Musician Ryan Edgar Shares What It Means To Put 'The Artist's Dream' To Rest

Ryan Edgar joins us on episode 25 of the A.U. Podcast, and we're stoked! After a quick trip down musical memory lane, he and Cabus dive into the rich experiences that Ryan has collected over the years in the music industry starting with a development deal in Los Angeles in his early years. Even though Ryan couldn't be with us in person, his conversation with Cabus does not lack. The whole video is taking off on YouTube, and the audio is available, as always on Spotify and Apple Music. Read on for Cliff's Notes of episode 25.

photo provided by artist

"I love to inspire people."

Cabus dives into the episode by asking Ryan, "When did you fall in love with music?" Ryan immediately starts diving into his upbringing around music and in the church with his strong family history of Pastors. By age twelve Ryan came to the realization that he was able to sing and how Boyz II Men was the first band that musically hit him.

After bonding over their love of overalls, backward jerseys, and Kris Kross, the two begin diving into what inspires Ryan and how he strives to inspire others. Ryan believes music in itself is inspiring, but by creating music for t.v. and film he feels he's had to inspire people in a different way than he was expecting. Cue messages from Peloton users feeling inspired in their workout by his music.

photo provided by artist

Originally from Dallas and after years of living in L.A., Ryan and his family made the move to Nashville after the pandemic hit. He quickly realized after being in lockdown that to have output he needed to be able to create. This kickstarted a conversation with his wife about building a home studio which in turn allowed him to hone his creating and producing skills all while having him create faster than ever. This realization allowed him to be able to create from wherever he wanted to.

"I'm so glad to have learned [how to produce] and I wish I did it 10 years earlier."

Before moving to Nashville, Ryan lived in Los Angeles where he moved to be closer to his now-wife, Nikki Leonti. Make sure you tune into the podcast to hear about their history, how Glee was a part of their story, and how he turns to her for feedback and inspiration. The move to L.A. brought him connections which led him to write 3-4 songs a day including music for the television series, Empire. But his most exciting personal endeavor? That would be creating music under the name Louis II which is not only his own music but has been placed and picked up by brands such as Nike and the Olympics.

photo provided by artist

After years of dabbling in music, reality television, and entertainment, Ryan, his wife Nikki, and their daughter Jaslyn auditioned for America's Got Talent as a trio named the Edgar Family Band. The three made it to the semi-finals and saw lots of success both online and through bookings outside of the show. Now, Ryan is back to writing and even released some solo music last year.

There is so much more to learn from this episode with Ryan Edgar that you will have to catch for yourself on our YouTube Channel, Spotify, or Apple Music.

Check out the Artist Uprising podcast to listen to the full conversation with Ryan Edgar and other interviews with creatives from across the globe. You can find Ryan online on his Instagram and website.