
564 - Ryan Connors: MD'ing for Hozier, Finding Self-Acceptance as a Drummer, Loving the Rehearsal Process
From Working Drummer by Working Drummer
April 23, 2026 · 1h 12m
About this episode
Ryan Connors discusses his experiences as a music director and drummer, emphasizing self-acceptance and the importance of the rehearsal process.
Ryan Connors is a multi-instrumentalist, MD, songwriter, and producer based in Nashville. He is currently keyboardist, MD, and backup drummer for Hozier, and has also worked with many other artists and bands including Yola, Melinda Doolittle, and Dynamo. He also writes and produces his own original music. In this episode, Ryan talks about: How smaller college programs give you more opportunities to play The virtues of multiple disciplines vs. specialization Being able to “speak drum” as an MD and producer The benefit of closing some doors Getting to play with Gadd “Finding where it feels good and not leaving there” Loving the discovery and connection that happens in rehearsal Leading by example as an MD in any given situation Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Guest: Ryan Connors
Topics covered
- music direction
- self-acceptance
- rehearsal process
- multi-instrumentalism
- collaboration
- opportunities in music education
Keywords
- Ryan Connors
- Hozier
- music director
- self-acceptance
- rehearsal
- multi-instrumentalist
- Nashville
- collaboration
- music education
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Hozier, Yola, Dynamo
Places: Nashville
More episodes of Working Drummer
- 571 - Craig Krolicki: Drum Teching, Being the Glue Between Drummer and Engineer, Drumming in Nashville · June 11, 2026 · 1h 12m
- 570 - Steve Pruitt: Playing with Mike Stern and Eddie Gomez, Straight Ahead Jazz vs. Fusion, Embracing Adversity · June 4, 2026 · 1h 27m
- 569 - Steve Misamore: Drumming for Dierks Bentley, The Evolution of the Dierk's gig, A Passion for Flying · May 28, 2026 · 1h 19m
- 568 - Matt Musty: Playing with Train, Using Your Space's Sound, Buying Into the Magic of What We Get To Do · May 21, 2026 · 1h 5m
- 567 - Tony Leone: Playing with Little Feat, Fronting His Own Group in NY, Realities of Self Doubt · May 14, 2026 · 1h 31m
- 566 - Jon Radford: Playing with Sixpence None The Richer, Leading His Own Trio, DJ-ing and Vinyl Obsession · May 7, 2026 · 1h 11m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Working Drummer podcast page.