The Story Of My Tattoo…

The Story of my Tattoo

Johnny Ryan

Johnny Ryan Music.com

 People are always asking me, “Why did you get that tattoo?  What does it mean?”  Well, I’m glad you asked.  And I’m glad I now have this opportunity to explain the reasons behind it.

First let me start off by saying that I never thought I’d ever get a tattoo.  I simply never thought there would ever be anything significant enough for me to want to have it permanently needled into my skin for eternity.  But that was before I began to follow my true passions in life and stopped being a spectator in the decisions of my own destiny.  That was before I started to finally acknowledge my existence in this world and take full responsibility for everything in my life.  For the first time, I began to realize how incredibly empowering and sobering being “awake” was and I wanted to find a way to symbolize it and have a constant reminder of those events.  Some people choose to write about their experiences or celebrate them through material means like buying a new fancy car.  I chose to use tattoos to symbolize and commemorate meaningful events and subjects in my life.

So along with the reasoning to get a tattoo, there are a number of symbolic meanings for the actual images that are present on the tattoo.  Each element of my tattoo has a very specific meaning and symbolism that is special and unique to my life experience up to this point.

Water Symbolizes Change…

For example, the trees and the water in my tattoo represent the growth and significant changes I’ve experienced in my personal and professional life in the past 7 years.  Life changing events like building 2 businesses, one of which I subsequently sold because it turned out to be something I really didn’t enjoy and it wasn’t in line with my ultimate life goals and passions. Other meanings of the water and trees has been my ability to learn not to chase love and relationships but rather concentrate on loving myself, letting go and leaving the conspiring to the universe.

Trees Symbolize Growth

There’s a reminder to always make sure I put in the work and don’t expect anything that’s worthwhile to come easily.  This is symbolized by an image of the crossroads; a legendary blues story that took place in Memphis, TN. The basics of the story states that a man named Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to become the greatest guitar player in the world.  The devil granted his wish but unbeknownst to him, he was only able to display his talents for one evening.  After that he was never seen again.

The Cross Roads…

Lastly, there are images that symbolize my passions in life. There is a book entangled in one of the trees to symbolize my love for writing songs and a man playing guitar representing my love for music and performing.  All things that have always been in my heart but due to fear or lack of awareness, I had kept from myself for far too long until just recently.  Now whenever I feel fear or anxiety about something new in my life, the experiences that are displayed on my tattoo help remind me to feel the fear and do it anyway.

The Book Symbolizes My Love For Writing…

I guess one way to look at all of this is that I used my arm as a canvas of reminders and affirmations to help me always remember where I’ve been, what I’ve gone through and where I want to make sure I continue to go.  Every time I look at it, I get instant motivation and energy to continue my quest towards my ultimate goals and dreams.  Plus it looks frickin’ cool!

What do you think about tattoos, my tattoo or my article in general?  I’d love to hear your comments or answer any questions you may have.  Please leave your comments or questions below or contact me at johnnyryanmusic@hotmail.com 

**Johnny Ryan is a Professional Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist and Session Musician And the Creator of “Lyrics For Life” The Make BELIEVE Musician’s blog; based in Denver, CO.  

You can receive more articles from me directly, along with other cool resources, by joining my V.I.P. Back Stage Area at: www.johnnyryanmusic.com

 

Modesty VS. Humility: “The Lyrics Of Life” Blog Series From The Make BELIEVE Musician

Part Of The Lyrics Of Life Blog Series; By Johnny Ryan The Make BELIEVE Musician

Johnny Ryan Music.com

So I’ve been seeing a life coach.  I know, right?  Even folks like me, who you may come to for advice or motivation, need to be inspired and re-access their priorities in their quest to achieve their dreams and goals too.  Anyway, in my last coaching session, we got into a subject that I think everyone can benefit from. Distinguishing between modesty and humility.

