Ryan Buchanan Bio

Ryan Buchanan is enjoying a career as a young and upcoming trumpet player in the Los Angeles area. Studio sessions, jazz concerts, and national touring keep him busy alongside studying at California State University, Northridge.

 

Born in Panorama City, California in 2000, Ryan has lived in Santa Clarita, California his entire life. Ryan picked up the trumpet at the age of 9 and hasn’t put down the horn since. He developed remarkable skill at a very young age. Ryan credits his junior high and high school teachers, Scott and Roxanne Jeppesen, Jeffrey Stephan, and Stephen Hufford for crafting him into the musician he is today. Ryan was also fortunate enough to study under Dontae Winslow in high school. Dontae truly molded Ryan’s trumpet fundamentals and skills into what they are today.

 

Throughout his years as a student in junior high and high school, Ryan accumulated a number of prestigious awards and musical achievements. In junior high school, Ryan was awarded the John Philip Sousa award and placed first chair in the William S. Hart District Honor Band two years in a row. In high school, Ryan was selected for numerous honor bands and ensembles such as CBDA’s All-State Symphonic Band, SCSBOA’s All-Southern Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Honor Band, Cal State LA’s Honor Band, Hart District Honor Jazz Band, and the Hart District Honor Band. His high school career finished with him receiving two more John Philip Sousa awards and his acceptance into the jazz department at CSUN.

 

Following high school, Ryan auditioned into CSUN’s prestigious Jazz A Band as the lead trumpet player as a freshman. Ryan also began studying under his trumpet hero, Wayne Bergeron, as his only student. Ryan’s time at CSUN was highlighted by touring with various school ensembles. Ryan toured with the Jazz A Band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Loyola New Orleans Jazz Festival, and at the inaugural Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, hosted by Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center in New York City. 

 

He was also fortunate enough to tour alongside the CSUN Wind Ensemble at the College Band Directors National Association Conference (CBDNA) in Seattle, Washington and in Oahu, Hawaii where they performed at Pearl Harbor and at various other locations. Ryan was also made a part of CSUN history when he and three other students formed the first CSUN trumpet studio ensemble that was accepted to participate in the National Trumpet Competition in Boulder, Colorado.

 

Ryan graduated CSUN in 2022 with his Bachelors of Music (Cum Laude) Jazz Studies degree and is expecting to graduate once again in 2024 with his Masters of Music Trumpet Performance degree. 

 

Outside of school, Ryan has been performing alongside various groups. Most notably, Ryan is often seen playing with Phat Cat Swinger at Disneyland’s California Adventure Park for the Festival of Holidays and Food and Wine Festival. Ryan is also a member of the Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective big band in Billings, Montana. Ryan can be seen in the 2021 Crescendo $5 Chalupa Cravings Box Taco Bell commercial. He has also toured alongside Tom Sandoval’s band Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras. 

 

Ryan’s studio work can be heard on Faime’s Follow Me, Sad Park’s ART WILL BE GONE, Cole Supple’s Red Room, Red Room (Austin Atlas Remix); Dontae Winslow’s Trumpet & a Mic; The Licata Brothers It’s Time, Guiding Light, No Me Toques, and Put Your Weight On It; Arman Aloyan’s Take Three; and Dave Cavalier's Bad Blood, and The Hold. Ryan will also be featured on Pat Vegas’ and Wayne Bergeron’s albums coming out next year.

 

As a sideman, Ryan has performed with Wayne Bergeron, Dontae Winslow, Bobby Shew, Arturo Sandoval, Gordon Goodwin, Gary Pratt, John Daversa, Luis Conte, Eric Martienthal, Alex Iles, Ido Meshulam, Scott Whitfield, Dave Weckl, Andy Martin, Gary Fukushima, Scott Jepessen, Ari Hoenig, Nick Mancini and more.

 

Ryan aspires to have a future that shadows his mentors after he graduates next year from CSUN. Ryan plans to continue his studio work, and perform all over the world in the near future. He hopes that he will be the next trumpeter to pave his pathway into the Los Angeles scene.