Teacher Profile: Ryan Burns

About Ryan Burns

Ryan Burns is a musician and music educator driven by curiosity and a growth mindset. They studied music education and vocal performance at Western Connecticut State University and went on to teach both privately and in schools, play in groups, and direct music at various organizations.

Shortly after completing their student teaching, Ryan toured the United States and Europe with a punk/hardcore band as a guitarist. Following this, they taught K-8 music at Saint Mary School in Ridgefield, Connecticut. By this time, Ryan had about a dozen weekly students. Along their career Ryan has taught private in-home lessons in the NYC metro area, the greater Washington, DC area, and most notably, taught bilingual lessons in Germany, both at music schools and in homes.

As a musician, Ryan describes their style as Urban Folk. With a passion for punk, hip hop, jazz, video game music, and old time country blues just to name a few, Ryan has an extremely eclectic yet focused taste in music.

As a teacher, Ryan is energized by helping students develop and maintain that spark of interest and excitement, equipping students to continue as lifelong learners. They hold the belief that music is play, and play is an essential element of growth, mental clarity, and personal discovery.