Vocals & Electric Guitar
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Band Bios
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 Hounds of Soul guitarist Ryan Alford met his first guitar at age 16 after a seven year period of playing the viola. Familiar with stringed instruments, he became aquainted with guitar quickly, learning how to play by joining his guitarist friends in imitating licks and chord progressions of songs from their favorite bands at the time, Led Zeppelin and Cream to name a few, as well as popular bands of the 1990s.
He played in a band for the first time when he was 17, and brought to the table original funky guitar rhythms he came up with while dabling with new chord formations. He lived in Mont Alto for two years where his attention was turned to rhythmic acoustic guitar. Ryan moved to State College in 2003 where he continued exploring original music when he wasn't studying to complete his engineering degree. He spent a lot of his spare time writing and recording new rhythms and melodies on the electric, hoping to pull them out of his pocket when an opportunity for a serious original band came forward. In late 2005, Cootie Brown was formed, and he met Hounds' sax player Michael Fortunato and drummer Jordan Thompson. In 2008, Ryan met Hounds' Sherri Orlofsky, who was still in the process of forming the Hounds of Soul with Mike Siggins and John Wise. Shortly later Michael and Jordan joined the band.
Ryan enjoys writing and playing music with a groove. His inspiration today comes from greats of all genres such as Walter Wolfman Washington, James Brown, David Grisman, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Herbie Hancock to name a few. He supports local music in the State College area, and gives thanks to the numerous musicians and artists he's met and written music with while living in Central Pennsylvania.
Outside of the Hounds of Soul, Ryan plays funk guitar and writes music with State College's Dirty Superb and other local trio Vitamin Funk, and has also played as a member of Cootie Brown and the folk and bluegrass trio The Jackdaw Boys. Ryan is also a backing musician for local singer-songwriter Gina Riggio.
Currently listening to:
In my disc changer this weekend...(updated Jan. 24, 2010)
Fela Kuti and Afrika 70 Zombie - (I just saw the FELA! musical - GO check it out! Yeah yeah!!)
Beck The Information
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's...
Phish Joy
Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters
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Ryan Alford
