Ryan Thomas is a percussionist with many passions- a session musician, recording artist, sound engineer, composer, and teacher. As an active rock and metal drummer in the Fox Valley and Janesville regions of Wisconsin, Ryan has performed at Summerfest, Vans Warped Tour, The Rave/Eagles Club, and over the last few years has recorded over ten albums with former and current bands/projects such as Happy to Be Here, Sunwrecker, MU, Hunger Moon, Shield the Survivors, Amillennial, Xenoblood, Dark Church, and guitarist and vocalist Korgan Steinke.

As drum set player, Ryan has a vast amount of experience performing in many musical genres. Primarily a rock and metal drummer for his groups Amillennial, Xenoblood, Scarlet, and Shield the Survivors and his former bands Hunger Moon and MU, Ryan also incorporates his own style into many different genres including jazz, funk, and progressive. Ryan was also an active member of the UW Oshkosh Jazz Ensemble and was an involved percussionist in the UW Oshkosh Western and World Percussion Ensembles and Sounds Like Now new music ensemble.

As a recording artist and sound engineer Ryan has album credits on 13 recently released albums. Notable works as a performer have been Hunger Moon, God Machine and Fallen Pantheon EPs by doom/post metal band Hunger Moon, Waiting for the Moon by metal band MU, Concrete Trees and God Sphere - two self-composed electronic albums, Castles of Oblivion by electronic black metal project Sunwrecker and his experimental composition entitled Infrared Nova for two guitars and percussion. Ryan currently has upcoming albums from his bands/projects Amillennial, Sunwrecker and Xenoblood, as well as production credits with Candace A. Griffin’s upcoming album Guilt Trip.

As a composer, Ryan writes a variety of music in electronic, pop/rock, metal, classical art music, and experimental contemporary music. He has composed for chamber groups, jazz combos, and mutli-member bands. Ryan has an interest in experimental music which use nontraditional notation methods and concepts. His work Infrared Nova is an example of
nontraditional notation and extended instrumental techniques.

Ryan completed his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin majoring in the Music Industry with a dual emphasis is Music Business and Recording Technology in 2020. His percussion teachers include Dr. Elizabeth DeLamater and Dr. Alison Shaw. He was a leading member of the University Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and new music ensemble Sounds Like Now. Ryan also studies privately with Mike Underwood.

He is currently accepting new drum set students and offers lessons in a range of styles at Guitar Center in Appleton, WI. For more information contact Ryan at ryanthomasmusicc@gmail.com.