Cam Vuksinich, my life coach, always starts off by asking me what’s on my mind.  What would I like to discuss today that is blocking me or challenging me.  On this particular day, we had been discussing how important it is to share your gifts with the world.  In that moment of the discussion, I began thinking about a performance I had several weekends before.  My band and I had just finished our show.  As usual, we were talking amongst ourselves and saying hello to fans who came to the show, when one person came over to the table and wanted to compliment me personally for my performance.  She said that what I had done on stage had really touched her and helped her bring back memories of a great time in her life.  Wow!  Pretty cool right?  Well it should have been but I didn’t recognize the opportunity when it was right in front of me.  I responded with, “ah, well I kind of messed up on that song…I couldn’t really hear myself in the monitors and so I went off key…Blah, blah, blah”  What a jerk right?  One of my band mates who was standing there as I whined about my monitors was just shaking his head after the fan walked away.  He said, “Dude!  Just say thank you!”  As he smacked me upside the head.

Ouch!  In more ways than one.  He was absolutely right.  What I had failed to realize, was this fan took the time to come up to me and SHARE something incredibly special with me that happened in her life…then and again in that current musical moment that I provided…and I had just crapped all over it by complaining about my inability to hear on stage.  How insensitive and selfish is that?  Obviously, I was in no way doing all of this on purpose or to trivialize her moment.  But none-the-less, I didn’t recognize the special moment that was right in front of me.

After I told Cam this story, she shared her experience of learning to distinguish the differences between MODESTY AND HUMILITY;  It went something like this; I’m paraphrasing of course.

“The first thing I did to understand the difference between modesty and humility, was to simply look both words up in the dictionary.  When you read the definitions of both words you’ll immediately recognize the distinction between them.”

“The overall meaning of the word modesty, is to hold or pull ones self back from action or reaction, so one doesn’t appear to be too full of ones self, because one may think they could intimidate others.

Whereas humility’s overall meaning is simply stating that “I am who I am.”

So when I reacted the way I did at my show, I was a coming from a place of modesty.  I didn’t have the confidence or awareness to simply acknowledge her praise and connection with me.  I was too concerned with myself.  I wrongfully assumed that she would not be able to handle that I believe in my talents.  I wrongfully made a decision FOR her, denying her full access to my gifts/talents.  How selfish right?  I know…when you look at it that way, absolutely!

Coming from a position of humility is a far more pure and truthful path for me now.  When I come from a path of humility, it’s ok to be somewhere that I’m sometimes afraid, or that I believe I can sing pretty well, or that sometimes I don’t feel confidence in my abilities.  But that’s who I am and it’s ok.  Take it or leave it.

To give you another analogy of the difference between the words modesty and humility, you can think of humility as something that is completely naked.  What you see is what you get.  No frills, no bells and whistles.  A person who is coming from a point of humility is not concerned with changing what others see.

A path derived from modesty would be in great need of accessory.  The modest individual would require a situation to be “dressed up” because of their concern for how others think.  Something a modest minded person may think subconsciously might be, “do they feel good about who I am?”

So I don’t believe in modesty anymore.  Only in the concept of humility.

What I took away from my last session with Cam is this; When someone approaches me to comment, congratulate or thank me for something I’ve done, I always take a moment, take a breath and simply say thank you.  By doing so, that “thank you” means so much more than that.  It means I acknowledge the actions you’ve taken to actively come up to me and share your experience.  That is an incredibly special moment that I want to thank you for.

So take a breath…

I’d love to hear your comments or answer any questions you may have.  Please leave your comments or questions below or contact me at johnnyryanmusic@hotmail.com 

**Johnny Ryan Is A Professional Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist And Session Musician And The Creator Of  The “Lyrics Of Life” Blog Series By The Make BELIEVE Musician’s; Based In Denver, CO.  

**For More On Johnny Ryan, Go To Johnny Ryan Music.com And Sign Up To Become A  V.I.P. Back Stage Member For Exclusive Music, Videos, And Health & Fitness Tips From Johnny.

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“The Lyrics Of Life” By The Make BELIEVE Musician; A New Blog Series From Johnny Ryan Music.com

Lyrics Of Life By The Make BELIEVE Musician @ Johnny Ryan Music.com

I’m beginning to write these entries to try to shed some light on how I got to where I am and how I was able to follow my dreams despite my inner voice sometimes trying to derail me at times.  

