About
Intro
I’d like to start by thanking you for visiting my website. Not only is this a place where you can get to know me, but I hope I can get to know you too. Feel free to contact me even if it’s just to say hi. You can email me through my website here, or connect with me on Facebook. I’m very open to feedback on my music as well and I’d love to know what you think.
Early Life
I was born outside the small town of McGraw in upstate New York. I am the oldest of three boys. We lived in the country on a small horse and sheep farm. In many ways it was a perfect childhood. I had very loving parents and a close relationship with both of my brothers. We are all still very close to this day.
I spent my youth like most boys. I went to school during the week and church on the weekends. I had my usual list of chores around the house including helping my parents feed and take care of the animals. I built tree forts, hay forts and snow forts, rode dirt bikes, played little league, was a Boy Scout, played video games, loved camping, fishing, and just being a kid.
Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing about my childhood. Although it was hard work living on a farm, I think it planted the seed of self-motivation and determination that I live by today.
Early Music Career
I come from a very musical family. I began performing music when I was about five years old. My parents were talented musicians and very well known around the community. They would perform together (and still do) with Dad playing guitar and both of them singing. As soon as my next younger brother and I were old enough, we began performing with them. We would sing for special events in and around the community. When my youngest brother was old enough, all five of us would perform together.
I remember going with my parents to buy our first piano. Obviously I had no idea how significant that would be. At first I had no interest in learning to play the piano. But one day in music class at school, our music teacher bought a brand new electric keyboard for the classroom. I thought it was the coolest thing. I went home that night and told my parents that I wanted one. They knew they had me at that point.
They made a deal with me. They said that if I take piano lessons, they would buy me a keyboard. It seemed fair enough, so I agreed. Little did I know it would be three years later before I got that keyboard. But none-the-less, they held up their end of the deal.
I was nine years old when I began taking classical piano lessons. My first piano teacher’s name is Esther Gros. Piano came natural to me. I learned very quickly and surpassed many of my peers. Within a year of taking lessons, I remember my piano teacher taking me out of school for private performances. That was when I made my first two dollars playing the piano. I think I still have those two dollars somewhere.
My first few years of playing the piano were not always easy. At the time I would have much rather been outside playing with my friends. But my mom made sure I found time to practice everyday. I am very grateful that she encouraged me to do that.
Piano wouldn’t remain my only instrument. My dad had an old electric bass guitar in the closet and the school jazz band needed a bass player. I already knew how to read music from playing the piano, so over the summer between 7th and 8th grade I taught myself the bass guitar.
By the time I was 13 years old, I knew that I was going to pursue music as a career. Around that same time, I went to a concert with my church youth group to see the Christian rock band, The News Boys. That day I decided I was going to be a rock star.
High School and College Years
By this point, music was my main focus. Even though I was somewhat athletic, I had no interest in sports. I took advantage of every music opportunity I could find from singing in the school choir to acting in musical theater. I even took percussion lessons so I could play in the school concert and marching bands.
I started my first rock band with some friends when I was 14 years old. By the time I was 15 we were playing in clubs around central New York. Watching the lead guitar player in my band made me want to learn guitar. So I convinced my parents to let me buy an electric guitar. My dad and I went to the House of Guitars in Rochester, NY. I bought a black Ibanez guitar with a whammy bar! Now it hangs on the wall in my studio.
At 17 years old I started another rock band with some other friends called “Obstreperous.” This time I was the lead guitar player. At the time we thought we were great, but listening to those old recordings now makes me realize just how far I’ve come. But it was a lot of fun and a huge learning experience.
During all of my years in high school I continued to take piano lessons. I began writing original music around 13 years old. When I was 17, my piano teacher retired as the church organist and I took over. The church had just purchased a brand new electric keyboard and during the week they would allow me to take it home. I began writing more and more music as having this keyboard offered tons of inspiration for me.
After high school I went to SUNY Fredonia to study music. I doubled majored in both Music Education and Piano Performance. There I studied with Mr. Robert Jordan, a very successful concert pianist who trained at Eastman and Julliard conservatories. He pushed me to my limits. When all my peers were out partying and drinking, I was in the practice room learning Liszt, Chopin, and Mozart.
During my sophomore year I went to the annual concerto concert to see that year’s winners perform. I remember saying to my girlfriend at the time that in two years I will be on that stage. Sure enough, during my senior year I won the concerto competition and got to perform the third movement to Tchaikovsky’s 1st Piano Concerto with the symphony orchestra.
That would be the peak of my classical piano career. Having spent six to nine hours a day practicing the piano for the past four years was taking a toll on me. In fact, I was almost completely burned out on playing the piano. Plus I was nearing the end of my college program and I knew that in reality I would be teaching music for a living, not performing. So I shifted my focus away from the piano and towards teaching.
