Ryan Yang’s Unlikely Journey to a Career in Gospel Music
Byline: Daniel Fusch
Moving from Taiwan to the U.S. to break into the music industry isn’t something you hear about every day. Especially not in the world of gospel music, where the career usually starts in church choirs and in the American South. But that’s exactly what Ryan Yang did. Born Lei-En Yang, Ryan moved to the U.S. for school. After the first year of school, he landed an internship that later turned into a real opportunity in Nashville. He officially made the move and hasn’t looked back. “I came here because I got offered a gig with a recording engineer I met during my internship,” he says. “It felt like the right next step. I just wanted to be where the music is happening.”
And now he is right in the middle of it. This year alone, Ryan worked on major gospel projects like Ricky Dillard’s Choirmaster II, Melvin Crispell III’s Covered Vol. 1, Jason Nelson’s You Belong (Live), and SINACH’s Victory Sounds. Those two first ones, Choirmaster II and Covered Vol. 1, earned him Grammy nominations for Best Gospel Album this 2025. Not bad for a guy who was still finishing internships just two years before.
In the studio Ryan Yang shapes how the records feel, clean, dynamic, and full of soul. On stage, he’s the one making sure the show sounds tight, no matter how last-minute the changes get.
“The world of playback moves fast,” Ryan says. “Music directors would come up with new ideas even if it’s almost showtime. You’ve got to be ready to change materials in your setlist, right then and there.”
Ryan has worked on major shows in the U.S., such as one with Adam Blackstone that opened for John Legend’s Christmas show. After soundcheck, Adam wanted to build a reprise for the last track. Ryan had to hustle bouncing files, importing parts, editing on the spot. Then came the oddest request: “Add a baby explosion.”
“I was confused,” Ryan laughs. “He asked me if I knew who 50 Cent was and said, ‘Give it a 50 Cent baby explosion vibe.’ I figured it out with the keyboard player eventually. Although we ended up not using the sound effect, it was still a good time.”
Outside of gospel, Ryan’s also making moves in live music. In 2025, he’s doing shows with Tobe Nwigwe and Orion Sun, both known for genre-blending sounds that require an engineer who can move between styles without blinking.
Ryan Yang is in a business where the smallest details can make or break the moment. That’s why he’s constantly focusing on making sure everything sounds right.
The story of this Taiwanese artist is so dope because of how unexpected it is. He didn’t come up through the typical circles, but somehow, he landed right in the middle of it and made himself essential.