Ryan Vernazza

Ryan Vernazza is a guitarist who routinely leaves me in awe of his technical ability, feel for the instrument, and ability to raise the level of any piece he plays on.  On top of that, he's also a talented songwriter and singer who produces his own music, a successful professional, a pilot, as well as a husband and father.  And, as if that weren't enough, Ryan is one of the nicest and funniest people you'll ever meet.

We've been friends for quite some time and I've had the great fortune to have him as a bandmate, but until now, I haven't had the chance to sit down with him to talk about how he does what he does so well.  His thoughts about being kind to yourself and making the creative process fun, using language to unlock music, the power of words as little idea bombs, using dynamics, and tone-based writing have been whirring around in my head like fireflies since we spoke.

Ryan is a veteran of over 25 bands, but currently he is producing solo material and playing in Full Moon Light, a great band out of Ramona, California that combines diverse styles like a world renowned chef combines surprisingly harmonious flavors.

* Just a note for context- Ryan mentions a couple of mutual friends of ours who we have both been lucky enough to make music with - drummer Dan Faustine and bassist Matt Pitman - both incredible instrumentalists and generally swell guys.