I started to think that I was probably not the only person in the world who had a dream to be a pro musician or a singer and that maybe my life experiences could maybe help others move past some of their doubts, fears and anxieties.

I also began to realize that I beat myself up sometimes thinking that I haven’t really accomplished much in my life.  But then I take a moment and look back at what I’ve done and how I got where I am and I can see I’ve done some pretty kick ass things!  Sometimes when you’re “in it”…you don’t appreciate it and how it came to be.  I had to realize that there are probably many people out there who would love to be where I am and would love to know how I got here and how they might be able to get here too.

Being able to follow my dreams is so important to me.  I want to help others realize that it’s so possible and should be something you strive for every day.  Being able to help someone else see the light of possibilities would be a great thing for me to be a part of.

So that’s what The Make BELIEIVE Musician and The Lyrics Of Life Blog are all about. The series will involve my experiences of how I got to where I am.

I hope you enjoy reading the upcoming articles and that one or many of them help you realize a goal or dream you have some day.  Being of service to others who share the same passions I do would be an incredibly rewarding accomplishment for me personally.

Some of the articles you will be able to read very soon include:

Every door can be opened!

• How I had obstacles in my way and figured out how to erase them.
• How I learned the difference between modesty and humility.
• How I learned to use my limiting beliefs as fuel and light to guide me and energize me towards my ultimate dreams.
• How I found my passion and how I never let it be lost.
• How I changed my thinking when something was limiting me and made it more relative to my motivation.
• How I went all the way back “to the beginning” and found who I really am before anything or anyone began to write on me.
• How my tattoo represents my awakening and journey.

…And many, many more!  So stay tuned and enjoy!

I’d love to hear your comments or answer any questions you may have.  Please leave your comments or questions below or contact me at johnnyryanmusic@hotmail.com 

 

**Johnny Ryan Is A Professional Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist And Session Musician And The Creator Of “Lyrics Of Life” The Make BELIEVE Musician’s Blog; Based In Denver, CO. 

**For more information about Johnny Ryan, his music, his live shows, videos or instructional materials; go to Johnny Ryan Music.com and become a member of his V.I.P. Backstage Area.

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Johnny Ryan’s Bodyweight Workout Series: Workout #3

** TIS THE SEASON!!! **
During the Holidays every year, the average American gains 2-5lbs. that they NEVER GET RID OF…EVERY YEAR!!!

That means that every year, the average American gets exponentially fatter and dangerously more unhealthy.

DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

My simple but challenging bodyweight workouts will help you stay fit and healthy this holiday season. And you can do them anytime…anywhere!

Johnny Ryan’s Bodyweight Circuit Workout Series For Musicians: Workout #2

Just because you don’t have access to a gym or any equipment when you’re on the road as a musician, doesn’t mean you can’t get a kick ass workout in.

Staying in great shape while on tour can really help you consistently deliver your best performances night-in and night-out.

This and all of my workouts can be done anywhere!
For more of my workouts, go to: http://www.johnnyryanmusic.com and become a backstage member.

Johnny Ryan is a professional singer, songwriter, recording artist and session musician from Denver, CO.
He also has a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science along with a professional certification in Personal Fitness Training from the American Council On Exercise.

Johnny Ryan’s Bodyweight Circuit Series: Workout #1

Hey Everyone!
Just because you don’t have access to a gym or any equipment when you’re on the road as a musician, doesn’t mean you can’t get a kick ass workout in.
Staying in great shape while on tour can really help you consistently deliver your best performances night-in and night-out.
This workout and all of my workouts can be done anywhere!

So go check it out and give it a try!

For more of my workouts, go to: http://www.johnnyryanmusic.com and register for free to become a backstage member.

What do you like to do to stay in shape? All comments and questions are greatly appreciated!

Johnny Ryan is a professional singer, songwriter, recording artist and session musician from Denver, CO.
He also has a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science along with a professional certification in Personal Fitness Training from the American Council On Exercise.

