Serena Ryder
Artist
Serena Ryder (born December 8, 1982) is a Canadian musician. Born in Toronto, she grew up in Millbrook, Ontario. Ryder first gained national recognition with her ballad “Weak in the Knees” in 2007, but was then known internationally with her albums Harmony and Utopia. An accomplished songwriter and musician, she possesses a three-octave vocal range and is considered a mezzo-soprano.
She ranges musically between folk, roots, country, and adult contemporary music. An accomplished musician, Ryder can play guitar, piano, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, banjo, clarinet, drums, bass.
In addition to singing, Ryder is also an accomplished visual artist. She draws, paints, sculpts and does collage. Some of her paintings have been sold for charity events, including The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Ryder is also well-known among her friends for her voice impressions, mimicking various accents.[16] Ryder has also actively supported many other charity organizations in Canada and abroad. She has been involved with Young Artists for Haiti, Time for Climate Justice Campaign, Canadian Kidney Foundation, Peterborough MusicFest, Fashion CARES.
For Serena Ryder, music is medicine. It’s the thing that soothes any ailment, and it’s the reason to keep going, even when times get tough. Ryder has always been compelled to write songs, both because she loves creating music and because it heals her, inside and out. The Canadian singer-songwriter, who lives in Toronto and Los Angeles, started playing guitar and penning songs as a teenager.
Ryder has shared the stage with OneRepublic, Kanye West, Sara Bareilles, HAIM, Pitbull and Melissa Ethridge, and proved herself as a strong live performer with an avid fanbase. It’s clear that listeners feels the same sort of healing in the music as Ryder does when she writes it. Music is the cure for anyone open to hearing it.
(sources: serenaryder.com,
