Custom Songs by Ryan Newton | Personalized Songwriter in Orlando, FL

How long have you been songwriting?

I can’t even tell you when it started because I’ve been singing to myself and making up lyrics as far back as I can remember. In middle school and high school, it was composition books full of angsty lyrics about childish stuff. I had given up on music for a few years after college, and that’s when I pursued my career and completed my Ph.D. But in 2018, an injury gave me some time away from work and the perspective I needed to realize how much I missed writing music. I’ve been writing daily since then, and I’ve personally written and produced more than 800 custom songs. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, memorials, proposals, and every kind of moment in between. There’s nothing like writing a song that makes a special moment even more special.

What else do you do for fun?

When I’m not writing songs for customers, I’m usually still refining the craft, learning, practicing, listening to new music. My educational background gave me an appreciation for discipline, research, and learning, so I love reading and learning about new things. I love to travel and learn about people, cultures, and places I’ve never been. Or, even better, prove my own preconceived notions about them wrong. I try to live an active lifestyle. But mostly, I’m in my studio 🙂 

Speaking of your studio, what kind of gear do you have and use?

I started learning some really basic stuff about music when I was in college. I taught myself how to play guitar chords on the first acoustic guitar I ever owned (which I still have). Now, I have two acoustic guitars and an electric but I’m considering buying a second electric guitar soon. When I was first starting out, I dabbled in GarageBand on Mac so when I wanted to upgrade my sound, I bought Logic Pro and that’s what I use today on my Macbook. I’ve got a few different mics and I use them for different purposes, recording guitar takes, vocals, etc. I have a mini-keyboard which will sometimes double as my drum pad. And, of course, my most recent addition to my studio was a 40-inch TV which I’ve converted into my studio monitor. It’s incredible what that’s done for my productivity. No more hunching over my studio desk and tediously clicking things I could hardly see.

Do you have a favorite artist or someone who inspires you?

How much time do we have? I could give you a list of artists that have shaped me over time. Here are a few that come to mind. If I could meet or work with any one artist, it’d have to be Ed Sheeran. He’s a musical genius and, I think, among this generation’s rarest talents. Ryan Tedder and Charlie Puth have taught me so much about songwriting and have really pushed me to the next level (I literally took their virtual songwriting classes). Taylor Swift has to be one of the best lyricists we’ve ever heard. I used to listen to Will Smith a lot growing up. It might sound silly now, but Will had a way of creating lyrical flow and entertaining rhymes that really propelled me into writing my own lyrics when I was younger. Lately, I’ve really been into some of the indie-pop sounding artists like Lauv. I just think the world of him and his music. There are just so many talented musicians out there, I feel like I find a new sound I love on Tik Tok every day now!

Lastly, what would you want potential customers to know?

Our lives’ stories are so important, and once we’ve experienced those special moments, all that’s left of them are the lasting memories. Capturing those memories in music gives us the ability to revisit the nostalgic feeling of those moments, to relive the details as they unfolded. There’s a powerful association with music. It can move people. I didn’t realize when I first started doing this how much these songs would matter to me, but it’s been such a privilege to have worked on so many customers’ songs and to feel like I’ve made a small but positive impact on those people’s lives. I want to produce music that makes people happy. Of course, music is subjective so it’s impossible to please everyone, but when someone makes the choice to select me for their custom song, I make the choice to really understand their story so I can bring it to life and, hopefully, exceed their expectations!