Becoming a composer
It was the pandemic, and Ryan Godfrey ’28 was at home, bored, and looking for ways to stay creatively engaged.
“I really missed playing in band—that was my life in eighth grade. I had so much time on my hands that I decided I might as well make some of my own music,” he said.
Godfrey sent his completed piece to his band teacher, Crane alumna Laura (Smith) Giorgio, who saw potential in his work and offered feedback on ways to improve his score.
“That kick-started my passion for composing. I’ve written 30 pieces of band music since then,” he said.
Throughout high school, Godfrey played piano and trumpet while composing musical scores for his high school band to perform. He also started working with composer Darrell Johnson II, who encouraged him to write freely, and avoid becoming overly focused on perfecting a single piece.
“He said, ‘You’re so young, you have all these ideas. Don’t laser-focus on one piece for years, write all the music, get all of your ideas down, and as you grow older you’ll have all of this music that you can pull from to refine,’” Godfrey recalled.
Now a sophomore in the music education program at The Crane School of Music, Godfrey continues to build on those early experiences. This semester, he composed a piece for the Crane Wind Ensemble, led by Dr. Brian Doyle, which was performed in Hosmer Hall in February. The four-minute work, “More Than This,” draws inspiration from a novel by the same name by one of his favorite authors, Patrick Ness.
“Dr. Doyle told me to introduce myself as a composer, keep it brief, be brutal, be gone—show what you can do, leave the audience wanting more,” Godfrey said. “I do a lot of plunking things out on the piano, taking my idea, improvising it and seeing where it goes. Once I have these ideas, I can start thinking about what I want it to sound like with these various instruments, what kind of textures and moods I can get when I have all the different color palettes of instruments, rather than just my piano."
Godfrey is one of only a handful of student composers to have their work performed by major ensembles since Doyle began teaching at the College in 2006.
“Student compositions receiving such performances are uncommon,” said Doyle. “In my 20 years at Crane, I have only programmed four other student composer works. Ryan’s is the fifth.”
Other student composers whose work has been performed at Crane include Skye Hamilton Carranza’s “Blue Cherry Blossom” (2018), Jacob Ali’s “Dragon Ride” (2018), Ethan Cypress’s “Railway Bridge” (2015), and Christopher Nedimyer’s “Ben Nevis” (2009).
Now Godfrey joins those ranks—an especially notable accomplishment given that he is pursuing a degree in music education rather than composition.
“You can go to school for composition and that’s amazing—I’m thinking about doing a master’s in composition just to refine my skills—but it’s also something that you can just go and do it,” Godfrey said. “When you’re looking for jobs in composition, no one asks to see your degree, they ask to see your music. It comes down to whether you can make good music, and if they want to distribute it and sell it.”
His interdisciplinary interests open the door to a range of career possibilities after graduation—whether leading a high school band, composing for large ensembles, or combining both parts.
“I could be a full-time teacher and write compositions for my school system or be a full-time composer. There’s a whole spectrum of how those two fields can work together in one career,” he said.
Music Education
Godfrey frequently heard about Crane throughout his youth— from Giorgio to Ryan Walther, who led his honors band, and other Crane alumni he met at All County Music Festivals. Over time, he realized that the College’s music education program would be an excellent fit.
“Those teachers were so inspiring, and most of them went to Crane. So, when I talked with them about wanting to be a music teacher, that’s where they encouraged me to go,” he said. “It has been really convenient, affordable and a great education.”
Godfrey is currently enrolled in Music Teaching and Learning, where he is developing foundational teaching skills, designing lesson plans, and gaining real-world insight by observing music educators in school districts across the state.
“MTL has been really gratifying. We’re talking about what we’re going to do in the classroom and we’re getting that foundation,” he said.
Still more than a year away from his semester-long student teaching placement, he is already building leadership experience as a summer camp counselor in Michigan. While overseeing a cabin of high school music and art students at Interlochen Arts Camp, he has gained an immersive perspective on the responsibilities of working with young people.
“For anyone who wants to go into education, I would press them to do something like camp counseling. Take away the music, math, or reading, don’t worry about that, you’re simply a caretaker of children. Those kids had just as much of an impact on me, probably more than the impact I hope I had on them,” he said.
Introduced to swimming at a young age, Godfrey competed in high school while also earning his lifeguard certification—a skill he uses regularly at camp. He will return to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this summer to continue mentoring students and strengthening his preparation for a career in education.
Back at Crane, he balances coursework in music education, playing piano with the Wind Ensemble and playing trumpet with the Symphonic Band, while composing music for his friends’ solo performances. Now halfway through his time at Crane, Godfrey is bringing together his diverse interests into a well-rounded, multi-layered education.
“This experience at Crane has been really valuable,” Godfrey said. “I’ve definitely grown as a musician a lot and as a person.”
Article and photos by Jason Hunter