It began with a song.
The Dance You Choose by Cape Breton’s Bruce Guthro and Aselin Debison on her 2002 debut album Sweet is the Melody. Not only did it describe my first artistic love - dancing, but it contained the lyric that would define the rest of my creative life.
My Side of the Ocean is my journey to explore heritage, tradition, and culture through my lens as a New Yorker, an Irish-American, and a creative.
My Side of the Ocean is a project about the inherent fusion in all of us - a collection of experiences which cannot be separated into those which are “pure” cultures and traditions, and those which are “remixed.” It is also the name under which I perform this fusion in the public arena, sometimes with friends or others.
mysideoftheocean@gmail.com
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Ryan McCombe, TCRG/ADCRG
Born in Yonkers, NY to Irish-American parents, Ryan studied Irish Step Dancing with the late Margaret Pike, the late Gary Healy, and the Pender-Keady Academy. During his competitive career, he was twice Mid-Atlantic Regional Champion, and medaled at numerous North American, All Ireland, and World Championships. He received his TCRG (Teacher’s Diploma) in 2014, and his ADCRG (Adjudicator’s Diploma) in 2022.
Following in the footsteps of a musical father and a highly supportive mother, Ryan took piano lessons from the age of 4 to 12, before picking up guitar and drums at the age of 13. He cannot thank his parents enough for allowing band practice in the basement, where he honed his craft for musical performance in pop-punk groups Bad Connxion and A Day’s Demise. In 2012, Ryan released his debut EP as Hit Me Up!, writing and performing all the instrumentation on the album. From 2012-2015, he was the drummer for Yonkers rock band Transition, and co-wrote and co-produced their debut album Living for a Dream released in 2015.
Following his retirement from competitive Irish dancing, Ryan dove into traditional Irish music, and a 2016 chance encounter with an Octave Mandolin set the stage for his primary instrument.
In addition to the Octave Mandolin, Ryan plays Guitar, Bass, Kit Drums, Bodhran, Piano, Mandolin/Bouzouki, Tenor Banjo, with a bit of Accordion, Whistle, and some other stuff thrown in.
In addition to dance and music, Ryan began cooking seriously at the age of 19. While not classically trained, Ryan has cooked with the team at Kanopi in White Plains, NY, and had the opportunity to taste and learn from chefs around NYC and the world. His food reflects a focus on fresh ingredients, plated to bring out the inherent beauty of the food. He is a certified cheesemonger, and has led numerous wine and cheese tastings.