Tom Ryan

Location: Long Island, NY

Challenge: Auditory Processing Disorder

Website: www.tomryanmusic.com

Tom Ryan has been active on the Long Island music scene for over 25 years. He is a singer-songwriter and plays guitar, keyboards and bass. He has studied classical guitar with the head of the music department at Molloy College, and is currently working on fingerstyle techniques with Toby Walker, international blues artist. He started out performing while still in high school when he joined the Coalition for Disabled Musicians= rock band, Range of Motion.

He is an active member of OOMPA, Organization for Open Mic Performing Artists on Long Island, and also plays with Copper Rose - a Cajun and Blues band and traveled to Louisiana with them for a cultural immersion to fine tune and fire up their performances.

Currently Tom is doing solo gigs at local coffeehouses and restaurants as well as private parties and organizations for the disabled.

Currently, Tom has teamed up with his friend Mike Zielinski, percussionist, to form a duo called SYMPATICO. They are performing regularly at small venues and farmers markets.

Tom has also been asked to join LUNA SEA - a cool bunch of guys who play originals and rock standards. He does vocals and plays bass and some of his original songs with them.

Tom’s solo CD’s – "The Hard Way", "Live in Today", "Classical Guitar Selections – Medieval to Modern", "Songs for a Hotel Lobby", and "Tunes Toby Taught Me", – The title song "The Hard Way" is about living with a disability and carrying on in spite of it. This has been very well received at performances with able-bodied and disabled audiences

Tom Ryan performing an original song "The Way I Love You"