ON THE ROAD
Ryan States was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Flossmoor. He has since lived in Dallas, Montana and New York City. Ryan has toured over five years with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus. He is on the road 48 weeks per year.
Ryan has now performed over 2000 shows with the Ringling band, for millions of fans in sold out arenas from LA’s Staples Center, to Chicago's United Center and Houston's Reliant Stadium. Recordings of his playing have been heard on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, national parade broadcasts, DVDs, commercials, etc.
BAND OF DEEJAYS
Ryan grew up in a house that was full of music. Everyone played a musical instrument. He was the youngest of eleven children.
At the height of disco his older brothers formed STATES MUSIC. Several of Ryan’s brothers, all at least ten years his senior, were mobile Deejays in the '70's and '80's. At age 13 he began working as a Roadie. In addition to hauling sound equipment he ran the board while his brother mc’d on stage.
That same year Ryan got his first solo gig spinning at a friend’s birthday party where he earned $75. By age 15 he was booking wedding receptions.
His high school had a radio station. On Thursdays he would spin vinyl on Chicago’s south-side classic rock station, 88.1 FM WHFH. After moving to Dallas Texas as a teenager, Ryan deejayed corporate events, school dances, private parties, and modeling pageants.
SOUND GUY OR MUSICIAN?
Ryan is an experienced Piano Accompanist, Bandleader, Arranger and Songwriter. One of his strengths is Keyboard Programming and Beat Making.
You'll find Ryan in the studio Performing, Engineering or Producing. He also collaborates with other musicians both in person and long-distance via the internet.
He performs for 60,000 to 120,000 circus fans each week as the Keyboard Player at Ringling Bros. circus. He also does Sound Effects and performs live with a Sampler.
Ryan has traveled throughout the country performing for people like Christy Brinkley, William Shatner, Michael Douglas, Bruce Vilanch, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Sister Hazel, Victor Wooten, Courtney Cox Arquette, Roger Clemens, Richard Gere and Dave Letterman. Also he has met Stevie Wonder, Bootsy Collins and Kiss drummer Peter Criss.
When he is not playing for elephants, donkeys (and celebrities) he is at the train working in his home studio.
MUSIC GIGS
Ryan was three years into a music degree at the University of North Texas when he originally ran off and joined the circus. He was studying Piano with Dr. Jack Roberts, Head of the piano department.
Ryan has gigged in everything from cover bands (Eclectic, Frontline, Grok) to river boat bands such as Vince Vance & the Valients where Ryan worked as a sub. He is a self-taught electric Bassist.
In February 2001, he Designed the Sound for Our Endeavors Theater Company’s production of, “I, Patty Diphusa, International Sex Symbol.” He composed ten songs ranging from menacing techno, to adult film-styled music, to comical MGM-like orchestral moments.
In 1997 he played keyboards on a jazz tour in Ireland with the Brookhaven College Vocal Jazz Group. The group performed Compositions and Vocal Arrangements that he created on-the-fly at the request of the bandleader. In 1993 Ryan composed original music for the WINDJET commercial on TV for Hydrodynamics, Inc.
He has performed in over twenty musicals including “The Wiz,” “Fame,” and “Godspell.” He was the music conductor for Marcus High School’s performance of “Man of La Mancha.” In 2001 Ryan was the Music Director, Piano Accompanist and Vocal Coach for the Dallas Jewish Community Center’s childrens’ production of “Into the Woods.”
He has literally recorded hundreds of songs for theater companies and singers in need of instrumental versions of their songs. This was before the proliferation of karaoke tracks and midi files of cover songs. Even keyboardists can be put out of work by technology.
Ryan has three years of experience in Teaching private and group Piano Lessons, primarily at the Academy of Fine Arts in Highland Village Texas.
SUPPORTING THE HABIT
Gaging by the following list of past day-jobs clearly Ryan will do anything to support his music habit. Ryan worked as a chiropractic janitor, NYC bike messenger, McDonalds cashier/cook, Stop ‘n Shop cashier, EZ Rent-To-Own fix-it boy, Foley’s Department Store, bartender in Dallas, parking lot attendant/bouncer at a lesbian bar, theatrical spotlight operator, door-to-door flyers, Pizza Hut deliveries, marine and auto detailing, landscaping, lawn mowing, phone surveys, stock boy at a Jacksonville Florida Boutique, line cook for celebrities in Chelsea... There have been tons of McJobs and that’s only scratching the surface.
