20 questions
1. What is your full name?
Sherry Lynn Ryan.
2. Where and when were you born?
I was born in St. John’s on June 9.
3. Where do you live today?
I live in the Churchill Square area (of St. John’s).
4. What’s your favourite place in the world?
I’m gonna say I’m still on the hunt for that (laughs). I definitely love the places I’ve been down south — Mexico and Cuba. I want to explore that a bit more.
5. Who do you follow on social media?
I try to avoid it ... Mostly what I do there is interact and promote friends. I love (Newfoundland percussionist) Curtis Andrews’ posts. He’s got some great stuff that he’s doing in B.C.
6 . What would people be surprised to learn about you?
That I’ve taught yoga for the last 20 years.
7 . What’s been your favourite year and why? The year I put out my first record (2005). I’d moved home to Newfoundland that year and put out my first album and toured the Yukon.
8 . What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Depression ... I’ve gone through a couple of significant (bouts), and everything through every day is just hard. Living life is hard in those times.
9 . Can you describe one experience that changed your life?
My one-month yoga teacher training. I did that at the Omega Institute (for Holistic Studies) in New York state in 2000 ... Retreating for a month really brought a whole bunch of clarity and calmness and feeling inside that when I just think back, it’s unforgettable.
10 . What’s your greatest indulgence?
Probably going to a drivethru late in the evening (laughs).
11 . What is your favourite movie or book?
There’s one that I remember having such an impact on me. “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” by Barbara Kingsolver. It’s about a year of growing your own food and eating all local food, just trying to be self-sufficient for a year. Moving from Arizona, or somewhere where it wasn’t great (for growing) because you had to do lots of irrigation, to Virginia, where farming was much easier. It was a cool year to follow.
12 . How do you like to relax?
I find it very relaxing when I’m just sitting down with a bunch of musicians, just having a fun jam. That’s my idea of the really best way to take my mind off things.
13 . What are you reading or watching right now?
I’m reading a book called “What We Say Matters: Practicing Nonviolent Communication” by Judith Hanson Lasater and Ike Lasater.
14. What is your greatest fear?
Growing older and looking back and regretting not doing things that I want to do. Especially with following a career in the arts.
15 . How would you best describe your personal fashion sense?
I just think my fashion is very simple and casual. When I’m on stage, I make sure I’m dressed up a bit. But I keep it pretty simple and casual.
16 . If you were singing karaoke, what would be your song?
“The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known)” by Juice Newton.
17. What do you treasure the most?
I have a family piano ... I’ve been playing that since I was five.
18 . What three people would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Lucinda Williams, John Prine (both singer-songwriters) and (Irish musician) Dessie O’halloran.
19 . If you didn’t take this career path, what would you have chosen?
I would say something in the healing arts. I would think about body work — massage or (as an) osteopath helping people with chronic pain.
20 . What physical or personality trait are you most grateful to a parent for?
I would say my mom is a great singer, and she loves to sing. She really opened me up to that growing up, and I’m really grateful, so grateful, for that.