Falling into fame

At the age of ten, Ryan Cook wanted to grow up to be just like his older brother -- a drummer. So for his birthday he asked for a drum set. Instead, his father gave him a guitar, hoping he'd follow in his footsteps. Disappointed, he abided by his father's wishes and began guitar lessons. \nAlthough reluctant at first, Cook soon fell in love with the guitar. It became his passion and a way of expressing himself. And though he swore he was never going to sing, he turned to songwriting soon enough. \nCook started songwriting by writing about a female friend. He says he thinks, for some people, music puts unexplainable emotions into words. The music is about relating. \n"I saw what songs like ("Hang" by Matchbox 20) would do for people to relate to," Cook says. "I really wanted to develop a knack for that, with words and phrasing, and music, and putting that all together and creating something that others could relate to."\nAt 15, Cook first performed in the basement of Front Porch Music at their open mic night. Though he was the only kid amongst many adults, Cook says he remained undaunted. To his surprise, the audience thought he had talent and liked his songs. It wasn't long after his first performance that he was running the show. \nIn the fall of 2002, Cook came to IU and met Rich Hardesty at a benefit concert. As they waited for the rain to stop and the outdoor concert to begin, Cook hung out with the band and wowed them with his guitar ability. Impressed by his sound and confidence, Hardesty coaxed Cook into playing a few songs for the crowd. The meeting of the two began a relationship that grew throughout his first semester, and Cook began helping Hardesty sell merchandise. After Hardesty left town, Cook and a friend took over Hardesty's shows, playing in Bloomington and in West Lafayette, Ind.\nAs second semester came around, Cook says he began to think college wasn't for him. He decided to take a break from school, which was exactly what his music needed. He returned to his home in Valparaiso, Ind., and began working at a car wash. At home he was able to focus on his music more so than he was while at school. He began developing his bluesy sound and tweaking his guitar style. Playing every opportunity he could, Cook was soon in for a stroke of luck. \nWhile playing at an open mic night at Billie Jacks, Cook ran into an old acquaintance who approached him about the studio at which he was working. He was impressed by Cook's performance and stressed the importance of getting a record out. The two discussed and arranged a time for Cook to come in and record a couple of songs. \n"When it started out we were going to record two or three songs, maybe four," Cook says. "We'd be in and out in a couple of hours. The guy just kept telling me, 'Oh, this needs bass. Yeah, this needs drums. This one, an organ.' Then the few songs just became an album."\nThe result, Bonfire, was recorded and released in October of 2003. Cook says the title has two distinct meanings.\n"For one, it reminds me of good times I had with friends back home when we would go camping. From then on, I just loved bonfires," explains Cook. "They're also all songs that I wrote in high school. They're kind of all the first stage of writing that I am going to do, and I want to just burn the songs."\nBut it will be these songs that he performs in the Bloomington scene. Cook has performed at Soma and the Runcible Spoon where he hosts open mic every Wednesday evening. \nThough it is tough balancing his schoolwork and music, Cook knows that he's here to further his education. He also knows that whenever he is down or stressed out, his music will be there to save him. \n"I've found the love of my life that does not go away," Cook says.\nThis Friday Cook will be sharing that love as he teams up with Rich Hardesty for a show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Kirkwood Avenue. The all-ages show begins with Cook as the opening act at 8 p.m. Hardesty will take the stage at 9 p.m.