Collaborating With Pro Musicians Doesn’t Mean You Have to Live Next Door

I just picked up the new album by my good friend and colleague Paul Tauterouff, entitled “Audio Chocolate.” Paul is a perennial pro instrumental guitarist who is branching out into new territory with this latest project by inviting several guest musicians; namely guitarists like Nick Layton, the incomparable violinist Pete Hartley and several pro vocalist, to be part of the project this time and it produced great results.  I was fortunate to be one of those guest vocalists and I wanted to tell you about my experience.

A few months before he finished the music for the project, Paul asked me to write   lyrics and record guest vocals for 2 of the tracks on his album; “Voices” (track 2) and “Rebel” (track 5).  Of course at the time, neither of the tracks had titles, only basic guitar riffs and melodies.  For both songs Paul gave me an idea of what he was thinking each song could be about but beyond that, he let me be as creative as I wanted to be from there.

“Rebel” was the first song I wrote.  Paul said, “I want this to be a tongue in cheek tribute to the south and southern rock.”  “The only thing I keep hearing over and over in my head is the phrase, I’m a rebel son!”  So from there, I ran with a barrage of cliché southern phrases and southern cultural activities, to come up with a silly homage to the south.

It was actually a lot of fun to write.  It brought me back to my college days as a bright-eyed Colorado boy heading to a prestigious southern University in the state of North Carolina.  I had never been anywhere but Colorado at that point in my life and boy was I in for a major culture shock!  Turns out I would recall some of my Tar Heel experiences to help me create the song “Rebel.”  Verses like,  “we like honky tonkin’ and shootin’ just for fun!  Sittin’ on the front porch, sippin’ shine, watchin’ fireflies on the Mason Dixon line,” were just a few of the lines I came up with.  Pretty silly really, but that was the idea and Paul loved it, so I ran with it.

Next came “Voices.”  A much harder edged song but one that Paul wanted to tell a story with too.  “I think this song is talking about a girl whose a bit strange.  She dances to her own drum and she really doesn’t care who knows it,”  Paul said.

This song was a bit tougher to write from a personal perspective, since I’m not a woman but I’ve been in situations where I’ve felt like I was the “outcast” and didn’t give a darn what people thought of me, so that’s where I began to write from.

Secondly, I’ve got a very good female friend who is the perfect model of  eccentricity, with no pause about who she is,  so I used her as my template for the girl in”Voices.”   (She was totally stoked when I told her the song was about her by the way.)  Some of the lyrics that made up the skeleton of the song were lines like, “Misunderstood, diamond in the rough, the world for her can’t move fast enough.”  I basically tried to paint a mental picture of this girl for the listener.

So I had my lyrics all finished and now it was time to record the vocals for each track.  The best part about this project was the ease and convenience that came from recording the songs in my own home studio.  See Paul lives in New York and I live in Colorado, so recording together in a studio was not an option.  But it was also not an obstacle. in this day and age of high quality recording software and recording technologies working with other pros in other areas of the country or the world, is not a problem.

Everything I needed to record a professional studio quality sound is right in my home.  And it didn’t cost me tens-of- thousands of dollars to do it either.  I used Ableton Live 8, a popular recording software ($300) A Mac Book Pro laptop ($1200), an M-Audio interface ($50), a shure sm58 beta microphone ($100) and a pair of stereo headphones ($30).  All of which I can use again and again for future recording projects, so if you look at it that way, I really used my investments to record these 2 songs for Paul.  The only expense I really had, was my time and some electricity.  Pretty cool!  Especially when you consider what it would cost me to record my vocals at a local professional recording studio.  You’re talking at least $150 to $300/hour and they’re not going to take the time and effort to make the quality of the recording near as good as you would yourself because they simply don’t give you the time.  Unless you’re willing to pay for it that is.

Each song took me a day to do.  Recording the main vocals, then the harmonies.  From there, choosing certain vocal effects that the recording software offers and getting all the volume levels right is usually the next step but for Paul’s project, I didn’t even have to do that.  He preferred that I leave all the vocals and harmonies “dry” so he could manipulate them on his end when he got to the mixing end of things with each song.

Once the tracks are complete and ready for “shipment,” I just imported the files as WAV files, and emailed them to Paul via YouSendIt.com, a free courier service for sending large files to anyone anywhere vial email.

