Ryan Blakeman

UTICA — Ryan Blakeman tells stories. Not lies, exactly, but stories that are based loosely on truth, he says.

"Storytelling — exaggerated stories of me," explains the local musician of his songwriting. "If you watched a movie about someone's life, you would think it was boring. I just exaggerate to the point where it's not true."

When combined with piano, percussion and soulful crooning, these tales — whether fact or fiction — come to life.

"I used to write basic songs about girls," he says. Then, he started seeing music in his daily life.

Inspiration comes sporadically and from some unusual places — such as his job at My Favorite Muffin in Marcy.

"I start writing a lot of my songs when I'm at work or driving," he says. Thank goodness for technology, he adds. "Having a recorder on a cell phone helps a lot. Even if I can hum a melody, I can have a reference."

Blakeman's been "humming melodies" since childhood, but it wasn't until he moved to Utica about five years ago (he was 19) that he started playing those melodies on the piano.

"I didn't have any friends for awhile," he says of his first months in Utica. "We had a piano at the house, and I started playing out of boredom."

Eventually, he added harmonica and percussion to the mix, creating what he calls a "kind of like indie rock" sound.

"I listen to a lot of folk rock, bluegrass, but I really like jazz. I try to mix those together and see what happens. I like the storytelling aspect of country or folk music, but it can get boring so I like to add something just to mix it up a little bit."

He hopes to bring his sound worldwide one day, but for now you can find him playing at local venues such as The Melodic Revolution and The Devereux.

Check him out live: Friday, Aug. 24, playing keyboard with Rocky Graz iano at the Devereux, 37 Devereux St., Utica or at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Village Tavern with Adam and Spencer Morgan of Blackfoot Jack during Clinton's Arts and Music Festival. He'll also perform solo at 3:20 p.m. Saturday at Don's Rok, 36 College St. during the festival.

On the Web: www.myspace.com/ ryanblakeman - The Utica Observer Dispatch/Weekend Plus!