We recently came across singer/songwriter Ryan Sy on YouTube.   Inspired by life experiences, Ryan’s songs – a mix of folk and pop, soul and country — carry themes of love, loss, drug addiction and the enduring nature of the human spirit.  Before moving to Atlanta, GA for college, Ryan – a Philippines-native — went to school in Edinburg, Scotland where he first started performing in cafés and open-mic nights.  The positive feedback he received motivated him to take a career in music seriously.  Ryan is currently in Los Angeles recording music.  

We think Ryan is a talented artist and writer, and wish him all the best in his music career.  Here are two of Ryan’s  hit YouTube songs “Fly� and “Symbiote�:

“Fly�

Ryan Sy on his song “Fly�: “It’s easy when you’re young and impressionable to become susceptible to drug use.  In high-school and college, I was constantly exposed to marijuana and cocaine, as I’m sure many students these days are.  By the time I was a sophomore in college, I was no longer fazed by the concept of ‘having a drug problem.’  Everyone I knew seemed to be using drugs (especially cocaine).   I guess it’s easy to ignore the obvious when drug use becomes the norm.  But the truth is that many people lose friends and loved ones to drugs.  It shouldn’t take a tragic loss to realize this – nobody needs that sort of reality check.�

“Symbiote�

 

Ryan Sy on his song “Symbiote�: I promise I’m not a geek, but I did sort of get the title for this song from Spiderman.  Basically, the two most famous “Symbiotes� in the comic book were Venom and Carnage.  Although they were human, they came into contact with “alien substances� that gave them superhuman powers.  However, these substances also made them lose themselves; eventually eating away at any humanity they had left.  The thing is that they allowed this to happen because, as a Symbiote, they could overcome the feeling of helplessness they had when they were human.  It’s a bit of a stretch, but drug addiction works the same way.  Drug addicts know that they’re hurting themselves, but for most of them, it really doesn’t matter.  This is a reality that many addicts face – they’d rather lose themselves completely than deal with the problems in their lives.

To learn more about Ryan Sy, visit his website: http://www.ryansymusic.com

Editor’s Note: Music has the power to mend broken hearts.  It also has a way of expressing what we feel when we can’t always say it.  Do you have a favorite song about hope and new beginnings?  Share with us below!