[Cover photo credit to Taylor Noel Photography]
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Ryan David Green has performed on four continents and his original works have been featured on film and TV. His acoustic duo Ryanhood, with musical partner Cameron Hood, has also performed with a wide-range of artists including Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, and Train, and were named the “Best Group/Duo” in the International Acoustic Music Awards.
Green is now venturing into his first album release of solo guitar music, titled Off and Running, arriving June 14th, 2024. Ahead of that, we are very pleased to premier his song and video “Song for Beth” here on Wildfire Music + News. The track will be released widely this Friday, March 29th, 2024.
“Song for Beth” is a lively, immediately gripping composition that has a bright feeling and a quick pace from its opening notes onward. It has a charming central theme that has a certain seasonal feel, suggesting the movements of the year and while it has traditional underpinnings, it also feels like a very contemporary composition with modern audiences in mind. Because Green is working with solo acoustic guitar playing, he must be particularly aware of the way that a guitar needs to “speak” to carry the melody without accompanying vocals, and the mobility of the song really captures the attention. The piece does have more reflective moments which give way to vibrancy, but even in that reflective feeling, we get a sense of earnestness as Green suggests that life has its shadows as well as its resurgent moments. That, in fact, is part of the legacy of the song and of the guitar that Green uses to perform it. As the title suggests, the piece is dedicated to a friend who actually crafted this guitar for him.
The video is filmed by Evan Grae Davis, shot in a luthier’s workshop which makes for an absolutely perfect set-up in which to appreciate this carefully handmade guitar by spotlighting the stages of craftsmanship necessary in the background and effortlessly pointing out just how broad that endeavor must be to create the ultimate goal–beautiful sounds. There’s a mobility to the camera work that spotlight’s Green’s playing, but also his body language and his role within that setting, bringing the workshop to life with the finished work. We also get to see this guitar in action with its lovely lines and consider what went into stylistic choices as well as basic necessities. It’s a guitar that really does seem to express Green’s own personality, though that could also be down to the zeal with which he plays, knowing he’s creating a very big “Thank you” to the person who made the instrument for him under such challenging circumstances.
Ryan David Green shares about “Song For Beth”:
Years ago, an amateur luthier and friend named Beth Mayer offered to hand-build me a guitar as a gift. During the build, she was diagnosed with cancer, and she spent her last months building this guitar for me, crafting it with what strength she had left. Not long after completing the instrument, she passed away. This song is my gift to her. It was performed on her guitar.
Green’s movement to create solo guitar music all started when his bandmate and lead singer fell ill before a music festival in early 2024. Ryan David Green was faced with a decision, to perform solo, or cancel the set.
He made the decision to step on stage alone, offering the audience his original solo guitar compositions. He was amazed to be met with a standing ovation.
He says:
That’s when I had this great feeling that there were others out there like me, who were moved by this kind of music too.
The upcoming album features eight instrumentals and three vocal pieces. There’s a focus on the interplay between instruments for the album, and guests include drummer Jordan Perlson (Adrien Belew, Kaki King) dobro player Abbie Gardner (Red Molly) and Juno Award-winning violinist Ben Plotnick (The Fretless).
