By Corina Miller, Frisco Enterprise Staff Writer, Link
Ryan Michael Galloway was only 14 years old when he wrote his first song. While he can't remember the song's title or its lyrics, there is one thing about it that he remembers for certain.
"It was garbage," he said laughing. "Absolute garbage!"
Fourteen may have come and gone, but Galloway's quest to polish his talent hasn't. His first-ever CD, "Also Known as Ryan Michael Galloway," is proof of Galloway's dedication to the art of song craft.
A myriad of sounds from Boston-inspired guitar rifts, to exotic mandolins, to dark, rich strings, to country swing and to a carousing sports chant, Galloway's CD is a musical tribute to some of life's most memorable moments: lost love, family gatherings, grief, work-related issues and even moments of fun.
The intention when creating "Also Known as Ryan Michael Galloway" was to tell the story of a life being lived. Not a teen-aged life full of angst and confusion, but a more complicated, mature one that anyone aged 30 or over lives.
"I'm approaching 50. I'm doing everything I can to present a vibrant, energetic act, but I am not 'American Idol,'" he said. "Folks who are leaving middle age have been completely missed. By and large, the ones that are really getting pushed are the younger acts."
The music behind "Also Known As Ryan Michael Galloway" in itself appeals mostly to an adult audience, as it mirrors styles made famous by such artists as Boston, The Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, America and Bad Company. Even the sound of Galloway's voice, which mixes the smooth tenor of James Taylor with the purity of Vince Gill, hearkens back to the styles that characterized the music of the late 60s and early 70s.
The first track, "Heartbeat" is a showcase of some of those songs. Blends of electric and acoustic guitars, a trait that made famous such artists as Peter Gabriel, Styx, Boston and REO Speedwagon, dominate the fast-paced 80s style rock song.
"I suppose you could say the whole thing is very derivative. That would be like accusing a rabbit of hopping. That's kind of the thrust-to bring back those old sounds yet update the material so adults can relate to it."
Adults can definitely relate to "This Table," a country-inspired tune that features a soulful harmonica.
According to Galloway, the song, a reminder that as time goes on, the face of a family changes, took many years to write. The first inkling to pen "This Table" came to Galloway when his mother informed him that it had been a long time since he'd written a song for her.
The song remained undone for many years. Then in 1999 a series of traumas occurred, starting with being forced to relocate to Miami temporarily then learning their child had a life-threatening disease.
Tragedy struck on Dec. 17, 1999, when his mother-in-law and some friends were suddenly killed by a runaway car. While at his mother-in-law's home in the Philippine province where Galloway's wife grew up, Galloway watched as his wife sat with her siblings at the dinner table together.
"I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying, but I knew exactly what they were talking about," he said. "I could tell just by the expressions on their faces they were talking about the same things my family and I talk about 10,000 miles away at my parents' table in Virginia."
Intense love between family members is the topic of "No Other One," a haunting poetic declaration of love highlighted by rich strings and a delicate acoustic lead guitar. Originally, Galloway wrote the song for his wife. But the song could also easily be dedicated to his children, as the love he feels for each of his children is unique, like no other.
"I work very late many nights, and usually the children fall asleep in bed with my wife. It's my job to pick them up and put them in their beds, where they sleep the rest of the night," he said. "I always whisper I love them and kiss them. I don't know if they're bonding with me, but I'm bonding wit them. It's just as heavy as anything else."
"Knock the Ball (Outta the Park)" is anything but heavy. A fun chant-like homage to the Frisco RoughRiders, the song incorporates the rough guitar rifts of Bad Company, the type of feedback that reverberates in a ballpark, audience cheers and clapping.
Galloway was working in Milwaukee when the idea to write a stadium song hit. At the time, his mind was on the events going on at home. One of those events was the opening of Frisco's ballpark.
"I was thinking about missing home and things happening at home. And I thought about the baseball team" he said. "The idea was to come up with a rally song or stadium anthem. Those words were right in my mind-stadium anthem."
Galloway describes "Knock the Ball (Outta the Park)" as pure rollicking fun.
"It was fund to do. It was a blast, absolutely a blast.," he said. "I can't wait to see if we can get it in the stadium and get that crowd hot. We're just going to have fun."
Whimsy was also part of "Man on the Moon," a musical lament in which a frustrated young man begs for his sweetheart's attention. Mostly country-sounding in nature, the middle of the song features a rocket ship.
According to Galloway, he wrote "Man on the Moon" nearly 20 years ago.
"I had a real vision of where I wanted it to go," he said. "Musically to me, it's a cross between Bruce Springsteen with the Eagles."
Long ago, Galloway had obtained clips of space chatter from Apollo 11, planning to use them in the song. Years later, he lost them. He found them again on the Internet and had them dubbed into the recording of "Man on the Moon."
"It came out just like I pictured it," Galloway said. "(Producer) Ron Logan did a fantastic job on it. I felt like a little kid, because he absolutely nailed it."
Now that Galloway has recorded his first CD, his thoughts are now focused on shooting his first video, which will feature "No Other One."
He's also hoping to play live at various venues, whether for charities, civic events or for private parties.
"I'm in the mode, in the mood to play this music."
Playing live is always fun. As the crowd warms up, they very often shout out requests, many of them songs from Galloway's youth, songs made famous by such groups as Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, and The Beatles.
"What that does for me, is when I play this material live, I have a blast. I'm not playing a bunch of stuff I don't like to play," he said. "What's really neat is I'm at the stage of my life I can focus on what I really like."