Ryan Holiday, aka Zen That Beat (Philadelphia, PA, USA):
I'm an international performer based out of the US and Germany. I've had a pretty long career at this point, during which I've released 22 albums, written scores for movies and TV, and produced my own musical. But it took the combination of a personal low and a random request from my yogi friend Cheryl to point me to my current path: yoga music.
After releasing records through multiple independent record labels (including one run by Go-Go’s and Blondie producer and former Sire Records co-owner Richard Gottehrer), placing music in myriad films, performing with Grammy winning jazz pianist Fred Hersch, and even being awarded a grant for a musical I’d written and produced, I was burned out on the process. I agreed to help Cheryl out with her request for yoga music, but I didn’t really think much of it.
But as I started writing, my mind slowly changed. I enjoyed the process because it wasn’t about me. Coming from a frame of mind where MY ideas, MY art, and MY music was most important thing in my life, I loved writing for someone else's needs. I relaxed into the challenge, and the music came naturally. Cheryl and her students loved it, and for the first time in years I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment in my work.
In the 5 years since then, I've released 5 albums and 54 singles of yoga music under the Zen That Beat name. Since that transformative experience with Cheryl, my music has become a service for people, rather than an individual pursuit. It's been incredibly rewarding.
Going forward, I plan to create larger, more immersive yoga + music hybrid events, from studio tours and guest residencies to music and meditation retreats and massive festivals. That said: regardless of the magnitude of the events I'm involved in, it’s the personal connections I experience that drive me. I'm a conduit. If I do my job right, it's my hope that the students and teachers can have an extra element of transcendence in their practice.
I love what I do. I spent so many years trying to fit in, and the yoga community has welcomed me with open arms. I have found peace.
Website:
www.zenthatbeat.com
Email list signup:
www.zenthatbeat.com
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/zenthatbeat/
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/zenthatbeat
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/artist/5tvZL3AII2rEZExWD64M2r
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCv241b391tJ_zT90fM83cYA
Bandcamp:
zenthatbeat.bandcamp.com