Michael Ryan played contra bass with the Dynamics junior drum and bugle corps in Oradell, NJ from 1971 to 1975, then joined the Hawthorne Caballeros and has been playing contra bass with them ever since. He has been a member of the Caballeros’ advisory group from its inception in 1999. He is one of the founders and an officer of the MAIN Color Guard Association. He instructed a number of high school bands in New Jersey from 1981 through the mid-1990s. He has been director of the Parsippany Patriots color guard from 1981 to 1987 and assistant director of the Parsippany Hills High School band since 1991. He has also been director of the Innuendo Color Guard since 1991. Color guards he has taught have been regular Winter Guard International (WGI) finalists and division champions in other contest circuits.
