Stephanie's World - Selena Ryan
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Mood:
 cheerful It was Thomas Edison who famously noted that genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety nice percent perspiration. I'm not at all sure that this translates in these proportions to the arts, but certainly there are many talented artists who never make the cut due to their inability or unwillingness to put the work in to get the acclaim that they deserve. One thing is for sure, Selena Ryan's career will not be predetermined by a lack of work ethic. As Selena's tag-line on her MySpace page states: "if you want it.... earn it".  Knowing that the odds of success were greatly increased with a sound grounding of proper training and a solid body of practical work, she has taken the time to attain a BA in music business from Cal State Chico while furthering her vocal training through such venues as A Capella and Jazz choirs. She has also made her name in the L.A Music scene, performing shows with her band while completing her latest demo - two songs of which she has made available for us to listen to. Co-written with keyboardist Drew Laurence, her two selections offer us a glimpse at the versatility of Selena's abilities. Of the two, I find that her pure vocal skills are far more noteably represented in Another Day where her considerable blues chops are front and center, but I have to recognize that her commercial success is far more likely to revolve around the more mainstream pop-rock music represented by Drive to Love. Here she really shows her range as she switches from sweet sultry sounds to a raw rasp and back in a heartbeat. You also find yourself noting her Jazz influences in many of the vocal riffs, and also in some of the interesting chord and rhythm changes found through the song. Take the two songs together, and you can't help but wonder if there is any vocal style that Selena can't sing. Pop. Rock. Blues. Jazz. All of them represented here with grace, emotion, and power. Also available is her cover of the Bill Wither's classic - Ain't No Sunshine, sung in an raw yet wistfull voice filled with passion. It is a rare thing indeed that I reccomend a cover - indeed this is a first for me here - but Selena's performance absolutely nailed the sentiment that this song always evoked for me.  As Selena puts it, "The hardest part is taking risks and making music that comes from my heart, while also connecting to a fan base. I try to blend my own style with the genres I love and hope in doing so I'm able to reach others who enjoy different types of music as much as I do." And while I only have heard the two songs from the demo to really try and get a feel for just how diverse her interests are and how they are reflected in her original work, they provide enough of a cross section to start and get a feel for her wide range of preferred genres. Selena credits a number of influences to her diverse musical interests. First, she was blessed with growing up in a household that shared her eclectic tastes. She also has grown up in diverse settings that further exposed her to new influences. From time spent in the Seattle area to northern California to Juneau, Alaska before settling into L.A. life. And she also notes that her parents divorce became the time that she really channeled herself into music as she grew from singing to songwriting as a means to express her thoughts and feelings, a mechanism she used to contine to express herself as she matured and experienced more of life.  The end result of all of this preparation is a beautiful voice capable of soothing you with soft, sweet tones, or ripping it raw with sheer power. And with the talented group of musicians she has surrounded herself with, I feel sure that her demo will generate some interest in all the right places. And Selena's biggest challenge may well be in deciding if she wants to dedicate a career to a single genre, or how she shall manage to satisfy all of the different audiences that various pieces of her music is sure to appeal to. Selena also has a great website that can be found here;  I wanted to thank Selena for being my feature this week! Thanks Selena!:)  | ||||||||||
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