We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ryan Main a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I taught in public schools as a choir director for seven years. I loved my job and my students, but I also had a passion for writing music that I didn’t have the time to explore as a busy teacher. I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t take my shot at being a professional composer. So, as the 2016 school year ended, I resigned from my position and sold my home to pursue that dream.

I used the money from the sale to support myself while starting this new journey. I knew that I only had about one year to make it work before I would have to get a full-time job again.

I still had a passion for working with young people, particularly underserved populations, I established the Youth Chorus of Kansas City the same year I started my composing and self-publishing business.

Within three years, I was able to quit a part-time job and work fully for myself as a composer and artistic director of the Youth Chorus of Kansas City. Recently, I also expanded my self-publishing company into a full-blown publishing company called Endeavor Music Publishing, which has already experienced a great deal of growth.

Each organization continues to grow each year and in almost every way. Each organization also connects deeply with who I am as a creator. I couldn’t be more thrilled… thinking back on all the uncertainty I felt taking that leap and knowing now where it has led me.

Ryan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up listening to great film scores and video game music. I was always intrigued by how composers could create an entire sound world that perfectly fit the art.

I write music for choirs, ranging from young singers to professionals. I collaborate with choir directors who would like to commission a new work for their choir, and we select a poem that I will set to music. From that point on, I view my work as ‘scoring’ the poem: creating the soundscape that the poem ‘lives’ in, finding the motives – short musical ideas – and harmonies that start to bring the piece together – all while paying attention to how each idea flows from one to the next.

I look forward to every opportunity I have to write for a choir. I enjoy getting to know them, what types of music they enjoy learning and performing, and what kind of music makes them sound great. It is my job to write to their strengths and create a piece of music that they will love.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a composer, for me, is getting to work with a choir that is performing one of my pieces. I’m lucky to get to do this often, and I look forward to every opportunity I have. I love answering questions about the piece and the creative process and getting to hear them perform the piece. This is a piece of music that was once in my head, then I put it down on paper, and then a group of people learned it… usually without me knowing. I feel fortunate every time I get a glimpse into the final step of the creative process: the performance!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield is a must-read for any creator. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is also a great and inspiring read that made me want to immediately go write music… and to stop putting it off!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ryanmain.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanmainmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanmain/