Ryan Sands

Hailing from Orange, CT/New Haven County, Ryan Sands has worked his way up to become one of the top young drummers in his field. His emphatic playing has landed him performances with Terell Stafford, Geoffrey Keezer, Wayne Escoffrey, Tamir Hendleman, Lucy Yeghiazaryan, and Jason Marsalis. He currently holds the drum chair for Christian Sands and Altus. Ryan has performed in the pit of the Ain’t Misbehavin, under the direction of Jeffrey Page, and worked on music for Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue under the direction of Alphonso Horne.

Ryan’s musical education includes a BA in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory and an MA in Jazz Arts from the Manhattan School of Music. As a professor he has taught for Neighborhood Music School in New Haven, CT, and iSchool of Music and Art in Shanghai. He currently teaches private drums at Yale University for their Yale Undergrad Jazz Collective. At Southern Connecticut State University he is currently at the adjunct private drum instructor and teaches the lecture class, Intro to the History of Black American Music.

Ryan’s recording credits include Christian Sands’ Risin’, Christmas Stories, and his most recent release Embracing Dawn. Altus’ Riot Cycles and Mythos, David Knowles's Blackest Night, and Shihai Li’s Inner Rhythm are also projects Ryan has been instrumental on. As a bandleader Ryan released his debut record, Standing On the Edge of Tomorrow.