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Hi, everyone -

After an exhausting (but exciting) time in NYC w/Straight No Chaser, I'm back in Indy teaching guitar & voice @ Michele's Studio and eagerly anticipating SNC's summer schedule. We're releasing an EP of 6 songs in the upcoming months and will have promotional appearances on the schedule to get the word out! Thanks to those of you who supported our debut album, Holiday Spirits last Christmas, we're looking at a 50+ date tour (!) this fall & winter. Keep an eye out at for more details. Hopefully, we'll be in your neck of the woods.

I've joined the wonderful world of Twitter (perhaps like some of you, I was reluctant at first) and have enjoyed "tweeting" back and forth with new/old friends. If you're a member, stop by sometime and say hello at .

Off to go enjoy this beautiful Spring day!

Cheers,

RA

I'm sorry, Mr. Wonder.

Dear Stevie Wonder,

I'm very sorry to have seen what I saw on tonight's Grammy awards.

What I'm about to comment on wasn't any of your fault, Stevie (can I call you Stevie?). Rather, it was the fault of whomever thought it a good idea for you to sing one of your biggest hits with the jonas brothers (whom I don't deem worthy of capitalization in this letter) tonight. I'm sorry the runt of their litter forgot to do nothing but listen to "Superstition" on his iPod on repeat 24/7 since the moment someone told him he'd have the honor & privilege of sharing a stage with you, let alone being permitted to sing a note along with you (let alone have an entire VERSE to sing while you accompany him...). I'm sorry he forgot the lyrics of your song and completely butchered it for all to see. I'm sorry for him that he'll never forget the night he blew it in front of the millions of your fans who wondered aloud at their TV sets - myself included - what security guard let him onstage with you in the first place.

Secondly, I'm sorry that you were (most likely) kept unaware of the network interrupting your final song of the evening with cuts to its sponsors. You probably didn't notice, as you were well into your song about trivial things that couldn't make them more money (you know, like love and the brotherhood of man), but they decided it prudent to cut to an ad for Delta over your harmonica solo (which was nasty, by the way). An airline ad, sir.

Lastly, I'd like to apologize on behalf of the (live) audience members who streamed out of the theater during your song to cash in on swag backstage and/or take pictures on their cell phones with the miley cyrus for their myspace pages. I also regret to inform you, Mr. Wonder, that, apparently, your legs weren't as nice as Katy Perry's. Next time around, perhaps you should wear a glittery corset and prance around onstage (out of tune) instead of putting every ounce of your soul into a measly piano and microphone. Maybe then you'll be given five minutes of airtime (Delta ad-free!) and a horde of strategically placed screaming tweens who only listen to what the Radio Disney tells them to listen to and know you as "that guy wearing sunglasses that the jonas brothers sang their new song with."

Being the enormous musical force that you are, you didn't let any of us down tonight, Mr. Wonder. You, however, were let down BIG. For that, I am sorry for you. Rest assured that many of us who were born before 1998 know who you are and consider you an inspiration, rather than a back-up singer to a band that wouldn't know amazing music if it sat onstage and still grooved while they butchered it.

A humble fan of your work,

Ryan Ahlwardt

PS - I don't know if you were able from where you were backstage to hear Carrie Underwood (and her guitarist & back-up singer), B.B King/John Mayer/Keith Urban/Buddy Guy, Jennifer Hudson, or Paul McCartney tonight, but they all KILLED. They even remembered their lyrics.

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

After 9 months of keeping it under my hat, I'm finally able to make it official:

Straight No Chaser is back! After 8 million YouTube views of The 12 Days of Christmas last December, the original SNC was signed to Atlantic Records earlier this Spring.

On Tues., 10/28, we are releasing our a cappella Christmas album, Holiday Spirits, under Atlantic Records! (That's me, second from the left!)

You can now pre-order Holiday Spirits on iTunes and Amazon. Well...what are you waiting for?!

Thank you for your support, as always.

Much love,

Ryan

Why I do what I do.

Written late the other night...

I sing, play my guitar, write songs, arrange music, and perform all for the same reason: I don't know any other way, really. What's been amazing (literally) this year is a clearer understanding that I am doing what I should be doing and that's 100% OK. Doors have been opened and opportunities placed in front of me that scream out the shadows - mere blueprints - of a design brilliantly created by the One who holds the final product firmly in His hand. I don't know why I feel "normal" when performing, feeling the grit of strings against my fingers, or letting lyrics marinate in my head, but I do, and I'm beginning to realize that that feeling is just the one I'm meant to feel.