All-in-all a very simple and fun process that I learned a great deal from.  And each time I do session work with/for colleagues I learn something new about long distance recording collaborations and recording in general for that matter. Lessons that make each new recording session I’m involved with that much better because of my past experiences.  You don’t have to be a professional recording engineer to make great recordings!  If I can do it, anybody can!

Bottom line, Paul Tauterouff’s Audio Chocolate  turned out to be a successful, ambitious journey of sounds and textures that will please many musical tastes.  And I’m so proud to be a part of it!

You can purchase the hard copy version or download your digital copy of the album at PAULTAUTEROUFF.COM.  Don’t forget to let me know what you think!

**Do you have any thoughts or comments on this article?  I’d love to hear what you think about recording, music or anything that comes to mind.  Please leave your comments or questions below and I’ll get back to you asap!

** Johnny Ryan is a professional singer, songwriter, recording artist and session musician from Denver, CO.  To contact Johnny, email him at: johnnyryanmusic@hotmail.com or visit his website at: JOHNNYRYANMUSIC.COM

 

Fitness For Professional Musicians Series: Nutrition- 3 Keys to Success

Johnny Ryan

www.johnnyryanmusic.com

Nutrition is a major key in any successful fitness program. Without proper “fuel” the body will not perform at optimal levels.  And when our bodies aren’t performing well, neither are we as professional musicians.  So it’s crucial to get this component right.

Here are the 3 most crucial keys to any nutritional program:

Key #1: Timing (When to Eat) – Think of your body as a coal-burning train engine. And food is the coal for that engine. If you stoke the engine with loads of coal, the engine will burn hot, hard and fast. But it won’t last for long if you don’t keep feeding the fire. Eventually it will slow, cool and die out if it’s not re-fueled.

Conversely, if you continually re-fuel the engine (your body) more often with smaller more frequent portions of coal (food), the engine will chug along much longer, more consistently and much more efficiently.

The former analogy is obviously the best course of action for re-fueling the human body. If you eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day (every 3 to 4 hours), you enable the bodies metabolic rate to stay high. This sends the right messages to your biological systems that you are going to provide what they need to work efficiently.

Key #2: Element of a Meal – What you eat is just as crucial as when you eat. It can make or break your results just as much as timing when you eat.

Everything we consume can be put into 3 categories;  1) Proteins 2) Carbohydrates 3) Fats

These 3 elements need to be considered when choosing what to eat in each meal throughout the day. The most basic thing to remember when designing a meal is to make sure you include at least one portion of each element, in each meal you consume (1 protein, 1 carb, 1 fat).

Within each of these individual elements there are also certain types of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to consider:

Proteins can be animal meats such as beef, pork, chicken, fish or buffalo. Other sources of proteins would also include beans, legumes, nuts, soy products.

Carbohydrates are categorized in 2 different forms; Complex and Simple carbohydrates.

Complex Carbohydrates consist of foods like whole wheats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Simple carbohydrates are items such as white flour, chips, white potatoes, sugar.

Research has shown that the body is much better at processing complex carbohydrates to use as fuel over simple carbohydrates, which the body tends to store more readily as fat. So when choosing between a simple and a complex carbohydrate, one should predominately lean towards selecting a complex carbohydrate whenever possible.

Fats Are also a necessary component to any meal. Thankfully, if you are consistently choosing varied and balanced proteins and complex carbohydrates in the meals you design, you are more than likely getting the necessary amounts of essential fats in your diet already. However, one can also supplement their fat intake with things such as flaxseed oil and omega 3 fish oils just to name a few options.

Key #3: Portion Sizes – How much you consume at each meal will determine how long it will take your body to burn off the calories taken in. Consequently, the larger the portions consumed, the more energy it will take to burn off the fuel taken in. If the fuel is not burned off in a timely manner, it will be stored as fat on the body as a reserve.

Smaller portions (about the size of your clenched fist or a deck of cards) are easier for the body to digest and use as fuel instead of being stored. It’s as simple as that. If you take in more than you burn off, it will be carried around as fat. If you burn off more than you take in, you will lose fat and be more fit.

To conclude, these 3 keys to a successful nutritional program are by far the most important.  But there are many other elements to a sound nutrition plan that we’ve not covered today.  However, If you start with these 3 keys, you’ll be much further ahead than the average person.  Good luck and Good eating!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

**But wait! There’s more!! For a complete, in-depth, step-by-step nutritional program, go to Johnny Ryan Music.com and sign up to be a member of the backstage area by providing a username and password in the opt-in box provided.  Then you will have access to download this free e-book:                                                                “Complete Nutritional Guidelines for the Professional Musician.”

**Everything you’ve always wanted to know about how to create the body you’ve always dreamed of, is included in this absolutely free e-book download! So go Get your copy today!

Have comments or questions about this article? Please don’t hesitate to contact us by leaving your comments or queries below. We would love to hear from you!

Johnny Ryan is a Professional Musician/Singer/Songwriter and ACE Certified Personal Fitness Trainer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science.

5 Keys To Fitness For Professional Musicians

Johnny Ryan

www.johnnyryanmusic.com

Every musician knows that practicing your instrument is a crucial part of any professional career. But most musicians have no clue about what it takes to prepare their bodies for a tour or a performance on stage.

You can have all the ability in the world with your instrument but if you’ve got no stamina physically to perform each and every night, no one will ever know how talented you are.

It takes a great deal of energy and strength to perform on stage night in and night out. You’ve got to prepare your body just as much as you prepare your instrument. Consider it an essential piece of equipment that if neglected, will render your performances worthless if not taken care of.

Here are the 5 Keys to a successful fitness regiment for any performing musician. Each key can be dealt with in great length but here are a few major points on each.

Key #1: Nutrition – How you “fuel and re-fuel” your body, before and after a performance, will determine how successful you will be at achieving your ultimate on stage performance fitness goals.  In addition, the types of foods you eat and the balance of those foods will determine how successful you will be when it comes to reaching for your fitness goals.

One very successful method used by many prominent, successful professional musicians is a Zone-like diet plan. Each meal and snack must be properly balanced in the same ratio of:

• 40% low-glycemic index carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains
• 30% lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, fish, soy, low-fat dairy products and lean beef
• 30% healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, flax, fish oils, nuts and seeds.

Eating in this ratio helps to control insulin levels – the hormone that causes weight gain and increased hunger.  Mick Jagger, Sting and Jessica Simpson are just 3 stars that utilize this nutritional regiment.

When it’s all said and done, 50 – 80% of your results will come from how you decide to implement your nutritional key.

Key #2: Hydration – I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Water is the essence of life.” It’s true! Hydration is a key element in enabling the body to perform at its highest physical and mental level in any situation. Performing on stage can be very physically and mentally demanding. A professional musician must take advantage of every element available to him to ensure he or she is at their best. Water helps the body recover from the nights’ physical activity. Drinking water throughout your day leading up to a performance, can greatly improve your success that night as well.  Members of the Foo Fighters consume at least 12 ounces of electrolyte infused water right before they go on stage to ensure they are properly hydrated for a show.  Once on stage, they take three to four sips of a beverage every 10 minutes if possible, or five to six swallows every 15 minutes to make sure that there is good stomach-intestinal flow.  I know…sounds gross but its effective.

Key #3: Rest – The body on average, needs at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Without it, it will begin to revolt against you. The body will begin to disappoint and not perform up to its ultimate potential if you sacrifice your rest. The brain will begin to misfire and deceive you into false reality if sleep is not an important spoke in your wheel of overall physical fitness.  One very popular practice with 100’s of rock stars is self-healing meditation.  From Madonna to Sting, self-healing meditation is an integral part of  many professional musicians daily routine to stay rested, prepared and fit.

Key #4: Weight/Resistance Training – Performing a weight training/resistance program, even just 2 days a week can exponentially help the body become more resilient and efficient at taking the punishment it experiences on a nightly basis on tour and stage. This can be done in a number of ways; for example, a circuit training program, a functional training program or a pyramid based weight training program, are just a few types to choose from.  Josh Todd of the rock group “Buckcherry” performs a weight training routine every day with just his own body weight doing push ups, sit ups, pull ups and shadow boxing.  It’s what helps him get through the incredibly physically demanding shows that he brings to the stage night-in and night-out.

