Manitoba country rocker Ryan Keown has passed on his love of music and singing to his eldest son, Austin Ryder, who is now coming into his own in the country music industry. Ryder fostered a love of music at an early age, which resulted in him singing on stage and taking guitar lessons.
“I would say I’ve always been in love with music,” said Ryder. “I grew up with having music played in the house all the time, and being an extroverted person, I was always singing and making noise, which drove my family crazy at times.
“I started as a young little boy in about grade 4, as a special guest with dad’s shows where I would come up and sing a song with the band. It was always the song, Wagon Wheel, which is a crowd favourite. It wasn’t long after that I wanted to take guitar lessons, so I went to Stan Ostafie and he taught me how to play. Then in grade 8, that grew into me opening up for my dad’s shows and performing the first set of the night with his full band.
“It grew from there and I got the singing bug,” said Ryder. “I started learning some songs on my own and practicing to play alongside my dad in the band.”
For Ryder, watching his dad perform with his band was a normal way of life and an excellent way to spend time together as a family. It also instilled in him the dedication needed to foster talent and passion, and all the hard work needed to make it a reality.
“Growing up, I didn’t know anything different when it came to living the life of a musician,” said Ryder. “When I was in school, it was normal to know that on weekends, we would be travelling to wherever my dad was headlining or a concert. It was something all of us grew up with and it was fun, exciting and provided with some good stories to tell afterwards.
“I normalized following my passion and dreams from an early age as a result of that. My dad showed us that if we wanted to do something, we could absolutely make our dreams a reality and chase them. He was very encouraging in that.
“My dad was more of a role model and supported me when it came to music,” said Ryder. “He didn’t want to take on the direct role of pushing me into music. He wanted it to be a passion of my own, so I took music lessons from Stan and I kind of grew from there. He provided me with some opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to get on my own, but he wanted to be careful to ensure it was something I wanted to do.”
Ryder has experienced what it’s like to perform with a band on stage. It’s a different experience to performing solo and he feels like a band is your team that gets you through every aspect of performing on stage.
“I think that my start with performing with a full band happened before I started taking lessons of my own, that having the band there was a comfort and support system,” said Ryder. “I knew that the band had my back and if anything went wrong, they knew what to do and how to help me. That was empowering to have a full band. It’s awesome to have it all come together because you work so hard learning these songs on your own, and then being able to play them with a band to make music is a great experience.
“I have been fortunate to play with a couple of different bands in Calgary, even though I’m most familiar with our band back home, but the ones out here really know their stuff and they’re there to help. You can’t make a mistake with them, because they will follow you and help you out. It’s good to know that if it doesn’t go perfectly, no one will know because the band is there to back you up.”
When it comes to listening to music and performing artists, Ryder has his favourites in the country music industry.
“Vocally, I think Chris Stapleton is hands down the best in the business,” said Ryder. “He’s in a league of his own and to say one inspires to be like him is a bit of a longshot, but he is incredible. Stage presence-wise, I really look up to Cody Johnson. I recently saw him in concert in Calgary and he’s such a true classic cowboy. He is super humble, kind and classy on stage. He’s absolutely an entertainer.”
Ryder has been busy since he graduated from high school in Roblin and has been studying at university while making music. He has gained a lot of exposure and experience on stage performing in Calgary for different events and venues.
“I will be starting my fourth year of biochemistry in Calgary and will be graduating next spring,” said Ryder.
“Aside from my studies, I’ve been playing at local venues in the city. I’ve played at Ranchman’s numerous times and recently at Calgary’s International Beerfest. I do get a lot of opportunities to practice quite a bit. In my free time, so on Friday nights, you can catch me at the Ronald McDonald House playing music and singing to the families and children staying there for medical reasons. They are an audience that I get to practice for every week, which also helps me prepare for the bigger shows in Calgary. It’s a good balance, otherwise, I would find myself heavily involved in my schoolwork without any opportunity to keep up with my music.
“Calgary is called Canada’s Greatest Honky-Tonk, so knowing that and walking into Ranchman’s is intimidating but special at the same time,” said Ryder. “It was a great opportunity because there’s an atmosphere in there and the vibe from the stage, dance floor and employees are country to the core. It’s special to me because knowing the musicians who have played that stage before me and now, I’m getting to take part in that is all so surreal. It draws a different crowd than what I’m used to back home.”
Along with performing on stage, Ryder is now embarking on songwriting and recording. He will be releasing his first single very soon.
“I’m doing a little bit of writing now,” said Ryder. “My new single, Spin, that is coming out is one I didn’t write but was pitched to me out of Nashville. After listening to a couple hundred songs, when I heard this one, I knew I could make it my own. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to put my own spin on it and recorded it a couple of months ago.
“This single is all my own. I started meeting my producer, Bart McKay from Saskatoon, to get a feel for where we wanted the song to go. We put some inspirations that we want to include in the song and how we could modify it, versus the placement of things.
