Ryan Gallagher, an American singer and fan favorite of "The Voice USA" season 19, is excited for his first major concert in the country dubbed "The Voice of Ryan" at the Music Museum in Greenhills on Feb. 17. Joining Ryan on stage are Martin Nievera, Lara Maigue, and Asia's Acoustic Icon Ice Seguerra.

During a recent interview in Quezon City, Ryan admitted that headlining a concert was nerve-wracking, but he was grateful to have an excellent team.

"It's the first time I'm headlining a concert. It's nerve-wracking a little bit, you know because it's a pressure. I think I wouldn't be really pressured if I didn't have such a good team. 

"They've really made it easy for me to sit back and let them handle a lot of the backend things. It's easy, fun stuff, right? And then obviously, we have a music director. Ivan (Espinosa) is putting together all the songs that he keeps sending me study materials. So it's really they're making it really seamless and easy for me, which is nice," Ryan said.

On what fans could expect during the show, Ryan said: "It's not just classical or standards - there are also eclectic elements like OPM and Queen medleys."

Asked why the concert was held after Valentine's Day, the American singer-composer said: "And the reason I think we did that was because, you know, the Philippines, everybody there's so many shows on Valentine's that we wanted to make sure that nobody was busy. It's because it's my first concert. I'm a little nervous. And I want to fill up the venue. And so I wanted to make sure everybody was done with Valentine's, and then it'll be a proper concert."

Ryan has been traveling to the Philippines for several years and feels a special connection with the locals, especially when he performs on stage. The 35-year-old hunk arrived in December to promote his holiday single, "The Feeling of Christmas."

"I think that's part of their charm. The Filipino's charm is that they're just cheesy enough. So I love the ballads. I love mushy. I love romantic, and I love sadness. I love how romantic and cheesy Filipinos are when it comes to music," he said.

Ryan & Ice

Ryan and Ice also shared simple and fun ways to prepare for a concert. Believe it or not, Ryan turns to karaoke if he has a big show coming.

"I've learned a lot of techniques since I've been here, but rest, and you know, like honey with tea and stuff, but I try not to change too much because I don't want to get my body into this nervous state and where I'm like, Oh, I can't do this. I can't do this. 

"I can't embrace it because I feel like that actually hurts you more, and you feel like it brings your immune system out. So I try to keep it normal. Like this is what we're supposed to do. This is our God-given gift to entertain and perform. 

"So I always say to God, " Okay, God, if you gave me a gift, and this is what I'm supposed to be doing right now, and I know I'm supposed to be doing it, you got to help me out here, right? " 

"And so there's that aspect of it too because it's an offering. I'm just going to sing, and if people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't, but at least I'm just offering it to them. And they can either take it or leave it as long as I have that mentality. And I'm not going into it too nervous. 

"A technique I also learned is practice at KTV. So you get your chops because something happens when you sing every day. Like when I was performing with the Society of Seven guys in Hawaii. I was singing five nights a week on stage, and no matter what time of day after about six months of that show, no matter what time of day it was, I could wake up, and I could sing immediately because my chops were so ready to go. 

"And so that's something I forget about because, like, when something like this is happening, you're talking a lot or going to interviews, but you're not singing that much; you're listening to the music. 

"So it's just singing and then resting for a week. So that's kind of what I'm going to try to do this time and see how it works for me because this is the most songs in a row that I will be singing in a long time. Usually, three to five songs in one show. This is 20 songs all the way through," said Ryan.

Ice voice is one of his assets; to keep it in top form, he must prioritize getting good sleep. Quality sleep helps muscles recover and ensures the vocal cords remain healthy and strong. 

"Sleep lang talaga. Halimbawa, you're doing shows almost every day; sleep is the best medicine," said Ice.

"One time I was sick and I really can't say no dahil may pinirmahan na kaming kontrata. Hindi rin puwedeng mag-cancel. So that's my job. I need to find a way to perform properly. Naitawid naman namin," he added.

Lessons in love

Ryan and Ice discussed the most valuable lessons they learned about love.

"Love will never be enough. Even in a relationship, saying you love someone is easy. It's more than that. It takes hard work and trust," said Ice.

He added: "Love is a feeling. For me, it is much better if you are chosen by that person every day. 'Sometimes, if you've been with someone for a long time...' even my wife tells me, 'Hindi kita ganun ka love today.' 

"But still, she chooses me every day. So, love can sometimes be overrated. But when mixed with these beautiful elements, as I said, that's what makes the whole package beautiful," Ice also said.

Ryan shared an inspiring quote from Mother Teresa about real love.

"Mother Teresa's quote is 'Love to be real, it must cost, it must hurt, it must empty us of self.'

"It's one of my favorite quotes because love isn't love unless it costs you something. And it doesn't cost us. It always costs something, whether it's your time or you know you're putting off doing this. And so yeah, it's like sometimes you don't want to look, but the cost of love is to choose."