RYAN AGUILAR

For nearly half a century, Ryan has been immersed in music. At the tender age of six he begantinkering away on the piano and shortly after, picked up guitar, bass, ukulele, and vocals. Hisnaturally gifted ear revealed an almost sixth sense for replicating the tunes he heard on hisgrandmother’s radio. He was insatiable. Soon, Ryan found himself at college for piano andvocals and then university, majoring in piano performance at Southwest Texas State.

Since 1993 he has played in several quintessential Texan rock and country bands (Derringer, SheilaMarshall, The Triumphs) touring the southern US, Canada, and even into Mexico. Then in 2003,he felt nudged to give back all he gained on the stage—he began to teach others how to be rockstars. His personal mantra, ‘practice as joy’, sets the tone for each lesson. Watching students’faces light up when a piece comes together is what continues to stoke the fires of his musicaland teaching passion.