Thanks MCA

On Friday Adam Yauch, AKA MCA of The Beastie Boys, passed away at 47, of cancer. I don’t need to eulogize too much, because there are already some great tributes out there, like this in the LA Times, this from the Beastie Boys website, and Nathan Rabin’s piece on the A.V. Club. And many more besides; everybody was a fan of the Beastie Boys. Even a grieving China has freed Tibet, following news of his death.

But I do I just want to say that MCA taught me to fight for my right to party when I was young and needed to learn that, or needed a musical outlet to listen to. Then, later on, he showed me how to grow up and be a grown-up, without ever losing that spirit of fun and creativity and messing around. What an inspiration. Thank you.

I do some rapping occasionally, which I can fairly confidently say I wouldn’t ever have dreamt of, or actually stepped up to do, if not for the Beastie Boys. There are probably more than a few fun-loving white guy rappers out there who would say the same thing. Listen to the See Spot Rhyme song Tight & Funky and see if you can spot the Beasties influence (hint: you can).

Six years ago I had the chance to say thanks to him in person. At the time I wrote: I hope he understood all the subtext; that the “thanks” was really for providing me with many a track on the soundtrack to my life and a lot to look up to in my formative years.

Mostly, I just want to say thanks again.

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:47+00:00May 6 2012|

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Pedro, Lisbon

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Carrie, Brussels

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Alon, Tel Aviv

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Laura, Amsterdam

“Thank you for your positive spirit, energy and creativity. Your public speaking sessions really helped me feel more comfortable standing in front of a group of people.”

Serena, Amsterdam

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Anonymous, Switzerland

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Marton, Budapest

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Elsa, Lisbon

“I’ve benefitted immensely from this journey which I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about themselves in a fun, immersive way.”

Simon, Amsterdam

“Ryan seemed to know just what to do to get the best from everyone. I would jump at the opportunity to do another workshop led by him.”

Calum, Brighton

“Absolutely brilliant! Exceptional work!”

Anonymous, Impro Hotel

“Ryan is the most enthusiastic, positive workshop leader I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I’ve been to several of his workshops and after each session I came away with a sense of achievement and feeling that I had learnt something new.”

Chris, London

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Martin, Tampere

“Ryan’s coaching sessions really improved my public speaking skills and made my presentations much more interesting for my audience.”

Furio S., Berlin

“Thank you so much for passing your writing knowledge onto me. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun too.”

Larissa, Amsterdam,

“Ryan’s improv workshop is incredibly fun but also ruthlessly effective. Participants are taught to drop their inhibitions, let their imagination flow and and embrace the positive attitude at the heart of improv. They are also treated to Ryan’s personal blend of enthusiasm, wit and generosity.”

Jeremy, Brussels

“Ryan is a natural at teaching and you get the feeling he puts his heart and soul into helping others. I look forward to doing more workshops with Ryan.”

Shauna, Tunbridge Wells

“As a coach Ryan’s ability to zone in and identify the main agenda for each sessions was amazing. His coaching helped me reflect, make decisions and make positive changes in my business.”

Tracy, Dublin

Thanks MCA

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Thanks MCA

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