Ryan Mix Smith
Musician/Composer/Instructor/Producer
BIOGRAPHY
Ryan Mix Smith is the stage and band name for musician, composer, and producer Ryan M. Smith. His work is a musical combination of styles, sounds and musicians used to make music that may or may not fit a particular style. We all like variety as well as something familiar we can relate to and Ryan Mix Smith will give you both.
Ryan M. Smith is a Colorado musician, composer, teacher, and producer. He learned to love music from a young age through his father's guitar playing and his mother's singing. After singing in a children’s choir and taking piano lessons, Ryan enrolled in his fifth grade school band program, playing percussion. He continued to play percussion through his primary education by participating in the band programs. He then learned to play the drum set and began playing with other local groups.
Ryan received his Bachelor of Music degree with a Concentration in Composition from Metropolitan State University of Denver in May of 2013 and graduated with Honors.
Photo by Katie Sullivan
He found the diverse culture of the Auraria Campus in Denver, CO to be uplifting and strives to involve himself and others in diverse experiences.
Ryan plays in local music groups and enjoys writing a variety of music ranging from contemporary classical to popular styles. Ryan plays in a variety of local bands utilizing his skills playing drums, bass guitar, guitar, and his voice. Ryan is also a locally commissioned composer, having written pieces for local high school and community groups. He has also released two solo albums with music ranging in style from singer/songwriter, rock, electronic and more.
Ryan began teaching privately and with local high school groups in 2009 when he began his undergraduate degree. He has taught percussion with high school bands and percussion groups all over the South Denver area including Arapahoe, Chaparral, Legend, and Ponderosa High Schools. Privately, Ryan teaches percussion including drum set, guitar, bass guitar, music theory, and composition and songwriting. His overall teaching goal is to provide students with concepts and tools that can not only be used to create music, but can also be applied to subjects outside of music. Ryan believes that music is for everyone and that being involved with music can only improve a person's quality of life.