Band Bio


Kidz At Play

Kidz At Play are a band formed purely on the belief and the love of music. The band started in the summer 2001 shortly after Kevin Ryan (guitar) bought a guitar from Tulsa great Dave Perceful and formed alliance with Michael Philips who had also recently purchased his instrument of choice, a drumset. They music often consisting of no more than three chords or a simple drumbeat. After jamming extensively for about sixth months Nick Earle came into play, playing bass and drums with Kevin and Michael, those combination whose like nothing any of the three of them had ever been apart of and the chemistry was very good. Through the next sixth months Michael and Kevins musical abilities grew as Kevin often watched Dave Perceful tear up his guitar with Kevins dad Sean Ryan on the drumset with Kettle of Fish and Kevins musical influences grew as listening to a broader range of bands and going to concerts with Michael and Nick Earle. Kevin learned loads of chords and how to solo. Meanwhile Michael was gaining influence from his brothers band Twenty-4-Seven (now AfterEight) and he too expanded extensively watching complicated beats preformed by Jason Barrow and Jay Caudle and got great every day. Nick Earle left to form a band of his own with Jake Jones on guitar and Mike Sexton on Bass. By now Kevin had joined the school jazz band where he learned hundreds of jazz chords and gained a funkier aspect to the guitar. Michael and Kevin jammed for about six months and gained a sort of telepathy through their playing, with one look while they were playing they new what the other meant and understand each other very well and then on a dreary July afternoon a little fellow by the name of Zach Lay stomped by Michael house one afternoon when he Kevin we practicing and told them he was getting a bass. When he got the bass all three of them played together for the first time, they had a new bass player. Kevin left America for Ireland for four weeks visiting his family and many musicians how influenced him deeply and opened up his writing abilities unimaginably. All he had was an acoustic so now his acoustic skills grew also. Back in America Michael got amazingly better, learning double kick bass with one foot and rolls were nearly perfected while Zach had gotten better at bass learning very quickly. Kevin came back to America. Now they needed a name, for weeks they thought and thought then finally one day as all three of the rode bikes to the park Michael said Kidz at play as we passed a road sign, now they had a name. They practiced extensively making one original, Batman. By this time school was back in swing and Michael had progressed so much farther gaining loads of drum fills and learning loads of songs .Yet another musical influence came to Kevin, marching band. He learned vibes, xylophone, snare, bass drum, and baritone. While zach got better each day at bass learning how to work around guitar and add bass fills. As school went by the played gigs at Michael and Kevins houses gaining a small audience. Kevin wrote most all of there originals in this timespan and just moved them to the backburner they had a talent show to get ready for. The boys were asked by the drama teacher to Host the show along with play in it. When the Talent show arrived they hosted the show with their humorous skits and played "First Date" by Blink 182. They lost. But they came out with a drive to perfect their originals and grow stronger together. Kevin wrote and perfected the lyrics to seven songs and Zach wrote and perfected two. Now Kidz at Play were playing a lot, selling t-shirts and got this website. They are planning to enter the studio at the latest by spring break but is planned to happen within a month then they will start on a video or two.

Random Info
-Kevin-
Biggest Musical Influence: Well.. I have a lot but most of all, my dad, but outside the family would be Ben Folds, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Tom Delonge, Chris Carraba, Jim Adkins, Dave Percibul and any other guitarist who loves to play for the passion not to get famous.

Favorite Clothing: Atticus, Famous, Loserkids, and Pony. or anything that no one else is trying or believe it or not anything comfortable

Hobbies: Guitar, Bass, Piano, at home and baritone, trumpet, and percussion in school band. Watching movies, getting rejected by girls, acting, and eating pizza

Equipment: Fender guitars, Dunlop picks (The one and only brand anyone should use. Sorry inside joke) Fender strings, Marshall amplification, and a Shure Beta 58 microphone.


Zach-Coming Soon!


Michael-Pearl Drums, Zildjian & Paiste Cymbals, Tama Hardware, Remo Heads, and Pro Mark Sticks.