By Chris Spiewak
CHRIS SPIEWAK
Clarence Clemons’ youngest son Jarod Clemons with Kyle Ward just before their show at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.
It has been said through the years that everyone is good at something, no matter how small or great the skill. Those who possess a high level of motivation frequently become quite proficient at their craft or crafts.
Music was always a great love for Kyle Ward of Rumson, but to become proficient in performing, songwriting, producing, recording, engineering, film score composition and music instruction is quite impressive to say the least. Just 25 years old, Ward is accumulating a wealth of experience in all facets of music to fuel his growing business.
Ward officially broke onto the scene in 2013 as founding member of Ardvark Smile. This band was not just another high school garage band; these teenagers won the prestigious Stone Pony Rock to the Top competition over 100 other bands. It was about this time that Ward began to write music as well as hone his exceptional skills on the guitar (a young Eddie Van Halen comes to mind).
When the band members went their separate ways, he continued performing with the likes of Sam Sims, Scott Elk and Aaron Manzo. Time soon came for college and the decision was made to attend the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston. Armed with talent and performing experience, Ward decided to expand his perspectives and entered the Contemporary Writing and Production program. The four-year experience at Berklee was eye-opening for him; he graduated with his degree and a much broader sense of where he wanted to go with music.
Frustrated by the process of trying to find employment with knowledge but little experience, he agreed to a vacation to Spain with his parents, Hugh and Lynne Ward, photographer for The Two River Times People page. This trip would ultimately change his life and forward his career to new heights.
While in Spain, Ward was able to attend a seminar given by legendary recording engineer and five-time Grammy Award winner Chris Lord-Alge. Lord-Alge has worked with James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Carly Simon and Bruce Springsteen. Afterward, he was surprised the lesson wasn’t all about music recording and engineering. This seminar was mostly about entrepreneurship and creating a home studio. Experiencing a “light bulb” moment, as he said, he decided that creating his own studio was the route that would best suit him. Within hours of exiting the seminar, Ward was on Facebook and Insta- gram promoting his soon-to-be-built studio although he was thousands of miles away from home. This young man was on a mission.
Kyle Ward Productions was born and is running strong in 2021. The pandemic slowed growth slightly, but sessions are now back to normal. Ward provides almost any music service that a client might need. If a writer has lyrics and needs music, he’ll offer several melodies. If a band has completed songs but needs a producer to make them sound the best, he’ll suggest different arrangements. If a band or individual has material but needs guitar and/or bass/ drums/keyboards added, Ward, adept on all of these instruments, can easily and professionally sit in. Ward can identify and adapt to almost any studio situation that presents itself. His open-minded approach allows him to make solid suggestions to an artist or band based on his ever-increasing level of experience and expertise.
A self-proclaimed “gear geek,” he has much of the latest and greatest digital recording gear next to his console. With good friend and frequent collaborator Dave Stefanic (of local group The Ruckus) there is little that the two can’t handle. Successful artists like Pam McCoy, Nancy Ryan, Christina Alexandra and Jarod Clemons are just part of the growing list of KWP clients.
Further branching out, Ward recently worked on his first motion picture as a songwriter and music advisor. The movie “Rushed” will premiere later this month, written by and starring Siobhan Fallon Hogan. In fact, Ward’s song “Barbara’s Theme” from the movie won the award for “Best Score from a Home-Grown Feature Film Thriller” at the Garden State Film Festival earlier this year. His next film, this time with the role of music composer, will start shooting later this year in upstate New York.
Not to sound cliché, but the sky is indeed the limit for Mr. Kyle Ward. This versatile musician is driven, passionate and genuinely eager to help his clients in any way that he can. Visit his page on Facebook for upcoming gigs and kylewardproductions.com.
Chris Spiewak is a 40-year veteran of the Shore music scene.
This article originally appeared in the Aug. 12, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