Key #5: Cardiovascular Training – Enhancing the efficiency of the bodies’ heart and lungs is another crucial piece of the fitness puzzle. And it can be improved by simply implementing 2-3 days of a minimum of 20 minutes of cardiovascular training. Just like Weight training, there are several types of cardiovascular programs to choose from and varying these different programs is highly recommended to see timely results.   This fact became very evident to the band members of “Counting Crows” when they hired a personal trainer to work with them during one of their extensive tours.   David Immergluck, who plays guitar for “Counting Crows” was wondering why even though he rode the stationary bike for half an hour every day, his body was not changing. He couldn’t get why he was doing the same things over and over the same way, but not seeing change. When the trainer asked him, “Do you play a song the exact same way, day after day, over and over again?” He said “of course not” because that would not challenge him as an artist, help him grow or evolve and would lead to stagnation-then it hit him.
Just like with music, if you want to make change, evolve, grow, get better, however you prefer phrasing it-you can’t expect a new result if you are always doing the same steps.

** There is far more information on each key than has been discussed here. We’ve just scratched the surface. For more in-depth information on any or all of the 5 Keys to Fitness for Musicians, please stay tuned to The Professional Musicians’ Blog or you can go to: http://www.johnnyryanmusic.com and visit Johnny Ryan’s personal blog page.  And if you still need more information, please feel free to contact Johnny Ryan directly via email at: johnny307@hotmail.com.

**What are your thoughts or questions?  Please feel free to leave comments or questions.  I would love to hear what you think.

Johnny Ryan is a professional musician/singer/songwriter and ACE certified personal fitness trainer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science.

Long Distance Collaboration Is Here!

So one of my best collaborative brethren out in NYC asks if I would be a guest vocalist on his new album.  Awesome!!  Absolutley man!  What do you need?  “Well”, he says, “I really don’t have any lyrics but I’d like to give you a chance to come up with something if you like.”  Seriously!  Again awesome!  Having artistic license  on what I am singing is a huge advantage for a number of reasons.  For one, I can sing about what I know because I wrote the lyrics and I only write about what I know.  Doing anything else would feel unnatural and disingenuous.

Second of all, by having control of what lyrics are written and how they are phrased, I can cater the song to my strengths vocally.  I won’t be in a situation where I might end up in a challenging vocal range and can’t give my absolute best vocal.

Lastly, and most importantly, being part of the creative process gives me royalty rights on every album that is sold.  Can’t beat that!  Generally, if all you’re doing is singing on a track, you’re only going to get paid for your time doing just that and nothing else.  That’s why it’s so crucial to be part of the creative process of building the actual song if you can.  Then you’re making money even after the actual work is completed.  So I’ll make money even when I’m sleeping!

Getting back to the story, my colleague gives me a little insight on what he envisions the song to be about but gives me complete control over where to go with the lyrics.  He sends me the music he’s already created via a .wav file so I can easily drag it into my music recording/production software in my studio at home back here in Colorado.  From there, I can record my vocal tracks separately or with his music tracks included.  I can add effects or leave my vocals “dry” so he can mix and master them how he wants to fit the song the way he envisions the final mix to be.  All of this can be done electronically, with him in NYC and me here in CO.  We don’t have to live in the same town to work together!  When I complete my vocal tracks, I simply email him the completed versions in .wav form and he can do what he needs to do from there.  Technology is great huh?  As a matter of fact, I can work with anyone, anywhere in the world, from my house!  And that’s exactly what I’m doing every single day.  It’s as simple as it sounds.

The only challenging part is building a list of collaborators.  But even that is beginning to get easier with all the music collaboration websites that are popping up on the internet.  With sites like indaba and studio traxx, just to name a few, it’s as simple as opening a free account and you can be collaborating in minutes!

So if you haven’t been moving forward with your music career because you can’t find anyone in your area to work with, broaden your vision.  Look beyond your physical location and you’ll find unlimited possibilities.

** Johnny Ryan is a professional Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist and Session Musician from Denver, CO.  For more information on Johnny Ryan you can go to JohnnyRyanMusic.com