Singing sensation Ryan Houston is 16 years old, and has been dazzling audiences since the age of three. Ryan is a member of the Branson School Chamber Singers under the direction of Tony Angelo, where he studies voice theory and choral singing. Ryan trained extensively for five years with the Piedmont Choir and Artistic Director, Robert Geary. He has toured abroad, performing in Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Ontario, Newfoundland and Japan.

MuST:
What groups are you currently singing with?

Ryan:
I am currently singing with the Chamber Singers at The Branson School, under the direction of Tony Angelo. I was a member of the Piedmont Choir under the direction of Bob Geary for five years. I have made guest appearances with The San Francisco Choral Society and the Lucy Kinchen Chorale.

MuST:
I understand you sing the national anthem at Oakland Raiders games. What's that like?

Ryan:
Singing for the Raiders is always a pleasure. I have sung the National Anthem for The Raiders every year since I was ten years old. The first time, I was extremely intimidated and nervous, because of the size of the stadium and the number of people watching me. As I gained more experience with singing at sporting events, the intimidation factor began to wear away, but the nervousness still remains. I have sung the National Anthem for many NFL, Major League Baseball, and NBA games and I still ALWAYS get nervous every time. However, there is nothing like feeling that I get while standing in the middle of a football field and hearing the roaring crowd of over 60,000 people acknowledging me and my rendition of the National Anthem.

MuST:
What touring have you done, and what has been your most interesting location to date?

Ryan:
As a member of The Piedmont Ensemble Choir, I had the privilege of touring many places, including Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Canada, Hungary, Austria, Spain and Japan. I enjoyed all of these locations because it is always fun to venture out and get an understanding of places and cultures other than my own. Whenever I traveled, I spent the majority of my nights and off time with home-stays (families who "adopted" me for a week or so). This setup really allowed me to have an intimate learning experience of the cultures of the various countries versus staying in hotels the whole time.

I have been to so many interesting places that it is hard to pick just one favorite. I loved Europe's preservations of culture, buildings, churches, and artwork. One of the most remarkable places I visited is Niagara Falls in Canada. The picturesque waterfall is incredible and seems almost unreal. I also loved visiting Japan because the people are incredibly warm-hearted and hospitable. Every tour has been a memorable experience and I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to visit and perform in so many countries. It is interesting how music tends to break down any language barriers or cultural differences wherever I go. I have learned that music truly is a universal language.

MuST:
How do you balance your schoolwork with your musical commitments?

Ryan:
Balancing schoolwork and my musical commitments is extremely hard sometimes, because both can become extra time-consuming. I am forced to work harder on my organizational skills and planning. Generally, the majority of my musical commitments are in the evening or on the weekend. Therefore, I have to make the proper adjustments to my schedule to get my work done prior to the date of the event. For example: If I know I have to take a Spanish test on Thursday morning, but I have a singing engagement Wednesday evening, I need to be ready for that test by Tuesday, so that I only have to do slight review after my performance, along with my homework.

Truthfully, I still usually end up staying up very late, because I will have homework in my five or six other classes. When I sang at the Herbst Theatre for MuST, I was in the middle of finals. I brought my schoolwork, so I could study in between rehearsal/sound check and the performance. So, I stay up until 2:00 in the morning at times, but for me, music is what I enjoy doing, so it is worth losing a little sleep over.

MuST:
Who have been your greatest inspirations?

Ryan:
My family and friends have always been an inspiration for me because collectively, they are my number one support system. My voice teacher and Musical Mother, Lucy Kinchen is a great inspiration. She keeps me on my toes by being my critic and supporter. She teaches me how to use and improve my instrument. Every time I am with her, I learn something new. More importantly, she cares about me as a person.

Many times when I am rehearsing on my own or performing, I hear Lucy Kinchen's voice in my head ("Get the sound out of your chest," "Pretend that you are yawning," "Enunciate that word Ryan"). I have learned a great deal from my Musical Mother, and strive to live up to her expectations.

MuST:
What has been your most memorable performance?

Ryan:
Although it was not necessarily my best performance, my most memorable one was when I sang at The Oakland Symphony's Break Bread Concert. I was scheduled to sing a major solo with the Piedmont Choir that I had done numerous times. The rehearsal went fine, and I practiced at home while getting dressed for the concert.

When I walked through the backstage entrance of the Paramount Theatre, some kind of strange metamorphosis took place. I suddenly could not hit any of the high notes that I needed for my solo. I was terrified and so was Bob Geary (my choir director). The worst thing was that we had very little time to work out what to do. There was no time to change keys or even practice. Bob quickly checked my range and said "OK, Ryan, you'll just have to sing an octave lower."

I went from terrified to petrified as I was rushed onto the stage. My stomach did major flips as I waited in anticipation of how I would sound for my solo. After what seemed like an eternity, I sang my solo. I felt like I was possessed, and someone else's voice was coming out of my body. When the song ended, I quickly ran to take my place back in the choir with my head held down in shame, still in a daze, not wanting to look at anyone. Someone in the choir nudged me hard and said, "Ryan get back out there. They are giving your new voice a standing ovation."

MuST:
How has music impacted your life? What effect has it had on you?

Ryan:
Music has impacted my life immensely. Without music, I don't know what I would do or better yet, who I would be. Not just music, but art in general has the ability to form so many people, and it's weird to think how life and people would be without it. Who would Michaelangelo be without a paintbrush, Maya Angelou without pen and paper, Beethoven without a piano, or Luther Vandross without a microphone?

It's weird to even think about it, but music is who I am and what completes me. Music has the ability to affect so many people in numerous ways. It understandably makes people happy. It is medicine to not only the heart but to the soul, and it does not need do be prescribed by any physician. This is going to sound really strange, but music allows me to escape from this world, leaving all my problems and frustrations behind for a moment. No matter what is going on in the world around me, making music myself or listening to other musicians can take me away to a peaceful place.

MuST:
Your thoughts on the importance of music classes being offered in school?

Ryan:
Music classes should definitely be offered in school, because all children are not able to have exposure to music through outside sources. There was no choir in my elementary school and instrumental music was very limited. If kids wanted to learn how to play an instrument, they had to take private lessons. Private lessons are not always affordable, and everyone does not have exposure to music to create interest, appreciation or motivation. As I mentioned earlier, music is good for the soul. It teaches discipline, and promotes personal development. I have learned that music is a universal language that helps build social understanding and acceptance all over the world.

MuST:
And finally, any advice for aspiring young musicians and/or vocalists?