After graduating from North Haven High School, Ronnie Neuhauser had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. By the time he was in his early 20s, he decided to pursue his passion—music.

“I didn’t get serious until my early to mid-20s and I’ve been motoring ever since,” says Ronnie. “It’s about finding yourself in life and what you want to do. There was nothing else out there that I really wanted to put my passion into.”

It hasn’t always been an easy road, especially in the beginning when Ronnie worked a full-time job and would devote his evenings and weekends to his music.

“I’d work all day and then be doing this [music] until 2 in the morning,” says Ronnie, who has lived in East Haven for the past 19 years. “I’ve really had to work for it and it’s been interesting.”

The hard work has paid off as Ronnie now is involved in three musical projects and has had more than 20 CD and DVD releases with 10 more releases in the works. Ronnie, a guitarist and composer, describes his music as “very progressive, eclectic, social, and outside of the mainstream.”

While growing up in North Haven, Ronnie began “messing around” with the guitar in his early teens, remembering listening to songs over and over to learn how to play them. He and his friends formed several small bands.

“We’d pick up the needle like 900 times to figure out a part,” says Ronnie. “I was going by ear, but started to learn theory on my own and developed some of my own. I learned standard theory and how everything functions in music and developed my own, which we use a lot of in our projects.”

In the early 1990s, Ronnie formed Grooveyard with inspiration from funk, rock, and soul. His next band was The Congregation Against Styrocultural Brain Damage, which he notes was more progressive with hints of fusion, free jazz, and avant garde.

Ronnie said those bands were “the seeds for the three projects I have right now.” Styrocultural Antidote, an instrumental project, and Nocheez Orchestra, eclectic music focusing on socio-politcial issues, were founded in 1999. Fe Fi Fo is a project that also explores social issues, though Ronnie says its compositions are more “uplifting.”

Ronnie has met all of his bandmates through the music scene and is thankful for their dedication. Nocheez Orchestra features Fred Melillo on bass, Jeremy Shulick on drums, James Moss on percussions, and Trisha Radil and Jon White as vocalists. Styrocultural Antidote is a trio featuring Ronnie, Melillo, and Shulick; while Fe Fi Fo features Ronnie, Melillo, White, and Moss.

“If I were to put a cover band, you can offer money to people so it’s easier to find people, but I was doing music that was eclectic and original,” says Ronnie. “I’ve been incredibly lucky to find dedicated people who are there every week and there for the love of music.”

Ronnie notes that because his music is so eclectic, his bands don’t have as many gigs as a more mainstream band might. He supplements his income by performing as a children’s musician and giving guitar lessons.

Ronnie works with Joe Rosano, known to children as Mr. Joe, and the pair perform music aimed at 6- to 8-year-olds at day care centers, libraries, park and recreation centers, and more. While his true passion is his bands, Ronnie enjoys working with the children and creating pieces they will enjoy. Rosano writes the lyrics and Ronnie composes the songs.

“It’s a nice outlet for me,” says Ronnie. “Mr. Joe’s music is not only entertaining, but also teaches kids—each song is almost like a lesson. It’s fun.”

Ronnie also has several guitar students and has been giving lessons since 2005. He has found that it is a great way to stay involved in music, while still earning a living. He also enjoys interacting with his students, who have skill levels ranging from beginner to advanced.

“When I teach, I try to pass on the passion that I have for being an artist and helping an individual become an artist,” says Ronnie. “When you’re creating art, you’re expressing yourself and have something to offer from your point of view.”

Much of Ronnie’s work is done from his home studio. He has been happy to see the changes and improvements in home studios, but he has also seen big changes in the climate of the music industry over the years.

“Home studios are better than they’ve ever been so the great thing is you can create music, but the difficult part is having the money to really push the project out there because on the Internet, you’re in a sea of artists,” says Ronnie. “In the early ‘90s, the old model of the music industry still existed where you’re building a fan base. Now it’s really collapsed unless you’re a mainstream performer, which I’m not.”

Ronnie admits that following his passion hasn’t always been easy, but he has no plans of quitting. He has several projects in the works. He also credits his wife, Crystal, for her support. Ronnie also encourages others to follow their passions.

“She is really easygoing about it, which is very helpful,” says Ronnie. “Monetarily it certainly has been a rough road, yet artistically it’s been absolutely wonderful. It’s important to find something to do that does make money, but make sure you have time for your passion, too. If you’re going to do something like that, you have to love it.”

For more information, visit nocheez.com.