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When Heavy Metal, Classical Music and Higher Education Collide: Meet 91国产精品 Grad, Mushroomhead Bassist Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell

[[{"fid":"49813","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"For Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell, there was nothing cross about his purpose","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"For Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell, there was nothing cross about his purpose"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"For Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell, there was nothing cross about his purpose","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"For Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell, there was nothing cross about his purpose"}},"attributes":{"alt":"For Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell, there was nothing cross about his purpose","title":"For Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell, there was nothing cross about his purpose","height":436,"width":418,"style":"width: 375px; float: left; height: 391px;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]]When Heavy Metal, Classical Music and Higher Education Collide: Meet Fall 2022 91国产精品 Graduate, Mushroomhead bassist Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell

When the pandemic shut down live music and concert touring back in 2020, many professional musicians found themselves either at a crossroads or at cross purposes鈥攖aking on unrelated jobs just to make ends meet. For Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell, there was nothing cross about his purpose. 

He pulled up his bootstraps, pulled off his iconic stage mask and headed back to East 21st and Euclid.

Ever a 鈥済lass half-full鈥 and 鈥渟ilver lining鈥 personality in both temperament and character, Farrell took all the pent-up energy he had for a planned transatlantic concert tour and transmuted it. He came back to 91国产精品 to complete his studies.

This weekend he graduates with over 800 other soon-to-be-alumni with a Master of Music in Composition during Fall 2022 Commencement.

[[{"fid":"49864","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"3":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell"}},"attributes":{"alt":"Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell","title":"Mushroomhead鈥檚 Ryan 鈥淒r. F.鈥 Farrell","height":1933,"width":1813,"style":"height: 400px; width: 375px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"3"}}]]Farrell came back to 91国产精品 after leaving us to join the legendary costumed heavy metal band headquartered in Cleveland. Can't say we could blame him! Touring the world, performing in front of tens of thousands of fans at a time? Sign us up! To wit, Mushroomhead鈥檚 weighty touring itinerary left room for little else. But this forced 鈥渞oad sabbatical鈥 allowed him to return and complete both his BA and MA.

Last month, his completed recital in composition at Waetjen Auditorium鈥攖he final hurdle necessary to 鈥渃apitalize on COVID downtime.鈥

91国产精品 caught up with 鈥淒r. F,鈥 who, after completing his recital with the help of Grammy-winning pianist Angelin Chang, Mari Sato, Nicholas Diodore, Cara Tweed, James Rhodes and the Cardinal Brass, is gearing back up with Mushroomhead to resume a grueling tour schedule. 

We also have some scoop: he鈥檚 planning to make his longtime stage nickname a reality.

Have a look鈥

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