Ryan Thibodeaux

Ryan Thibodeaux grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, quickly falling in love with music. In middle school he loved playing Second Line and bugle calls on his first instrument the trumpet. Then he set his sights on the piano, winning first place for his Haydn minuet and chairing his high school’s jazz and Dixieland bands.

In 8th grade he attended Brother Martin high school, studying drums and percussion under Marty Hurley of Phantom Regiment. He played snare on the drum line, but mostly excelled in melodic percussion, playing timpani, marimba, and the like for District and State Honor Bands. The summer before 9th grade he started electric guitar lessons, focusing on jazz, blues, and the Beatles. Outside of class though, he was the frontman/singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist for a garage band called the Renaissance Men, playing funk, soul, punk, and alternative rock. After recording a 10 track album with that band in a living room, he and the saxophone player recorded a 5 track EP at a local professional studio, where Ryan played drum set, bass guitar, electric and acoustic guitar, piano, and sang.

Then while attending Louisiana State University he studied music appreciation, ethnomusicology, performance, and film. He had some success with a pop rock band called Good Boy, playing organ and rhythm guitar at several bars and coffee houses around New Orleans and Baton Rouge. But after that band sadly broke up, he found a more stable home with Degrees of Separation, a funk, blues, and hip hop band.

In 2010, Ryan moved to Tomball, Texas, where his family had moved a few years after Hurricane Katrina. He taught himself recording and mixing while creating a 14 track album called My Latest Sincerity, playing acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, drums, synthesizer, keyboard, harmonica, and vocals. This album caught the ear of local drummer David Martinez, and they started a band called Grassline, playing shows at White Swan, Dan Electro’s, Acadia, BFE, Whatever Bar, 19th Hole, and other venues around Houston.

In March 2021, he started teaching students electric and bass guitar and has enjoyed sharing his love of music, helping students interpret, perform, and even create their own music. His depth of knowledge and friendly style make challenging concepts and techniques fun and accessible.