My Teaching Years
After college I was on the fence as to whether or not I wanted to teach. So instead of looking for a teaching job, I decided to move to Atlanta, GA with some friends. Coming from a small town, I wasn’t used to city life. And on top of that the only jobs I could find were shampooing carpets or going door-to-door selling home security systems. I couldn’t bring myself to do either. Being young and naïve, I packed up and moved back to NY.
Within two weeks of moving back to NY, I found a permanent substitute teaching position. But that first teaching job turned out to be incredibly challenging. In fact, I’d say those first three years were the most difficult years of my life, career wise.
In the public school system you either teach general music, vocal music, or instrumental music. Through the various positions I ended up taking, I taught both general music and vocal music grades five through twelve. But I was trained to teach piano, not voice. And teaching piano wasn’t an option unless I wanted to teach privately. Not only that, I had no idea how to discipline a group of kids.
I remember the first time I scolded a sixth grade music class of mine. They wouldn’t stop talking and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I raised my voice and they shut up! But afterwards I felt horrible. I think it may have been the discipline that finally ruined teaching for me.
To help relieve the stress of teaching, I formed another rock band with some friends from high school called “Special Unit 2.” Our goal was to break all the rules when it came to song writing. The music was very unique and difficult to classify. We called it, New Wave New Wave. I guess you’d have to hear it to understand.
In all, I taught public school for five years. During my last year of teaching I felt like something was still missing. Reflecting on my life so far I realized that I had spent the past 22 years in school. Having just finished my Masters Degree in Music Technology from IUPUI, I decided it was time to start a new chapter in my life. I packed up, took what little money I had and decided to give Atlanta another shot.
Back to Atlanta
I always wondered what would have happened if I had stayed in Atlanta and now I was about to find out. One of my friends still lived in Atlanta. He had a spare bedroom in his basement and offered it to my fiancé and me.
My initial plan was to start an audio and video production business with my friend whose basement I was living in. Anyone who’s tried starting a business knows how difficult it is. To make ends meet, I decided to teach private piano lessons a few days a week. This gave me enough money to get by but still have time to work on our business.
To make a long story short that business failed.
While I was still living in my friend’s basement, my fiancé was out of town for the week and I had some alone time. I decided to hook my keyboard up and see what might come out. To my amazement, the music flowed effortlessly. Within hours I had composed the foundation to the first new song of mine in almost five years. Within days the song was done and recorded.
So I decided to write another one. Again, the music flowed effortlessly. For the next six months I spent the first part of the day writing music and the afternoons and evenings teaching piano. Although not every song happened overnight, I was making good progress. But things were about to come to an immediate halt.
Five months before getting married my fiancé decided to bolt. It completely devastated me. For months I barely ate or slept. I felt sick and all I wanted to do was walk. To make matters worse, I was 1,000 miles from my family and had only a few friends in the Atlanta area that I could talk to. With the summer just around the corner and most of my students taking a break from lessons I was unable to financially support myself. So I moved back in with my friend. It was the longest eight months of my life.
I believe that things happen for a reason. Although I couldn’t imagine what that reason might be, I set out to understand. At the time I was completely broke and the only thing I had going for me financially was good credit. So on a whim one day I went to the music store to buy myself a new keyboard. I was able to get just enough credit to buy the best keyboard they had. I knew that playing music was my way out and I wasn’t going to skimp on a cheap keyboard.
Reality set in soon after I bought my keyboard that I needed to find a way to pay for it. I got online one night and found a couple bands looking for a keyboard / rhythm guitar player. One band in particular stood out. That band would go down as one of the most popular 80’s cover bands in Atlanta. That band was Moby dick!
At the same time the production company my friend works for offered me a job doing sound design. Between teaching piano, playing in the band, and working at the studio I was able to make ends meet and get my feet back on the ground.
Present
I wake up every day feeling incredibly blessed. My life has made a complete 180 from where I was just a handful of years ago. I have several music projects now. I’m still playing with Moby Dick. We’ve opened up for bands such as Great White, Warrant, LA. Guns, The Bullet Boys, and Tito Jackson. We’re close to 400 shows and they keep getting bigger and better.
I also had the honor to play keyboards for the Swedish pop singer, Ulrika. Recently we went to L.A. and showcased for many of the major record labels. I don’t know if I’m supposed to talk about it or not, but all the indicators say she is going to be huge.
I’m still working at the studio where I’ve done the sound design for hundreds of TV commercials, designed websites, edited video, and managed all the content played on hundreds of TV walls throughout the U.S. in electronics stores.
But my most exciting achievement is the release of my first solo album of original piano music. This album contains my most personal collection of music that I’ve written throughout the past five years since moving to Atlanta. These songs helped me through my lowest hour. I hope they lift you to your highest!
If Only…
Rahn
