Born and raised in metro Detroit, Ryan began his music studies in piano at the age of 6 attending the Schoolcraft College Piano Academy for eight years. He attended Michigan State University, where he studied classical percussion with Gwendolyn Dease and Jon Weber. After completing his Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance in 2021, he moved to New York City to attend NYU Steinhardt. At NYU, Ryan earned a Master’s Degree and an Artist Diploma Certificate in Percussion Performance. He studied with Kendall Williams, Jonathan Haas, Sean Statser, and James Saporito. In New York City Ryan fell in love with the steel pan. He performed with and arranged for the NYU Steel Band, and became a member of Pan in Motion. PIM is a professional steel band and educational organization in Brooklyn. While with PIM, Ryan performed and competed throughout NYC, winning the People’s Choice Award at Brooklyn Panorama in 2022 and 2023, and finishing fourth in 2023. Ryan was teaching assistant for the NYU Steel Band and the NYU Percussion Chamber Music Ensemble. He also taught non-major private lessons as a graduate adjunct. As a doctoral student at the University of Arizona, Ryan taught the UofA Steel Cats in 2025-2026, and undergraduate percussion major lessons and percussion ensemble. While directing the Steel Cats, his community engagement included performances at Tucson Meet Yourself Music Festival, the Benderly-Kendall Opera House, and other venues in Tucson. Ryan performed with the Tucson Pops Orchestra in 2025 and 2026. As a solo artist, Ryan plays steel pan regularly throughout Northern Michigan. In 2025, he performed solo at the Tucson Festival of Books. His research interests include steel pan educational methods, the history of steel pan performance, and the differences between rote and note learning.