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Writer's pictureIan Fay

What Genre Am I?

Updated: Jan 28, 2023

Rock N Roll…Country…Broadway…Reggae…Hip Hop…Ska…Folk……



How do you create as an artist in only one genre of music now a days? Listening to Hip Hop and R&B as a youth, the single genre that many artists performed under fit perfectly into that box. For example Brandy or Nelly performed successful in said categories. Names that came to be associated to other genres are Sister Rosetta Thorpe for Rock N Roll, Dolly Parton for Country, Bob Marley for Reggae and Ian D Fay for…


Growing up a broadway baby, I love shows such as Chicago, Les Miserables and most currently Girl From the North Country, if you can’t already tell my love for Broadway has extended through my entire life. The excitement of the music, passion, and lights all draw my soul to the theatre. Through family tradition, at this point, my heart has continued to yearn for broadway without forgetting other genres that attract me such as hip hop and R&B/Blues, who can forget artists such as Jay Z, Buddy Guy or Chuck Berry? They come to mind as they charmed their way into the homes and hearts of America during their reign. Not to forget the greats in folk and country such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton, all adhering to classic music genres while infusing their talent for adding traditional gospel melodic twists. Opening up my inner thoughts to the notion that maybe there is more than one sound or musical influence that has led me to tapping further into thought-provoking artists such as the legendary Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh because where would music be without them…not only are they known for their lyrics but the inspirational sounds of these artists reenergizes our daily fight for justice and world peace. Of course I can’t leave out a bit of Sublime to round out the Ska music sound that is oh so Heady!


So what genre am I? Have you guessed it by know or have you labeled me to a certain category? Did you chose by the poems lyrics, the choice of inspirational artists that shaped me or have you listened to my self-titled album Ian D Fay to to draw a conclusion about the color of my box?


Rambling around about town

with a Saddle on his back

the rope is tied like knotty dread

with a Song he never lack

Rambling around about town

just a yodel yodeling

with a sling goes flashing and Chicago he’s now in

Ska Ska at Folk

Rock N Rolling

Rambling around about town

with the Country at his back


With the poem above, have I now invited you into the box I have created? Is it a box or a strange loop that keeps creativity flowing, in a way that ensures my genre to be a continuum. But what genre am I? As we have heard before there is nothing new under the sun so I won’t say that I created a new genre for the type of music I play. My style of music invites the community to judge it, interpret it and open dialogue to question my inner thoughts as I aspire to not create my art for arts sake but rather as the creator of an album that moves from me to you. As we are all here to share a message and mine is of love, hope and fighting the good fight. So I am not a genre of music but His adorning light.


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