«"I'll always regret it if I don't do it": Army veteran swaps filmmaking for music at 40.

Ryan Curtis thought he knew exactly what he was meant to be. An Army veteran and Massachusetts native who served around the world, as well as a film director and producer, he spent years building a career crafting stories for companies like Oprah, Nike, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Filmmaking had always been his dream. However, music had other plans. Read also: 6 Songs That Will Always Remind America of the Vietnam War «"It was very confusing for me at first," Curtis told We Are The Mighty. "I'd always planned to be a filmmaker. So when music came along and doors started opening, and opportunities started coming from all directions, I had to, so to speak, listen to the universe." While it's an unexpected chapter, its origins lie in the COVID-19 pandemic. The world slowed down, and isolation became the norm. Curtis found something he'd been missing for so long. years : time. He picked up the guitar and began learning to play seriously. What began as practice gradually evolved into songwriting, first, as he jokingly described it, «terrible songs,» and then in collaboration with musician friends Nick Gomez and John Gas. Curtis is a natural storyteller, and he initially began writing songs for a film script about a country singer. However, something changed as he worked. «I truly fell in love with the process,» he explained. «Songwriting is something that touches my soul in a way I’ve never felt before. And it happens so naturally, like nothing else in my life.» The songs poured out, one after another, and the reaction to the music grew too. It was incredible. Friends began pushing him to take music seriously. People he trusted. People who, he said, "would never flatter him" saw something in him before he allowed himself to see it.

(Courtesy of Ryan Curtis)

«It all started with watching people’s reactions to music,» Curtis shared. «It was the kind of reaction you can’t fake. People were completely surprised and amazed. I think other people saw it before I allowed myself to see it.» For Curtis, launching a professional music career at the age of 40 was both exciting and quite daunting. «There are so many doubts and thoughts,» he says. «It’s hard not to think it’s too late or that we’re too old. But honestly, this is what I love, and if I don’t give it my all, I’ll always regret it.» The fear of regret became a driving force during this period of his life. “There were always little things that, looking back, I wish I’d done,” he reflected. “Those things have stuck with me, and I never want to regret not having done anything again.”.

This feeling is well known to many veterans.

Military service often forces people to put certain aspects of their lives on hold, focusing on mission accomplishment, survival, family, and adaptation. Dreams are put on hold. Creativity is stifled by responsibility or the desire to put the mission first, and attempts to change one's life can seem risky, especially in adulthood.

But Curtis believes veterans have unique opportunities to thrive.

«"We serve our country and transition to civilian life much later than most," he says. "But that means you have a life most people can't even imagine. Your experiences are stories worth sharing.".

(Courtesy of Ryan Curtis)

This perspective permeates both his music and the band he forms with John Gas and Victoria Renee Hand, both of whom also come from families connected to the military. Curtis says the military community remains central to both his identity and the stories he hopes to tell through his music.

«When you meet someone who served in the military, you just know,» he says. «Or, like, when my wife meets another military spouse—those are the kind of people we gravitate toward, and those are the kind of people I want my music to resonate with.» Perhaps it’s this emotional honesty that makes this transition so vulnerable. For someone accustomed to filmmaking, where stories are told through cameras, scripts, and production, music feels like a much more open field. «Music is a very vulnerable thing, especially singing,» Curtis says. “I still get nervous before performing, but I love it, and it gets better every time.” We Are The Mighty had the opportunity to preview the music. Some songs are fun, energetic, and have a country charm, while others allow him to perhaps reveal a softer side of himself that’s rarely been shown before.

«I’m such a big idiot, and the military isn’t known for being emotional anyway,» he joked. «But somehow, music helped me let down all my defenses.» Now, after years of writing, recording, and building towards this moment, Curtis is preparing to release his new single and music video—the first major event in his music career, and one he never expected. «It’s been almost five years since I discovered music,» he said. «It’s been my whole life. Now we just hope people like it.» Regardless of what happens next, Curtis seems to have learned what many spend their entire lives trying to learn: sometimes the most important thing you can do is finally allow yourself to go full force and make your dreams come true. “If you really have this burning desire,” he implored, “go for it.” You can follow the RustRiders and Ryan Curtis’s musical journey on their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. .

Content Collapse

1. Don't miss the best moments from the series "We Are The Mighty"!

2. Entertainment

2.1. «"I'll always regret it if I don't do it": Army veteran swaps filmmaking for music at 40.

2.2. In "Nuri," an Afghan Special Operations veteran explores America and the universal bonds that bind special forces soldiers.

2.3. Darius Rucker received the Voice of Veterans Award at the 52nd American Music Awards.

2.4. How his father's time in a Japanese POW camp influenced Bill Nye

2.5. «Pressure is a Normandy landing film unlike any other.

2.6. Interesting to know

Don't miss the best moments from the series "We Are The Mighty"!

• Music doesn't get enough credit for its role in helping veterans cope with PTSD.• It's time to get back to World of Warships and the many new updates coming in 2026. • Darius Rucker received the Voice of Veterans Award at the 52nd American Music Awards.

Entertainment

A still from Ryan Curtis's music video for Rustriders

Entertainment