Ian Byrd

It's Ian Byrd's homepage

I’m Ian Byrd. I work in education, focusing on students who are already ready to learn beyond their grade-level.

Here’s what I’m up to now:

  • Interested in how to work with students who already get it? I’ve been writing about that at Byrdseed.com since 2009.
  • Want made-for-you video lessons that will get your kids’ brains sweating? Visit Byrdseed.TV. It’s my life’s work!
  • Would you like a mailer (mostly) every Friday with five links to curiosity-provoking images and videos? Check out Puzzlements.co.

Old Music

Before becoming a teacher, I played a lot of music! Here are some songs I recorded with my pal/roommate Erik back in 2004-2005. We were called Yellow is a Lemon.

Ian Byrd and Erik Larson

Erik wrote the songs, sang, and played guitar and various other instruments. I played bass, lead guitar, and programmed the drums. We probably split keyboards, maracas, and tambourines evenly. Everything was recorded in our cheap little apartment. We burned CDs one at a time and I printed labels from my ink jet printer. We even had a way for people to buy MP3s!

This song is called “Sun Out Of Style” and I love Erik’s backing vocals. I’m pretty sure Erik played bass on this one. The guitar solo is in a different key and I don’t remember why! I love the drum fill around 2:00. I’m pretty sure that was inspired by a Beatles song. Lots of stereo panning and reverse effects on this one.

This one is “Secret Mind” and I love the tom fill before the chorus – but hate the cymbal crashes in the chorus. The open hi-hat after the chorus is a nice touch, young Ian. The piano in the second verse was done in one take and I remember feeling like I had lost the key, but it worked out! The guitar solo has some backwards effect on it. I think I reversed the recording, added reverb, and then re-reversed it so the guitar is normal but the reverb is backwards. 🤷‍♂️ Can you tell we were into The Beatles’ Revolver?

This is “The Crow” and was the first song we recorded. I used every effect my amp had on the lead guitar part. I think this is the only song we did that had electronic-sounding drums. This was recorded on an older mic which we eventually replaced. We never re-recorded the vocals or acoustic guitar because we thought the cheaper mic sounded right for the song.

This is “Relay.” Erik and I played this live on two acoustic guitars for many years before recording it. We wrote a new chorus and the old chorus became the pre-chorus. I ended up adding timpani, tubular bells, and string parts to try to make the new chorus even bigger than the old chorus. Fun reversed sounds, bass playing harmony to the vocals, and completely impossible drum parts.

Earlier, Ian-Only Music

Wait. What’s that? You’d like to hear 24-year-old Ian’s take on Nelly’s 2002 hit Hot In Herre? Ok! This one’s all me. Recorded in the garage of a house I was living in. This was my experiment to learn how to use ProTools. I did not know the importance of a click track yet. I recorded the drums last! Why!?

Yes, I did a version of Britney Spear’s Toxic, too. Do not be impressed with the piano playing! The left hand and right hand were separate takes. I made liberal use of my roommate’s china cymbal.