Ryan Swanson

Performing in a masterclass with percussion duo Maraca2

Rehearsing Geir Rafnsson’s percussion duo Ykjur (Extreme Measures)

Performing Eitetsu Hayashi’s composition Sen no Kai Kyo at the 2018 Ohio University World Music and Dance Festival

Performing Benjamin Britten’s Five Courtly Dances with the River Cities Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2019

Walking the parade route with the Parkersburg South High School Marching Band

Performing Jera, a religious music and dance performed by most Dagbamba villages of Northern Ghana, at the 2018 Ohio University World Music and Dance Festival

Performing with the Ohio University Percussion Club in the Ohio University Homecoming Parade in 2017

Performing Embaire Xylophone music from the Busoga region of Uganda for high school students in Columbus, Ohio in 2018

Performing Stephen Whibley’s duo for marimba and vibraphone, titled Zephyr

Rehearsal for the western hemisphere premier performance of Keiko Abe’s The WAVE Impressions Concerto for Marimba and Wind Orchestra, transcribed by Masaki Endoh

The Western Hemisphere premier performance of Keiko Abe’s The WAVE Impressions for Marimba and Wind Orchestra

Rehearsal for a performance of Eitetsu Hayashi’s composition Umi no Ho Jo with colleagues from Ohio University in 2019

Performing with the River Cities Symphony Orchestra in Marietta, Ohio in the fall of 2019

My name is Ryan Swanson, and I’m a percussionist and music teacher born in Southeastern Ohio. With a passion for music, education, and learning, I have pursued a career in which I can continue to improve myself and help to teach those around me. I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees (music education and music performance, respectively) at Ohio University with incredible teachers and mentors including Roger Braun, Andrew Trachsel, Paschal Yao Younge, among others.

Through my experiences at Ohio University, I’ve developed a passion for music outside the western tradition, in addition to western art music. I’ve had the opportunity to study and perform extensively the Embaire music of Uganda, Taiko (specifically, Kumi-Daiko) styles of Japan, and dance-drumming traditions of West Africa.

Right now, I’m exploring music with my middle school students at Star International Academy in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, as well as giving percussion lessons and coaching ensembles at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan.