RYAN STATES: Bio
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. He now considers New York to be his home although he is rarely there. Ryan has toured over four years with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus. He is on the road at least 48 weeks per year. Technically speaking he doesn’t live anywhere. By definition he’s not homeless yet he has no place of residence. Let’s just say he lives on the fringe of society like an outlaw, not bound by social conventions or geographic locations.
Ryan is not from the right or wrong side of the tracks. He is ON the damn tracks! Which, by the way, is where he cuts his tracks in his home studio. Pun obviously intended.
Being with the circus wouldn’t be the first time he had to live in a box on wheels attempting to exist normally via his cell phone, a storage unit and a PO box address. Despite growing up in a wealthy suburb known primarily for it’s country clubs and golf courses Ryan has never been on a golf course. In the year 2000 he got cable television for the first time. It’s kind of difficult to be part of the MTV generation when all you have is Friday Nite Videos.
In 2002 Ryan sold his gas guzzling pickup, bought a Greyhound ticket and moved to Manhattan. He went to the Big Apple, not to be a musician, but to be a New Yorker. Six evictions and two years later he joined the circus (for the second time) and now he bike commutes back-and-forth from the train yard to the arena. It's a new city each week.
He bicycles to be blameless of the climate crisis our generation contributed to. He also bikes to avoid crappy bus schedules.
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 in high school. It was an environment where anyone could, not only carry a tune, but spontaneously create vocal harmonizations without rehearsal. Ryan was the youngest of eleven children. They could have had their own family band which was a popular idea in the 1970's. While the Osmonds may have been the popular choice within the family, Ryan was more interested in the Jackson Five.
The States family never formed a band but 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. Ryan was exposed to a wide variety of music from an early age especially Dance and Popular music.
At age 13 he began working as a Roadie. In addition to hauling sound equipment he was running the mixer and dropping tracks while his brother mc’d on stage. The business gave Ryan a professional work ethic.
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. He gigged using his own gear which was purchased with money he earned being a Roadie. It was around this time when Ryan became forever infatuated with subwoofers and large speaker cabinets...a craving that is difficult to satisfy when living in a train yard cubical!
Ryan got his gigs independently of his brothers who eventually disbanded. Ryan was the first deejay in the family to do radio. On Thursdays he would spin vinyl on Chicago’s south-side classic rock station, 88.1 FM WHFH. He would often get calls from the manager complaining, "Prince, Madonna & Ten City are NOT classic rock!" 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 Keyboard & Bass Player, Piano Accompanist, Bandleader, Arranger and Songwriter. One of his strengths is Keyboard Programming and Beat Making.
You'll find Ryan in the studio Performing, Mix Engineering or Producing. Ryan Produces his own material. He also collaborates with other musicians. He works well with vocalists.
He is equally ‘at home’ behind a mixing board as he is behind a keyboard. By age 10 he was doing multitrack recording without a multitrack machine! But he could do it with two tape decks, a microphone, a deejay mixer, and a roll of duct tape. He recorded improvised vocal harmonizations and performed percussion with drum sticks, Tupperware and various household surfaces. To this day he is still making noise, but he is doing it with Logic Pro and an Apple computer.
Ryan records and mixes his albums himself. He is usually the band member running sound at gigs except at his latest gig with the Greatest Show on Earth. 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.
He lives in a private room on a traditional circus train. It is one of the last circus trains in existence. Ryan has traveled throughout the country performing for people like Christy Brinkley, William Shatner, Michael Douglas, Bruce Vilanch, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Barack Obama, Richard Gere and Dave Letterman -- to name just a few. 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. The space is fitted with the latest portable professional recording gear and software. His connection to the outside world is via internet and mobile telephone. You have to go wireless when you live on train tracks!
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 needed to leave school to work. When he announced his decision to his teacher, instead of tossing a piano bench at his student, Dr. Roberts merely said, “You’re my only working student.” Ryan gratefully accepted the compliment.
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 Bass Player. Don’t worry, he can, indeed, read sheet music. He can Sing while playing Bass or Keyboard.
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 accepted an invitation to play 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. Ryan has three years of experience in Teaching private and group Piano Lessons, primarily at the Academy of Fine Arts in Highland Village Texas.
Songwriter, beat-maker, performer, record producer and mix engineer... He wears many hats and they ALL seem to fit! He often addresses social injustice through his music. Ryan is currently interested in Producing records and Scoring for film and television.
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. (This is what you get for spending every dime on music!)
Messengering and pizza deliveries were the only tolerable jobs because you’re not stuck in one place with the same people all day.
