A Clearwater, Florida native and Berkeley resident via NYC, guitarist and composer Ryan Pate began his musical journey by learning songs by ear on a hand me down acoustic guitar. His ear led him from Rock of the 90’s, to Blues, and then to jazz, where he found his passion. Since then, Ryan has had the opportunity to perform and collaborate with variety of musicians in Florida, New York, City, Europe, and the California Bay Area. As a composer, his music is informed by an array of musical traditions - Jazz, Bebop, Free Improvisation, Contemporary Classical, Rock, all contribute to his palate. Of his Album - Human Alien, Bradley Bambarger writes: Guitarist-composer Ryan Pate has crafted a beguiling debut with Human/Alien (BFG Records), an album of forward- minded jazz where the earthy and otherworldly mingle and meld. With Human/Alien, Pate aimed to create “a world in sound – music that’s cinematic, which is something a lot of my favorite records share,” he says. “The title, Human/Alien, reflects a duality I’ve always been drawn to, things that are both human and strange – the earthy, human essence being an emphasis on melody, and the alien being an ethereal, atmospheric quality.” Ryan Holds a Master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music in Performance, Composition, and Pedagogy, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida.