Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Porter.
Hi Ryan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hindsight is always 20/20. I say this because when I think of where I am today and all of the things that lead up to me having the honor of doing this interview. The GOD definitely had a hand in all of my life and musical endeavors. I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, California not too far from where the 1992 LA riots started on Florence & Normandie. I was ten years old in 1990, and because of the social and economic pressure that plagued my gang and crack infested neighborhood, It wasn’t always safe for me to ride my bike up and down the street or play outside in general without fear of being shot by a stray bullet. So like most families do in that situation, we created a safe haven at home. At my house in 1990, you would see a ten years old Ryan Porter running around my backyard playing with my dog and shooting hoops all day. Back then, I would of challenged you to a game of one on one with my grandfather’s music is blaring Soul music while he changed some breaks on a car or something to that effect. One day my grandfather was under the hood of one of our neighbor’s cars, and the B side of the record finished while he was fully engaged in replacing a part on the vehicle, and I was asked to turn the record to the A side and when I did, I hear a song titled “NEO” written by Miles Davis, but this 1964 arranged by J.J Johnson on an album titled ” Proof Positive”.
This arrangement of “NEO” was played quartet featuring J.J Johnson accompanied by Harold Maybern on Piano, Arthur Harper Jr. on Bass, and Frank Gant on Drums. This record connected with my spirit in an indescribable, and I really became a huge fan immediately. The Trombone became my favorite instrument, so when I was ten years old, I begged my mother for one, and she said I would have to raise half of the money myself if I really wanted a Trombone, so I took to the streets. I went door to door in my neighborhood asking old people if they needed help with odd jobs around their houses in order to make up money to get my first Trombone. So on trash day, I wasn’t only taking out my families trash cans to the curb, but I’d take out several other families trash cans as well. I also made a few dollars recycling, washing cars, and mowing lawns until I got $150.00. That $150.00 in my ten years old mind had to be enough for two or three Trombones, but reality set in real quick once I saw how much a Trombone actually cost, so I really needed more than $300.00. My sweet Mother sacrificed in order for me to get the best Trombone we could find and paid for me to get lessons from a local musician in our neighborhood. This story is so important to me because the same spirit and excitement that fueled my passion for wanting to learn music and play Trombone is what kept me from becoming another statistic.
In 1990 statistics stated that most kids who lived in South Central Los Angeles male or female, black or brown would either die to gun violence or be incarcerated between the ages of (18-25), playing Jamey Abersold play along tracks and transcribing J.J Johnson solo’s in my garage as a teenager kept me out of the line of gunfire. That same spirit and excitement is what got me involved with multiple music class that helped to facilitate relationships with most of the musicians in Los Angeles that I still play with today. I met Kamasi Washington, Miles Mosley, Cameron & Taylor Graves when we were all around 13 years old in a music program called Jazz America, where we learned improvisation from the legendary Buddy Collette, I was also a student at George Washington Preparatory High School under the direction of Fernando Pullum, which is how I started taking Trombone lessons with George Bohanon, and Isaac Smith another students that was an incredible Trombonist. The Multi-School Jazz Band in (1995) lead by Reggie Andrew where I met Terrace Martin, Ronald & Steven Brewner, Robet Miller. The World Stage with Billy Higgin’s where I learned from a village of musicians by listening to concerts, masterclasses, and jam sessions. My acceptance into such a beautiful and creative community of musicians in Los Angeles is what made me feel a sense of self-worth and upon leaving High School, I received numerous scholarships one of which was from The Manhattan School of Music in New York (1997). At MSM, I studied Trombone with Steve Turre and David Taylor and learned so much from so many musicians in the New York creative community.
After school (2001), I moved back to LA and got offered the opportunity to go on my first tour ever with Snoop Dogg (ROCK THE MIC TOUR), (2002) I became a member of The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra where I had the opportunity to travel the world and record with numerous Jazz artist, (2005-012) House bands I was annually a part of included American Idol, The Voice, The BET Gospel Celebration. (2006-09) Earth, Wind & Fire Experience Band featuring Al McKay, (2001) Young Jazz Giants album with Kamasi Washington, Cameron Graves, Ronald & Steven Brener, Terrace Martin, (2014) To Pimp a Butterfly with Kendrick Lamar and Terrace and host of LA native, (2014) The Epic with Kamasi Washington along with 137 songs we all recorded for allot of different albums in a month. The Epic record is the album that gave our group the opportunity to tour all over the world and be involved in so many great musical situations with people from all over the world. In 2022, I have had the honor of performing on Jimmy Fallon live with Kamasi Washington, Perform at the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show with Dr.Dre, Perform in the House Orchestra of the 2022 Oscar Awards, Perform in the 2022 Grammys with rapper NAS as he did his first Grammy performance, and I am putting out my own documentary along with a soundtrack of incredible music. This documentary is about my experience learning music in LA and the importance of giving back to the community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There is definitely peaks and valleys. The music I love was built on sacrifice. I would rather struggle doing what I love for the people love and respect what I do. my job as a musician is to take my pain and struggles and turn them into medicine for people who need healing from trauma and pain. I love it
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What sets me apart from anyone else on Trombone is my perspective approach of music and Trombone.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I enjoy Painting, Drawing, and Making Puppets.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.RyanPorterofficial.com
- Instagram: @RyanPAPAporter
- Facebook: Ryan Porter Musician Los Angeles
- Twitter: @RyanPAPAPorter
- Youtube: Crazy Jake Spangle Lang Lane Show for Kids Channel
Image Credits:
Photography done by Leroy Hamilton @Photoham IG
