Ray Lynch
Encyclopedia
Raymond "Ray" Lynch is a classically trained guitarist and lutenist. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
to a musical and artistic family. His mother was a classical pianist and watercolor artist. At age 6, Lynch began studying the piano until age 12, where he was inspired by the music of Andres Segovia
’s classical recordings and decided to pursue a career in music. He attended both St. Stephen's Episcopal School
as well as Austin High School
in Austin, Texas
, then attended the main campus of University of Texas for one year before moving to Barcelona, Spain where he apprenticed to the classical guitar teacher, Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, for three years. Leaving Spain, Lynch then returned to the University of Texas where he studied music composition. While at college Lynch was invited to New York City
to join The Renaissance Quartet where he performed the classical guitar
and lute
for several years.
In the early days of his musical career, Lynch was an unknown classically trained guitarist and lutenist who began writing instrumental recordings that blended classical and electronic components into melodic soundscapes. His debut album, The Sky of Mind
(1983) artfully meshed his early classical music training with spatial melodies, and the album became an underground success. When Lynch released his second album Deep Breakfast
(1984), he and his wife Kathleen sold over 50,000 albums out of their small apartment in San Rafael, California
before licensing the music to a distributor. Deep Breakfast
has sold over 1 million copies without the benefit of performing, and was the first independently released album to be certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.
Lynch’s third album No Blue Thing
(1989) won two Billboard Awards, and in 1993, Lynch followed up with his fourth album, the classical Nothing Above My Shoulders but the Evening
featuring members of the San Francisco Symphony
. Lynch’s fifth and most recent album, Ray Lynch: Best Of, Volume One
(1998) is a retrospective of his work and includes three new music tracks.
, featuring selected pieces. The book presents each piece in standard notation for both hands, and also features a short interview.
, metrology
, and geodesy
and the meaning of precession in ancient mythology
.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
to a musical and artistic family. His mother was a classical pianist and watercolor artist. At age 6, Lynch began studying the piano until age 12, where he was inspired by the music of Andres Segovia
Andrés Segovia
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...
’s classical recordings and decided to pursue a career in music. He attended both St. Stephen's Episcopal School
St. Stephen's Episcopal School, Austin, Texas
St. Stephen's Episcopal School is a private diocesan Episcopal boarding and day school in Austin, Texas. Enrollment is approximately 665, with roughly 460 in Grades 9–12 and 205 in Grades 6–8. Its campus overlooking Lake Austin is spread over of the Texas Hill Country.-History:Bishop John E. Hines...
as well as Austin High School
Austin High School (Austin, Texas)
Stephen F. Austin High School, or more commonly Austin High, founded in 1881, is one of the oldest public high schools west of the Mississippi River, and was the first public high school in the state of Texas....
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, then attended the main campus of University of Texas for one year before moving to Barcelona, Spain where he apprenticed to the classical guitar teacher, Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, for three years. Leaving Spain, Lynch then returned to the University of Texas where he studied music composition. While at college Lynch was invited to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to join The Renaissance Quartet where he performed the classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
and lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
for several years.
In the early days of his musical career, Lynch was an unknown classically trained guitarist and lutenist who began writing instrumental recordings that blended classical and electronic components into melodic soundscapes. His debut album, The Sky of Mind
The Sky of Mind
-Track listing:# "Quandra" – 9:17# "Good News" – 6:23# "The Temple" – 8:04# "Too Wounded" – 9:05# "Pavane" – 6:50# "Green Is Here" – 5:45-Personnel:* Ray Lynch – keyboards, piano and guitar* Van Thanh Nguyen – Tibetan bells* Beverly Jacobs – flute...
(1983) artfully meshed his early classical music training with spatial melodies, and the album became an underground success. When Lynch released his second album Deep Breakfast
Deep Breakfast
Deep Breakfast is Ray Lynch’s second album and was releasedin 1984. It is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.-Track listing:# "Celestial Soda Pop" – 4:37 # "The Oh of Pleasure" – 5:18 ...
(1984), he and his wife Kathleen sold over 50,000 albums out of their small apartment in San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
before licensing the music to a distributor. Deep Breakfast
Deep Breakfast
Deep Breakfast is Ray Lynch’s second album and was releasedin 1984. It is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.-Track listing:# "Celestial Soda Pop" – 4:37 # "The Oh of Pleasure" – 5:18 ...
has sold over 1 million copies without the benefit of performing, and was the first independently released album to be certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.
