In this episode, I sit down with my friend and professional guitarist Ryan Jones.

Ryan shares his journey from Fort Wayne, Indiana to studying music in California, connecting with Christian artist Tommy Walker, and eventually touring and recording at a professional level.

We talk about what it's really like to work as a guitarist on the road and in the studio, including Ryan's move to Nashville in 2014, where he built a career doing session work and collaborating with producer and drummer Scott Williamson.

Then everything changed.

When COVID hit, the music industry ground to a halt overnight. Ryan shares how that disruption forced him to rethink his path, leading him to develop new skills as a software developer and eventually land a role at Sweetwater—bringing him full circle back to his hometown.

Along the way, we also dig into:

• What the recording process is really like for working guitarists • Amp tones and how pros think about sound • Real amps vs. modelers—what actually matters • How to adapt when your music career takes an unexpected turn

This is an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the life of a working guitarist—and what it takes to keep moving forward when things don't go as planned.

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