Meet Eddy Ruyter

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eddy Ruyter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eddy, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever had any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

I feel as though most of my success in this area comes from approach more than anything. It’s easy to sit back and say “Oh, I’ll just wait for inspiration to come.” But I don’t think it’s really about that. Everything takes practice, and practice takes time and dedication.

In my mind, the first step is accepting that not everything is going to be your best work. Maybe the next few hours lead to writing a song that never gets released. Maybe they’re spent practicing a solo that you’ll never play live. But now you’re that many steps closer to your next single, or to playing something you’re incredibly proud of. Even if what you create in this moment isn’t something you might consider “good,” it’s still a stepping stone towards something greater. It’s still gained experience and knowledge that you might not have otherwise had.

I look at composing or practicing as a job; put in the hours each day, and just do the best you can at that moment. The stronger foundation you have, the closer you are to a moment of sudden undeniable inspiration. And when those wished for moments of inspiration do finally appear (always at the most inopportune times, of course), make a voice note. Give yourself a starting point to dive into more deeply at a later point when you’re scratching your head hoping for a lead.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a musician and composer based out of Toronto, Canada. I’ve been very fortunate to get to play in touring bands for many different artists, most extensively with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes.

As a solo artist, I compose and release neoclassical piano music through the label Heart Dance Records. I’m currently gearing up for a fall release of the deluxe version of my album “Waves.” You can expect to hear brand-new melodic and emotional solo piano compositions, along with remixes of older songs by some special guests.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I’m going to start with ambition. I’ve always been excited and eager to do anything in music, from watching others play on stage, to hearing new and interesting sounds on recordings, to writing out a rhythm I heard from a train and creating something out of that. I’ll gain inspiration from many different sources.

Next up is dedication. So much of this career (and I’m sure any career) is just about keeping at it. Putting the time in, and not giving up during the bleakest moments. Just start with a little bit each day and grow from there. Know that not everything is going to go smoothly, but it still needs to happen.

Ambition and dedication can be tough to balance. Taking on too many things leads to burnout, and then burnout takes away your inspiration. But at the end of the day, if you want to keep a roof over your head, you know that sometimes you just need to soldier through. Being in the music industry isn’t always filled with the big dream-like moments that everyone imagines it is. There is a lot of putting your head down, and just doing the work. Even if there’s a seemingly endless toil of preparation, edits, travel, or whatever is leading up to the show / release etc. the love and enjoyment that comes out of the final product is worth it to me time and time again.

Lastly, patience. It takes time. A lot of time. If you want to get into this field, I highly encourage you, but please know that no matter if someone looks like an “overnight success,” there is so much more behind the scenes that most people will never see. Be kind to yourself, take it slow, and enjoy the process. Playing music is the best thing ever, whether you’re by yourself or in front of the world.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

This is a tough one. Can the answer be both? I think to go far in any industry you need to prioritize your strengths and find a competitive angle. But you can’t fully neglect your weaknesses either. I do believe those areas need to be tended to, but with an understanding that in those instances you won’t be the one leading the pack. Recognizing strengths and weaknesses in both yourself and others is a very important skill. You want a team, you want to be able to delegate. You want people on your side who excel where you fall behind.

I can apply this to many areas in my career. Firstly, as a session musician, I know my strengths lie in learning specific parts and designing sounds, but I’m not the best soloist in a jazz setting. I do have a community of keyboardists who I know and respect, so I’m going to recommend the jazz-focused player for a trio gig, and maybe they’ll recommend me for a sound-design-focused pop gig. However, I still need to have a basic understanding of jazz idioms as scenarios will arise where I need to solo, or use complex harmony.

A second example of the benefits of having a team: releasing music. I’m comfortable writing and recording, but not so much when it comes to things like mastering or licensing. I still need to have a voice in these areas though. I need to understand how the mastering process works in order to provide the correct deliverables, and to comment on the final product before it gets released. I need to understand certain legal terminology in contracts to know what I’m signing away.

So all in all, I would say focus on your strengths, but know your weaknesses and how to account for them. We’re all in this together, we can help each other out.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Phil Shaw
Josiah Van Dien

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