Pleased at 1:09 AM on a couch in Dave's studio in the sticks. Missing home & Lauren more than I have time to write about, but content with the master plan, nonetheless.

"Live from Malibu" available on iTunes!

Hola, amigos -

So many of you asked for it and I was more than happy to oblige. My newest album, "Live from Malibu," is a 100% live, acoustic collection of 13 original songs and available (as of today) on iTunes!

Go download it in 3, 2, 2.5...1.

Spread the love & enjoy,

Ryan

PS - for all you Indy-types, tonight's show at Higher Ground will blow your mind, guaranteed. ROLL OUT. Not that I have anything to do with it; instead, my two close friends Ryan Brown & Jonathan Faber are guitar virtuosos and are ready to rock your faces off...are ready to perform a show that off which your faces will be rocked. Sorry, everybody, sorry.

GUITAR LESSONS

Cool news:

I'm giving guitar/vocal lessons at "Michele's Studio" in Fishers, IN as of this week and am very excited to pass along my knowledge of music to students of all ages & experience levels. Please contact me directly through this page (or via email) if you have any questions. More info is below:

GROUP (GUITAR) CLASSES
5 students/class
45 minutes/week
$20/student

PRIVATE CLASSES (GUITAR/VOICE)
One-on-one
30 minutes/week
$25/student

Classes are filling rapidly, so please call Michele's Studio in Fishers @ (317) 288-4882 to book today.

Thank you for spreading the word,

Ryan

NEW RELEASE: Live From Malibu

Hello, friends & honorary Valentines -

I'm happy to announce the release of my third album, which I've entitled Live From Malibu, after the Young Life Malibu camp property in British Columbia, Canada that I performed at during Summer 2007. Disclaimer: the term "album" is somewhat of a vague term in this case, as LFM is available only in digital-download form via CDBaby and iTunes (coming soon!). Sorry to all you phonograph/vinyl/8-track/cassette/CD-philes out there for any inconvenience this may have caused. (Gotta keep up with the cutting-edge technological trends and developing consumer behaviors of the industry, Mama always said.)

That's a lie. Mama never said that. However, it's true nonetheless.

Live From Malibu features 12 live, acoustic tracks from my weekly concerts at camp, 4 of which are previously unreleased original songs (this is known as a "perk"). I have to hand it to the high-schoolers that were at Malibu with me; they told me they wanted a live, acoustic album from me, they got a live, acoustic album from me. If I received one email through MySpace or Facebook inquiring "How can I get a copy of your concert from Malibu," I received a gazillion. I don't even know what a gazillion is, per se, but I'd guestimate I received at least one of them in email form from kids from all over once they returned home. Yes, I use the word "guestimate" whenever I can.

The dialogue typically went like this:

Malibu-goer #457: "Ryan! Ummm...hey, listen, we really like your CD and everything, but you really need to put something out that's just you and your guitar."

Malibu-goer #458: "Seriously, though."

Me: "Wow. Thanks, you guys. You know, you're like the 457th and 458th persons to tell me that this week."

#457 & #458: "Well, it's true, so you should. Do you have MySpace?"

Me: "Yeah, definitely."

#457 & #458: "Oh my gosh, we're totally sending you friend requests when we get home."

Me: "That's cool. Hey, do you guys always talk in tandem?"

#457 & #458: "What's tandem mean?"

Me: "So the answer's yes, then."

Gig Harbor, Gonzaga Prep, Bellarmine, University, Stadium, Puyallup, Snohomish, Las Lomas, Enumclaw, Diablo Valley, Spokane Valley, friends all over Alaska and Canada, names of high schools I'm forgetting because there were so darn many of you...YOU made this album possible and I'm grateful for your support and encouragement. Good work, team. (high-fives all around, see you at the soda parlor for a congratulatory root beer float after the show, cue the confused looks, yes I said soda parlor, unison laughter, jovial slaps on backs, fade, credits, blockbuster)

Expect a blurb about LFM's iTunes release in the very near future. For now, the album can be downloaded through the CDBaby link above.

Thanks, as always, for listening to my music and letting people know about it. Shoot, thanks for even stopping by and taking the 5 minutes to read this and put up with my imaginary stage directions and screenplay.

Sincerely Yours,

Ryan
President & Founder, Indiana Association of Valentines Day Awareness and Promulgation

Look it up.