VIRAL VIDEO: The Chieftains Celtic Connections Tour 2009

Ryan was very enthusiastic about the opportunity to share the stage with the legendary Irish band The Chieftains on Friday February 27th, 2009 at the Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts in Birmingham, Alabama, along with members of his pipe band the Ian Sturrock Memorial Pipe Band and partner band the Duncan McCall Pipe Band.

In the first video, Ryan can be seen around 7:18 performing a solo during the finale of the concert. Ryan was personally invited by The Chieftains leadman Paddy Moloney himself, which was truly a great honor. Ryan performs an original tune, here debuted for the first time on stage with The Chieftains, called "Jig or Get Off the Pot". This tune will appear in his tune book to be published soon.

In the next two videos, Ryan can be seen leading the combined bands of the the Ian Sturrock Memorial Pipe Band and partner band the Duncan McCall Pipe Band in performing the tunes "San Patricio's March" and "An Dro". Ryan was instrumental in arranging the music for these pieces now used by pipe bands across the country.

VIRAL VIDEO: The Hick Mick

Over the past year Ryan has enjoyed a fair amount of popularity on YouTube under the alias The Hick Mick, his West Coast "handle," for lack of a better term. Here, Ryan has primarily maintained a blog sharing music from his own education as a piper. In addition, he has also published videos of his own compositions and has garnered praise and favor from several well-known pipers such as Bruce Gandy, Adrian Melvin and Jori Chisholm for his compositions.

Below are two videos from The Hick Mick available for viewing on YouTube. The first tune The Hick Mick was composed by Ryan in 2008 and was named by a fellow piper who enjoyed the tune. The second tune The Typsy Gypsy was composed by Ryan in 2008 as a gift for his wife Sherry. Ryan intends to publish these tunes as well as many others in his very first book of compositions, available soon in the Online Store.

If you enjoyed the videos, please visit my YouTube Channel and leave a comment.

VIRAL VIDEO: Ian Sturrock Memorial Pipe Band

Ryan is the Pipe Major and Musical Director of the Ian Sturrock Memorial Pipe Band of Birmingham, Alabama. Here, his pipers perform Robert Burns' immortal "Auld Lang Syne" at the close of the evening's festivities at the Caledonian Society of Alabama's annual Burns Night Supper.

For more vidoes of the Ian Sturrock Memorial Pipe Band, please visit their YouTube Channel and as well as the Caledonian Society of Alabama's YouTube Channel.

VIRAL VIDEO: Duncan McCall Pipe Band

Here, Ryan plays on with the Duncan McCall Pipe Band of Pensacola, Florida at the Stone Mountain Highland Games. Ryan was honored to assist them in taking 1st place in their division!