Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryan Doyle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ryan, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I really lucked out in the parent department. From a very young age, even before I can remember, my mom and dad loved and supported me and my creativity unconditionally. I was that kid that forced my parents to get tickets to my living room concerts on a weekly basis, and proceeded to perform a 3 act one man show that usually involved 5-7 costume changes and a variety of Celine Dion songs. Even when my creativity was questionable or all over the place, I vividly remember always being met with encouragement, love, and no questions asked. I think this level of support from an early age is truly what got me to where I am today. Being an artist to me means constantly searching for the next way to express what you are feeling or experiencing, and that constant yearning can start at a very young age. For me, it did, and luckily for me, the adults who were in charge of me were all for it. It breaks my heart that there are kids out there who have parents or guardians that not only don’t encourage their creativity, but discourage it. When we are young, we have no inhibitions. Our creativity is unfiltered by society’s expectations, our imposter syndrome, our own doubts fears and self judgments. It is the perfect time to encourage somebody to continue pursuing their creativity, because it could have a lasting effect, like it did for me. I am grateful for my parents and all they have done for me. They continue to support me to this day, and I will never take that for granted.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am originally from San Francisco, California. This is where I lived until I moved to New York when I was 19, and it was where I truly discovered my love for the arts. My mom saw my creativity very early on. She put me in theatre camps and classes when I was as young as 6, and I ate it up. It was when I did my first musical at age 8 that I really got bit by the theatre bug, though. It was a local production of “Mame,” and they needed someone to play the young boy. It was my big break, if you will. I remember falling in love with the process of putting on a show, and I literally cried for 2 months straight when we closed. There was no turning back after that. I started doing at least 1 if not 2-3 musicals a year. I was always the “young boy” the high schools needed for their shows. I was on Cloud 9. I ended up joining a children’s theatre company called the San Francisco Arts Education Project, which truly ignited the theatre fire for me. I did shows with them for several years, and I still work with them to this day as a teacher and alumni performer. When I was about 10, I had been taking voice lessons for 2 years, and I started having an interest in songwriting. I ended up recording my first song when I was 12, released it, and realized that this was definitely another passion I had. I kept on falling in love with different aspects of the music and theatre worlds, and I couldn’t get enough. I went to a performing arts high school, the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, and during my 4 years there I studied musical theatre in school, and recorded 2 albums outside of school. I was obsessed with being creative. This carried me to New York when I was 19. I took a gap year, and then moved to the Big Apple to go to a 2 year acting conservatory, Circle in the Square. I had finally made it to the land of my dreams. Since moving to New York, I have continued to pursue my dream of being a working singer, songwriter, and actor. I have found success in New York so far, amidst it’s many challenges. I am still absolutely in love with theatre and music, and my passion for telling stories and affecting the world through art is what keeps me going. In the last few years I have released an EP, been apart of several new musicals in development, and performed gigs monthly around the city. I am currently working on new music, new theatre projects, and everything in between. My biggest inspiration is the people and experiences around me, and in everything I do, I aim to be a voice for the voiceless, make people feel seen, highlight LGBTQ+ stories, and ultimately make the world a better more beautiful place.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think creatives walk around the world with a slightly different mindset than non-creatives. It is not better or worse, it’s just different. From my experience, I am always searching for inspiration for a lyric, or a character, or a scene. In many ways it’s a blessing and curse, because a lot of the time I can’t turn it off! I think most creatives would agree that you are constantly seeing the world through a lense of “how can I turn this into art.” Sometimes I’ll be having a conversation with someone, and one half of me is listening, nodding, conversing, and the other half of me is already starting to draft a melody and lyric off of that one thing they just said that I think would make a great song. I know, it sounds crazy, but it is the reality of pretty much every creative I know, so at least we aren’t alone!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I believe the arts are the soul of humanity and society. For so long (too long) the arts have been pushed aside and categorized as “not important” or “unessential.” The irony in that for me is that I truly believe the arts are the MOST important and essential parts of our society. Without them, we have no way to feel, process, or celebrate this humanity. An artists’ job is to be a mirror to the world, and without a mirror as a society, we have no way to grow and change. The arts are vital, and society can and should continue to push for them to be at the forefront of everything we do. I think we have come a long way, even just in my lifetime, but we still have so far to go. Continuing to fight for the rights of creatives to earn a living wage with their art, supporting live music and live theatre, buying art from local artists or small business owners, these (and so many more) are things we as a society can do to lift up artists, and support them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ryandoylemusic.com
• Instagram: @rdoyle99
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryandoylemusic/videos/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryandoylemusic

Image Credits
Sam Pickart Devin Romero