Creating With Intention
My latest recording, "Playfully," was made with the intention and purpose: of lifting people up. I wrote it as a specific response to...
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Monika Ryan
- Oct 21
- 3 min
Love In The Language Of Music
A few days ago, I recorded my 15th full-length album in Valencia, Spain. I don't speak Spanish, though I understand a tiny amount. I...
Monika Ryan
- Sep 26
- 2 min
Can We Schedule Wonder?
When we think of the magic of childhood, new love, favorite trips and vacations, new discoveries, or any awe-inspiring experience, what...
Monika Ryan
- Sep 14
- 3 min
What Is The Role Of Competition In Art?
Of course, art is subjective. Ranking art according to taste and preference is not really possible -- nor should we try. Each of us has...
Monika Ryan
- Sep 7
- 4 min
Making Lemonade On The Bandstand
An audience experience that left me wishing for more lemons Music culture is inclusive, generally speaking, and it is not out of the...
Monika Ryan
- Sep 1
- 2 min
A Duets Album That Never Ages
Every few years there is a splashy duets album that comes out that is all the rage. Duets are fun. The blending of favorite artists in...
Monika Ryan
- Aug 25
- 2 min
Album Story: Playfully
At last! It's here! I am so excited to share this new work with you because guess what?.... IT'S FOR YOU! We all know that life is...
Monika Ryan
- Aug 22
- 2 min
What does it mean to be a RELEVANT artist?
Critics use relevance as a metric of social importance. I define relevance as a work that is somehow connected to the current moment. A...
Monika Ryan
- Aug 10
- 2 min
Song Story: "Living Thoughtfully"
This song is a philosophical autobiographical narrative. I try to live thoughtfully, as a rule. I try to be fair and honest and kind as I...
Monika Ryan
- Aug 1
- 2 min
Art & Contrast
There are no rules to what makes a compelling piece of art. Sometimes art is a faithful reflection, realist or abstract, other times art...
Monika Ryan
- Jul 26
- 2 min
Song Story: "Keepin' It Light, Keepin' It Mellow"
Ever feel overwhelmed with keeping up? If you don't, congratulations! You are very unique in this way. From what I see and hear, and what...
Monika Ryan
- Jul 17
- 2 min
Music As Service
One Example: Prisoner Rehabilitation Art is expression: well-crafted thoughtful art is a two-way current of mindfulness and emotion that...
Monika Ryan
- Jul 11
- 2 min
Song Story: "Slipping Out"
We've all been "there," trying to make an exit and assessing the best way to do that. Whether it's professional, personal,...
Monika Ryan
- Jul 5
- 2 min
An Artist's Perspective on Growth
The other day I was buying plants, among them were tomato plants. I said to the cashier "I usually plant these from seeds but I didn't...
Monika Ryan
- Jun 30
- 4 min
5 Things That I Work On With My Students
We're all works in progress. Life is growth. There are some lessons that I work on with all of my singing and songwriting students at...
Monika Ryan
- Jun 26
- 2 min
Song Story: "Let Me Love The Whole Of You"
This song is about truly knowing the whole person that you love. We are all multidimensional people. We have different aspects that we...
Monika Ryan
- Jun 20
- 5 min
Music, Mood, And Overall Well-Being
Music Can Be Used With Intention As A Tool For Wellness A LITTLE HISTORY: The ancient Greeks called it "The Ethos of Music" (character or...
Monika Ryan
- Jun 14
- 1 min
This vocal jazz album changed me over 30 years ago and continues to today.
I have been a Carmen McRae fan since receiving "Carmen McRae Sings Monk" as a gift from a family friend on my sixteenth birthday. I...
Monika Ryan
- Jun 7
- 3 min
One Songwriter's Approach.
I have always written music quickly. Capturing moments or thoughts as they pass through my lens. Imagine that you are sketching the...
Monika Ryan
- May 30
- 2 min
We Are Prewired For Music Whether We Understand It Or Not.
I always found it to be an amazing thing that folk music around the world, across time, uses the pentatonic scale. It seems to be part of...
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