, using his songs to help teenagers express their emotions.

“For me, music is emotion,” Ryan says. “If I can help someone feel something, then I’ve done my job.”

Outside of music… Ryan lives his life as a world-traveler, environmentalist, peace activist, romantic, thinker, vegetarian, writer, hiker, dancer, and dreamer.

And yes… he’ll be your monkey :)

The Long Version

Telling the story of my music is like being asked to tell the story of my life. Where do I begin? When I first picked up a guitar? When I discovered my first favourite album? When I got my first role in a musical? When I danced in the living room to my first tape Mickey Mouse Disco? Let’s just say, I’ve been fanatic about music as long as I can remember!

I realized the other day that my musical story is like a snake. (Yes, a snake!) I’ve been shedding my skins throughout the years, allowing for new growth and freedom. I like that image. It suggests we must rip through boundaries to keep on growing, and liberate our new selves.

Here’s the not-so-brief history of those key moments of skin-shedding musical growth :)

The Beginning: Musicals and Choirs

It all started when I saw my older sister Lisa on stage performing and singing. I sooooo wanted to be her, and when I finally got to middle school and high school, I followed in her footsteps by performing in musicals and choirs. Learning about harmony was fascinating to me; at first I couldn’t comprehend how to hold a note that was different from the person next to me! But eventually, I came to experience the joy and spine-tingles of creating beautiful sounds with a group. My high school and college choirs were led by amazing, talented, well-respected directors, and I credit their teachings with building the base of knowledge that led to my eventual songwriting. Those choirs gave me lots of cherished opportunities for travel too: I’ve sung classical songs in competitions across the country, religious songs in European churches, pop songs in foreign town squares, and native folk songs throughout South American concert halls. I’ll always remember the tears streaming down a Brazilian teenager’s face, as she was so moved by the music our choir shared with her community. Indeed, music has the amazing power to connect people from all backgrounds.

Alanis Morissette: A Jagged Little Awakening

It was in college that another layer peeled. I heard the music of Alanis Morissette and was blown away by her power, courage, vulnerability, and raw expression of emotion. It was the first time I listened to a whole CD, not just a single, and those 12 songs changed my life. I turned to the internet to find out about this new artist, and became connected with an on-line community of other fans. My family was a little leery when I started driving all over the country to meet these people, but it wasn’t long until they became my closest friends. Spending time with these uber-emotional souls, I learned how to open up and share my own sensitive self with people. It was the music that made this possible, because we all strived for the same emotional rawness that Alanis’s songs embodied. Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Chantal Kreviazuk, Lisa Loeb, and Jonatha Brooke were other artists during this period that I (and we) admired for their soul-bearing qualities. I will always cherish my Alanis friends for the adventures far and wide, the dozens of concerts we saw together, the new artists we discovered, … and really, for growing up together.

G-C-D-E Minor: The First Four Chords

The next skin-shedding came in September of 2000. I had just moved to Colorado to live with my cousin Jaime, and she was taking a guitar class at college. One day, she and her girlfriend Andrea showed me 4 simple chords to the Green Day song “Time of Your Life” – and the rest is history!
I suddenly started writing songs. And I was simultaneously amazed at myself, because I never would have imagined I could write songs! But somehow it all came together: the singing I did in choir taught me the basics of chord and melody structure; the musicians I fell in love with in college showed by example how to create music from the heart; and my journaling habit got me in the practice of self-expression with words. Once I had a few songs, I played at open mikes, and my friends were really encouraging. I was addicted to writing songs, and it seemed every relationship, breakup, frustration, or hope led to a new song. To this day, turning to the guitar is the most rewarding way of expressing and working through strong feelings. Suddenly, love isn’t as confusing, loss isn’t as sad, and exuberance isn’t as fleeting when I can capture it in song.

It was around this time I discovered the Indigo Girls, and they opened up a new world for me: folk music. Masterful acoustic guitar-playing, chill-inducing harmony, vibrant storytelling, and excellent songwriting are their legacy... and a level of craftsmanship to which I aspire.

Song School: Home Sweet Home

And speaking of folky singer-songwriters, that’s the perfect transition to the latest burst of growth: Song School. Song School is a 4-day music camp based in the mountains of Lyons, CO. But I never would have signed up if not for a poignant conversation with my dear friend Meredith. Feeling unmotivated about my film career, she challenged me to pursue what was really in my heart. The answer was very obviously music, but I never felt confident enough to follow that path. I even used to feel pangs of jealousy at concerts, because the musician on stage was doing something I only dreamed of. At key points in my life, feeling lost and directionless has been a precursor to major change, so I guess the conversation came at the right moment to get me signed up for Song School.

The experience undoubtedly changed the direction of my life. There, I was surrounded by a community of other musicians in a place where everyone is supportive, where the learning is overflowing, where the diversity and expertise of teachers is mind-blowing, and where not an ounce of musician competitiveness appears. It’s spiritual, it’s creative, it’s open, and it’s beautiful. And after I had my turn to perform a song at the open mike one night, my decision was sealed: I was going to leave LA and my film career to work on my music.

The second year was equally shell-breaking, if not more so. This time, I received so much positive encouragement to record an album, to be confident with my music, to expand my creativity, to tackle my weaknesses with no shame, and to treat my music seriously. The result is: the demo, the logo, the website, the lessons, the conferences, the performing. I don’t think I could find enough power in my heart to express the profound gratitude I have for the teachers and students who have set me firmly on this path. Thank you.

I made a promise to my fellow Song Schoolers last year: I will return in 2007 with my debut album in hand. The countdown is on… Stay tuned for the album, coming this fall!

“Self-preservation is a fulltime occupation” - Ani DiFranco

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