Ryan Avery is the violinist behind the electronic violin duo Chance’s End, which Ryan began in the early 2000s to feature violin music in contexts where it usually isn’t. Ryan began practicing classical violin as a young boy, but began experimenting with electronic violin music as early as middle school when he played his violin over his own recorded audio cassette.
In the last decade and spurred on the by the rise of well-known electronic violinists such as Lindsay Sterling, Ryan has begun performing his violin electronica around the world alongside his partner Emily Zisman. Chance’s End most well known song Diamond in Disguise has been listened to 23 million times on Pandora alone.
In this interview, Ryan and I discuss a wide range of topics, including the three reasons Ryan keeps physical objects, the first time Ryan integrated technology into his music making, and why he stuck with the violin when most of his peers stopped practicing.
As both Ryan and I are stage performers, we explore the fears and joys associated with live performance, and how Ryan gives himself constructive feedback on his performances without slipping into self-destructive criticism. As someone who has been creating and thinking about the creative process for more than three decades, Ryan has a lot to say about how limitations can actually enhance both the process and product. This conversation is wide-ranging and we discuss themes related to learning, creativity, and live performance. Please enjoy Ryan Avery and his musical duo Chance’s End.
Some of the themes we discuss include:
- Growth Mindset
- MIDI (audio)
- The Creative Habit (book)
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