Recording Connection mentor Ryan Conway talks on Getting Yourself Out There

Ryan Conway has been running Conway Sound in Denver, Colorado, for the past sixteen years. He’s worked with amazing talents like Ghostface Killah, Prodigy from Mobb Deep, Eddie Fisher from OneRepublic and numerous others.

Starting off as a musician, like many producers and engineers, Conway played in many bands and even had some success, but found he was most happy when he was helping one of his various projects record. Owning and operating his own recording studio grew naturally out of the process of making his own music. Ryan prides himself of servicing a wide variety of artists,  working with some of the biggest rock bands around as well as helping sculpt some of the biggest names in hip hop.

Ryan also enjoys the process of giving back. That’s why he has partnered with Recording Connection in order to help young up and coming recording engineers and producers make connections and learn the craft of constructing recorded music. Ryan works one-on-one with his apprentices to really ensure that they understand how they’re going to work within the industry. That means literally walking them through the nuts and bolts of making recordings and simultaneously helping them network, make connections, and really understand how to make the most of opportunity.

This industry veteran’s advice for anyone starting out is to look for the opportunities that allow you to build and grow your connections and reach, especially via the internet. Getting out there in person is vital too. Ryan says the hardest part is just getting up the courage to walk up to a band after a show and say, “‘Hey, you guys sound great.’…and kind of see where it goes.”

When asked if he had any specific students who stood out to him, Ryan listed a couple, including Josh Denhart who he says is “doing pretty good and getting more and more busy doing a lot of stuff…moving in the right direction to get his music career going as far as doing some DJ gigs and some production work and stuff of that nature. He’s gonna go far.” And Uriah Halbeisen is “Doing more and more work. He’s a working on a mix right now for his master’s project and he’s got a pretty good hustle going on.”

The music business isn’t an overnight thing. You’re not going to start a career in music and just instantly make buckets of money. But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, there’s nothing more rewarding. Working towards something makes it all the sweeter when you get there.

Ryan advises his students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and use the tools available today to get your name, music, and skillset out there. Build opportunities face-to-face and online. Evolve and push things in new directions. The ability to make your own opportunities happen is a priceless asset that will serve your throughout your professional life.

Want to make it happen? Get in there and Seize the Day!