Washington, D.C. -- After nearly 16 years as the lead male vocalist for Max Impact, Senior Master Sgt. Ryan Carson is leaving the rock band. Regular fans will now find his iconic, familiar face leading the Singing Sergeants as he assumes the role of superintendent of the mixed choir.
No stranger to the classical realm, Sgt. Carson received his bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Wyoming where he studied classical, jazz, Broadway and choral repertoire. Fans of Max Impact might be surprised to know that Carson was originally hired as a tenor vocalist for the Singing Sergeants in 1999, where he served for nearly 3 years before assuming the role as lead male vocalist in the rock band in 2001.
The change in personnel and leadership comes as the previous superintendent, Senior Master Sgt. Robert Harrelson, recently retired after 20 years in the Singing Sergeants. As the leader of Max Impact for the past 7 years, the shift in roles will be seamless, though not without it’s own challenges.
"Change is what makes us better," shared Carson. "As one of my mentors always says, ‘time in a situation erodes your awareness of the situation.’”
“With that in mind, as I jump into this new role, I gladly accept the challenge of finding new and innovative ways to take this amazing team of professionals to the next level!" continued Carson. "I will miss Max Impact greatly, but I am beyond ecstatic and humbled to shift my vision and focus to the Singing Sergeants. I’m excited to watch how Max Impact will continue to develop and reach today’s Airmen."
The body of work left by Carson with Max Impact is something to behold. With over 1,200 live performances at venues around the world, five deployments overseas, six original music videos, nearly a dozen recordings and a recent release of their first-ever CD this month, Carson’s absence will leave a noticeable vacancy within the premier rock band of the United States Air Force.
While the band will miss Ryan’s energy and dynamic personality on stage, they are hopeful for the future as the national search begins to find his replacement. The guitarist and new superintendent, Senior Master Sgt. Matt Ascione had this to say, “Senior Master Sgt. Carson has been such a large part of our flight for so many years and will be missed greatly by not only Max Impact, but by our fans as well.”
Ascione continued, “With that being said, we are excited about our future as we head out on the road to find the next lead male singer for the Air Force's premier rock band. It's amazing to think that there is someone out there right now who doesn't even know yet that they will be joining our band and the United States Air Force, representing the amazing Airmen stationed all over the globe.”
The Singing Sergeants welcome Sgt. Carson back to the ensemble and look forward to his dynamic performances and phenomenal leadership.
Be sure to check our events calendar here to see upcoming performance from Max Impact, the Singing Sergeants, and all of our ensembles.