About
Ryan Freeland’s passion for music began at the age of six when his mother brought him to classical piano lessons. At the age of twelve, he built his first recording studio using a pair of his father’s old reel-to-reel tape machines, marking the beginning of his journey into the world of music production and sound engineering. He spent countless hours bouncing tracks and sitting between the stereo speakers adjusting the bass and treble knobs until it sounded right to his ear.
As a high school student, Ryan attended the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where he majored in piano performance and minored in composition. During this time, he honed his skills as a recording engineer, using a portable 4-track recorder and a handful of microphones to capture everything from his fellow students’ college auditions tapes to jazz trios in the gymnasium. Through this work, he learned the nuances of capturing live performances with minimal gear in diverse spaces.
For college, he attended California State University, Chico, where he pursued a degree in recording arts. Under the guidance of department chair Dr. Raymond Barker, Ryan worked as the studio assistant, setting up the studios and helping fellow students master the equipment. Alongside his studies, he played keyboards in local reggae and blues bands, as well as accordion in neighborhood coffee shops. For his senior recital, he performed a full hour of solo piano music included works by composers such as Aram Khachaturian (Toccata), and Claude Debussy (La fille aux cheveux de lin).
After graduation, he landed a position at the House of Blues Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he worked with legendary musicians like Jerry Lee Lewis, Isaac Hayes, and The Memphis Horns. His learned the intricacies of the studio’s SSL console and used his piano ability to sound check the Bösendorfer grand piano for sessions.
In a pivotal career move, Ryan seized an opportunity to work as a second engineer for renowned mixer Bob Clearmountain at his Los Angeles studio, MIX THIS! Over the next three years, he collaborated with iconic artists, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Counting Crows, Tori Amos, and Lisa Loeb. His time with Clearmountain proved instrumental in refining his craft, learning exclusive studio techniques, and mastering the art of producing great records.
As an independent engineer, Ryan employs his own unique sound for notable producers and artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Aimee Mann, Ray LaMontagne, Natalie Merchant, Joe Henry, Lizz Wright, Meshell Ndegeocello, Loudon Wainwright III, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. He has won six Grammy Awards and received four personal Grammy nominations for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
From November 2020 to February 2022, Ryan served as the Chief Engineer at Warner Chappell Production Music, where he played a pivotal role in finalizing the company’s new recording studio on Hollywood Blvd. He recorded and mixed sessions ranging from bombastic orchestral film scores to intimate folk ensembles, often within the same day. His work on the corporate side of music allowed him to further develop his ability to deliver high-quality sound under tight deadlines and immense pressure.
In 2022, after 28 years in Los Angeles, he and his wife relocated to Chicago with their two young children. They settled in a historic townhouse in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, where Ryan set up a state-of-the-art Dolby ATMOS mix room, complete with a 32-channel tracking space. Situated next to the DePaul University School of Music, Ryan has had the good fortune to engage with students, teaching masterclasses in collaboration with Professor Thomas Miller, the founder and current director of the school’s Sound Recording Technology program. The program Ryan will now lead into the future.
Throughout his career, Ryan has continually pushed the boundaries of music production and engineering, making an indelible impact on both the industry and the artists he works with. His current focus is bringing this knowledge and experience to the next generation of music engineers and producers as director of the Sound Recording Technology (SRT) program at the DePaul University School of Music.