If you have a question for Fat li'l Ryan, visit the Contact page where you can submit a question/comment to be posted here.
I saw you perform recently at Ladd's Inn. I really liked your music. Hope to see you again.
Cassi, Portland
Thank you, Cassi. I appreciate your compliments! Glad you enjoyed the show.
Shouldn't your "about me" section contain some of your specs, such as age, hometown, etc.? I know, I know, typical female, wanting to know all the details. Just a thought. Cheers,
Jeannie, Portland
Well, Jeannie... If you really want to get to know me... come on out to one of my performances and say 'hi'. Getting to know someone in person is way more insightful.
I've heard your stuff and it's a lot like someone grabbing a cat by the tail and swining it around their head. As far as your commentary about people and their singing abilities, a person probably shouldn't be tone deaf before they make such comments. Hmmm...I wonder why you're single. Could it be that you're an ass?
Lula, Hometown Witheld
Lula, thanks for the email! If only you had given me a real email address I would have replied to you personally. But I know you're dying for the attention, so I decided to give in and post your comments. Your email is pretty good - only one spelling error. It's good to see that your GED is paying off for you! From an artistic stand point, I thought your email had humor... quite frankly I got a slight chuckle out of it. I was curious to see what a cat would sound like if someone grabbed it by the tail and swung it around their head, but I don't have a cat. Maybe you could use yours, record it and send it me? That would be really cool. I could probably use it in one of my songs.
How do you go about writing your songs?
Melissa, Vancouver WA
It varies from song to song. Sometimes I get a lyrics line or two in my head - I may have an idea for a melody with that or not. Other times I find a cool riff on the guitar and figure out the parts (verse, chorus, bridge) and then write the lyrics. I've even got songs with just lyrics and melody lines - no music yet. I don't believe that there is one right way... whatever works for the individual is probably best. I try not to force creativity. I think it's best when it just comes to you... call it divine inspiration, or something like that.
What are your Top 5 favorite albums?
Scott, Tigard OR
Wow - what a question! This could, of course, change as time goes by... but the five albums that I've probably been listening to the most as of late [Summer 2002] would be:
The Faint Danse Macabre
SOS AE Songs Of Summer
Paula Cole This Fire
Sheryl Crow The Globe Sessions
Pink Floyd The Wall.
I was just wondering if you were single?
Shawna, Gresham OR
Yes, I am currently single.
Who are your influences? And how long have you been writing music?
Kevin, Portland OR
Well, Kevin... I have so many influences I could probably fill up a page or two of names. My parents listened to a lot of the 70's Singer/Songwriters while I grew up, as well as some oddities - Jim Neighbors, Glen Miller, Herp Albert, etc. And I of course got into the whole Pop thing - listening to the radio during the early 80's. Around the time I was in high school I started to get into Classic Rock as well as some harder 80's Rock... and it was my freshman year that my Mother bought me a second-hand guitar for my 14th birthday. I got together with a buddy from school and started writing music. We thought we were pretty good at the time, but we had a lot to learn.
Nowadays I wouldn't really say that any particular artist or style of music influences me. I pretty much write whatever I feel. I like a lot of different styles of music, so I tend to come up with songs that could be classified in many different genres.