“Then it was a two-day studio session. On the first day, we laid down the tracks and recorded every part that fit the vision we had for the song. Then the second day, was the vocals, which was a half-day process of me singing the same song on repeat, with some changes in inflections and articulation of my words. Then we dove into the individual sections of the song to get the most out of it.
“I’m pleased with the way it has all come together and Spin should be out in the very near future,” said Ryder.”
Summer is going to prove to be a busy one for Ryder and he has a schedule packed with gigs and performances all over, from Manitoba and back into Alberta.
“We’ve got a busy summer coming up,” said Ryder. “Fortunately, I’ve had lots of opportunities here in Calgary, but I look forward to going back home. We have a long list of summer performances back home playing festivals, such as Dauphin Countryfest, as well as some rodeos and festivals. Then we will travel back to Calgary for the Stampede. Dad will get to take the stage with me at the Calgary Stampede, so this is the first gig that I’ve booked for him.”

There is a newer form of art that has gained a lot of popularity lately and is becoming a favourite pastime for some art enthusiasts in the Valley.  Diamond art, also known as crystal art, is the process of creating a picture using tiny resin rhinestones that resemble diamonds, on a pre-printed design or photo, resulting in a mosaic-looking piece of art.
Valley resident Ron Legall has become a diamond art enthusiast and enjoys this new hobby that allows him to create some stunning works of art.  When Legall first tried diamond art, he didn’t have the patience, but after recovering from an injury, he tried it again and fell in love with it.
“I started a while back, but I wasn’t interested in it then,” said Legall.  “I was trying to do them too fast.  Then I broke my arm last year on Valentine’s Day, and my sister bought me a bunch of different ones to do to keep me busy while I was healing.  It was then that I learned to take my time and how to do diamond art the right way.  I had to slow down and take my time with them; you just can’t rush yourself to finish them.”
Legall was fortunate to have a local business help foster his interest in diamond art by helping him choose pieces to work on.  He has completed a few pieces that include some gnomes and wolves.
“The Swan River Dollar and Gift Store is getting more diamond art pieces in June,” said Legall.  “There are some other wolf ones and a few other ones I’m kind of interested in.  I get all my diamond art projects there and they are very helpful when it comes to assisting me in picking out some.  They will order them in for me and have offered to let me look at their ordering books for diamond art and I could pick whatever ones I wanted them to order in for me.
“The lady at the Swan River Dollar and Gift Store has been a big help.  When I finished the one of the wolf, she said it was very beautifully done and that the lion one would be too when it’s finished, since both of those pieces have a lot of detail to them.
“I have plans to do a few more,” said Legall.  “I just bought a turtle, owl, and a lion one.  I’m saving the lion one for in the winter because there is a lot more work to that one and it will take me quite a bit of time to get it done.”
When it comes to deciding which diamond art piece is his favourite that he completed, Legall is undecided.  He likes the more challenging pieces, especially the ones that are up close of animals, for there is a lot more detail to those diamond art projects.
“There was another wolf diamond art that I did that is different from the one on display at the library and I sold it,” said Legall.  “I think my favourite one will be the lion when I am done with it.  I’m really looking forward to working on it and seeing what it looks like when it’s finished.  I also like the wolf one that is on display at the library right now.
“Now when I’m looking for a diamond art project, I like to pick the harder ones that have more detail to them.  Most of the difficult ones are of animals.”
Although diamond art can be intricate and detailed, Legall still finds it a very relaxing and good way to pass the time.  He can’t stress enough that to have a diamond art project turn out, a person has to take their time and concentrate on what they are doing.
“I find it very relaxing to do diamond art and it helps me unwind,” said Legall.  “It also helps to pass the time.
“It takes me about a month to do one of the detailed ones, like the wolf.  I had to take my time with it so it would turn out.  For some people, it may only take them a week to do it, but I still work my job and work on these in the evening or on weekends during my spare time.  I try to work on them for an hour or two each night.
“When people ask me about doing diamond art, I tell them don’t rush yourself,” said Legall.  “I also suggest that they start by doing small ones first, before trying the bigger ones.  Those diamond pieces are so small, so you have to slow down and take your time with it.”
Legall has his diamond art projects on display at the North-West Regional Library.  He feels a sense of pride and accomplishment from his efforts with diamond art and hopes to inspire more people to try it.
“This is the first time I have had my diamond art projects on display at the library,” said Legall.  “One of my bosses at the Swan Valley Co-op talked to me about doing this, so I went to the library and talked to them.  They agreed to put my diamond art up on display.  It will be there for about a month.
“I have heard lots of compliments so far about my diamond art, even on Facebook.  The wolf seems to be the one everyone likes the most. 
“I think there are lots of people in the Valley doing diamond art already, but maybe my story will encourage more people to try it out,” said Legall.  “The staff at the Swan River Dollar and Gift Store have told me that lots of people go there to buy diamond art kits, so there must be a fair bit of interest in them.”