Ted Lasso is one of Apple TV+’s biggest hits, and Ryan Kennedy gets to see each episode before it airs. The Recording Arts grad works as a Re-Recording Mixer at Warner Bros. Entertainment (which co-produces the show), and he puts the finishing touches on the show’s audio track before it appears on your TV screen. Ryan’s lifelong love of sound and his degree from Full Sail brought him to where he is today.

Ryan grew up in the Midwest, where he spent lots of time playing guitar, bass, and saxophone in different bands. He wasn’t sure what type of career he wanted to pursue after high school, but he kept coming back to his love of music. A friend told him about Full Sail, and Ryan joined the Recording Arts program to sharpen his audio skills. The degree program helped him get started in the music industry right after he graduated.

Ryan’s recording studio career path followed a traditional trajectory from intern to runner to second engineer to house engineer, but he struggled to maintain a steady roster of well-paying clients after the Great Recession. He started looking at post-production work to supplement his income and gradually forged a new audio production path in the television industry. After a few years of juggling freelance music clients and new work in television, he snared a staff position as a Re-Recording Mixer at Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Ryan’s worked on some big hits during his time at Warner Bros., including reboots of All That and Murphy Brown, High School Musical: The Musical — The Series, and the Emmy-winning Ted Lasso. He says that Ted Lasso has been the highlight of his career so far.

“I mean, the very first episode we saw last year, it was just like, ‘man.’ My mixing partner and I just kind of looked at each other and said, ‘We have something really special with this.’ And once it finally came out, and seeing the response that it's gotten, it's just been overwhelming and really nice,” Ryan says.

Ryan’s got a good reason to be proud of Ted Lasso’s success: As a Re-Recording Mixer, he is one of the last people that touches the show’s audio track before it airs.

“I receive the elements from all the pre-lay editors who build their portions of the show, whether it be dialogue, foley, or group, which is live recorded sounds in the background,” he explains. “And then all these elements are delivered to me and my co-mixer, who handles the effects and backgrounds that are built by the pre-lay editors. And then we bring all these materials and elements together and give it the final mix that is aired on TV.”

Stretching those technical muscles is one of Ryan’s favorite parts of his job.

“I'm just an audio nerd. I love EQing sound. I am fascinated with it. I love when something comes over a little messed up and I make it crystal clear. It's a really cool thing for me. I've always enjoyed handling audio, and it's always been a passion,” he says.

Ryan’s excited to see what happens next for him at Warner Bros., and he thinks other Full Sail students can find careers that spark their passion with a little determination and kindness.

“I think the trick is, don’t stop no matter what. There are ups and downs, and lots of them, and I'm going to have many downs to come, I'm sure. But just to keep doing it. And never burn a bridge. Everyone knows everyone, in one capacity or another.”