Lynch’s third album No Blue Thing
No Blue Thing
No Blue Thing is Ray Lynch’s third album. It won two Billboard Awards-Track listing:# "No Blue Thing" – 5:35# "Clouds Below Your Knees" – 4:40# "Here & Never Found" – 4:44# "Drifted in a Deeper Land" – 7:22# "Homeward at Last" – 3:38...
(1989) won two Billboard Awards, and in 1993, Lynch followed up with his fourth album, the classical Nothing Above My Shoulders but the Evening
Nothing Above My Shoulders but the Evening
Nothing Above My Shoulders but the Evening is Ray Lynch’s fourth albumand features members of The San Francisco Symphony.-Track listing:# "Over Easy" – 4:47# "Her Knees Deep in Your Mind" – 6:15# "Passion Song" – 5:22# "Ivory" – 5:34...
featuring members of the San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
. Lynch’s fifth and most recent album, Ray Lynch: Best Of, Volume One
Ray Lynch: Best Of, Volume One
Ray Lynch: Best Of, Volume One is Ray Lynch's fifth album and includes three new music tracks. All tracks have been digitally remastered.-Track listing:# "Ralph’s Rhapsody" – 4:43# "The Music of What Happens" – 4:04# "The Oh of Pleasure" – 5:22...
(1998) is a retrospective of his work and includes three new music tracks.
Discography
- Truth Is The Only Profound (1982)
- The Sky of MindThe Sky of Mind-Track listing:# "Quandra" – 9:17# "Good News" – 6:23# "The Temple" – 8:04# "Too Wounded" – 9:05# "Pavane" – 6:50# "Green Is Here" – 5:45-Personnel:* Ray Lynch – keyboards, piano and guitar* Van Thanh Nguyen – Tibetan bells* Beverly Jacobs – flute...
(1983) - Deep BreakfastDeep BreakfastDeep Breakfast is Ray Lynch’s second album and was releasedin 1984. It is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.-Track listing:# "Celestial Soda Pop" – 4:37 # "The Oh of Pleasure" – 5:18 ...
(1984) - No Blue ThingNo Blue ThingNo Blue Thing is Ray Lynch’s third album. It won two Billboard Awards-Track listing:# "No Blue Thing" – 5:35# "Clouds Below Your Knees" – 4:40# "Here & Never Found" – 4:44# "Drifted in a Deeper Land" – 7:22# "Homeward at Last" – 3:38...
(1989) - Nothing Above My Shoulders but the EveningNothing Above My Shoulders but the EveningNothing Above My Shoulders but the Evening is Ray Lynch’s fourth albumand features members of The San Francisco Symphony.-Track listing:# "Over Easy" – 4:47# "Her Knees Deep in Your Mind" – 6:15# "Passion Song" – 5:22# "Ivory" – 5:34...
(1993) - Ray Lynch: Best Of, Volume OneRay Lynch: Best Of, Volume OneRay Lynch: Best Of, Volume One is Ray Lynch's fifth album and includes three new music tracks. All tracks have been digitally remastered.-Track listing:# "Ralph’s Rhapsody" – 4:43# "The Music of What Happens" – 4:04# "The Oh of Pleasure" – 5:22...
(1998)
Sheet music
Lynch has produced a piano anthology, Ray Lynch AnthologyRay Lynch Anthology
Ray Lynch Anthology is a compilation of sheet music for piano, featuring selected pieces from the albums of Ray Lynch. The book presents each piece in standard notation for both hands, and also features a short interview...
, featuring selected pieces. The book presents each piece in standard notation for both hands, and also features a short interview.
Recent work
Under his given name of Raymond Lynch, Lynch is currently at work on a book that is an enquiry into number and the foundations of mathematics, music tuning theory, cosmologiesCosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, metrology
Metrology
Metrology is the science of measurement. Metrology includes all theoretical and practical aspects of measurement. The word comes from Greek μέτρον , "measure" + "λόγος" , amongst others meaning "speech, oration, discourse, quote, study, calculation, reason"...
, and geodesy
Geodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
and the meaning of precession in ancient mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
.