Life & Work with Ronan Andrews

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronan Andrews.

Hi Ronan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My musical journey started when I began playing piano at the age of six. It was from then until age 17 that I saw music only as a hobby and nothing else. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school when I was looking at different colleges that the light bulb flicked on! I sat down and thought about what really makes me happy, what could I see myself doing for years to come. Writing music was the first thing that popped into my mind, From then on, I began writing my first songs, and the following summer, attended a summer music camp at the University of Colorado Denver before I began my first year of college there. It was at that camp, where I met other like-minded people that were my age, who were passionate about writing and playing music, and wanted that to become their career.

The next four years really shaped the person I am today. I had my first taste of independence and with it came a lot of amazing moments and some really hard ones as well. I met so many amazing people/musicians including two of some of my best friends to this day, which I have the pleasure of being in a band with them (Fresh Fruit!). I graduated from CU Denver (Bachelor of Science in Music Business) in the spring of 2021, and since then, I’ve been working my butt off to stay afloat while also pursuing my dream of music.

This past year has been a transformative one to say the least, I’ve entered the workforce and have already felt the financial and mental burden that that lifestyle evokes. But with this past year, I’ve also felt like my musical ability and my understanding of life has elevated. I’m definitely still learning and have LOTS and LOTS to still learn, but I’m incredibly excited for what the future has in store! This past April, I released my debut solo EP ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ under my solo name Ronan Andrews. That project was a reflection of my late teens/the early twenties and the overarching dilemmas that always seem to fill up your mind when you’re that age. I have a lot of exciting projects in the works, especially with my band Fresh Fruit! So stay tuned for the latter half of 2022!

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?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road, but looking back, I’m grateful for the turbulence that came along the way. Overcoming the nasty uncomfortable moments in life can sometimes feel like your greatest achievement. I’d say that 90% of my struggles have been self-inflicted and took some deep reflection to really get over those humps. Most notably, I fell in and out of love for the first time during college, and although it was one of the greatest experiences of my life so far, it proved to be the hardest thing to eventually get over. I know that love is cliche, but so many of us are out of our depths when it comes to love, I certainly was. I had never loved someone like that before, nor did I know how. I also was still in a place of deep insecurity and had trouble loving myself at the time. And I’m still learning what it means to really love someone, but I’m excited for that journey because that’s where I felt the most transformation inside of myself.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Yeah, so I’m a songwriter/musician/producer/music educator. In fewer words, I’m a musician. I primarily play piano and sing, but I’ve also been dabbling with guitar and electric bass. Oh yeah how can I forget, I also played trumpet for six years but haven’t picked that up in a long time. My favorite genres to play are soul, rock n roll, RnB, blues, funk, indie pop and neo-soul. I guess one thing I’m known for is firstly, my song Fancy Limousine (Fresh Fruit!) which is out on all streaming platforms. And second, just having a good time when I’m playing music but also when I’m not playing music. I love the networking side of music and meeting all the different personalities within the community.

When I play live, I want to make that experience for the audience one of the best they’ll have in a while. I’m most proud of the new music I’ve been writing with my band, Fresh Fruit! That music isn’t released yet, but we’re basically finished with the recording side of it. But for this project, I feel like it’s the best music I’ve written and can’t wait to share it with the world here in 2022. I think my ability to be flexible and my ‘go with the flow’ attitude is what separates me from others. I’ve met some of the most amazing people/had some of the best experiences simply because I would say yes to a spontaneous adventure, or to go meet someone at a party, etc. Those are two shallow examples, but you get what I’m trying to say.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to learn to say no. For most of my life, I’ve been a yes man and have great experiences being a yes man. But always saying yes has led to me being overwhelmed and not prepared for certain situations. I’ll hit stages where I’m incredibly burnt out and just need a break. Finding that balance between saying yes to people and telling them no, has been my most important life lesson.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ronanandrewsmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronan.andrews.music/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ron.dow.54/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/rdowling

Image Credits
Erich Oehler Victoria Enyart