Ryan “Pie” Andersen
1975–2026
Ryan Andersen — known to almost everyone as Pie — was born in Quebec and grew up across Ontario before his family settled in Barrie, the city he would spend his life loving and building.
A lifelong music fan, Ryan devoted himself to presenting and producing live concerts across Central Ontario, supporting both established performers and emerging artists seeking a stage. He launched the Songwriter Series, which for six years brought singer-songwriters of all genres together in an intimate downtown Barrie setting. He was also a co-founder and producer of the Troubadour Festival, helping to create memorable live music experiences in the heart of his hometown.
Along with partners Chas Hay and Shane Krick, Ryan headed Inside The Music — presenting intimate acoustic concerts that put artists and audiences in the same room in a way that felt genuinely personal.
Over the years, he had the privilege of working with hundreds of artists, including The Skydiggers, Cowboy Junkies, Dwayne Gretzky, Dean Brody, Matt Andersen, Weather Station, Sarah Harmer, Alan Doyle, and Natalie MacMaster.
But the thing people remember most about Ryan wasn’t the lineups he booked or the stages he built. It was the way he showed up for people. He made everyone feel important — whether he’d known them for two minutes or twenty years. He left people better than he found them.
Ryan is survived by his wife and love of over 30 years, Jodi, his beloved daughter Myra, his parents Mark and Violet, his brothers Tom and Jeff, and a wide circle of extended family and dear friends.
The void he leaves behind — truly “Pie-sized” — will be impossible to fill.
If you have the means to do so please consider donating in Ryan’s memory to the Slice of Pie Community.
