Tyler Hawes

For 25 years, Tyler Hawes has been absorbing, collecting, and cultivating musical information. The first sounds he ever heard in this world were his father’s blues-inspired harmonica riffs. Coming of age through classical piano training, Tyler later veered into the world of Rock N’ Roll, picking up drums, guitar, and bass. Through various educational programs, Tyler was able to explore fields of concert music and discover a whole new world through jazz.

During his undergraduate composition studies at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, he was called to Ghana, West Africa to learn from the masters of rhythm. Through endless observation of our planet’s ever-changing musical palette, Tyler continues in his learning… Tyler is inspired by innovation. Through his concert works, he has been able to use known instruments in new ways, as well as weave genres into something less easily identifiable.

Always drawn to the strange and unique, Tyler is a collector and connoisseur of unorthodox sounds and instruments, utilizing them tastefully throughout his music. He brings this innovation to his work with film, striving to create music that serves the story first and foremost, yet breathes new air into what is seen on screen. As a film composer, Tyler’s extensive musical background and stylistic versatility put him in a position to take on any type of visual media, ranging from commercials and jingles, all the way to feature films.

A native of Akron, Ohio, Tyler now finds himself a bit further south pursuing an MFA in Film Music Composition from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Set to graduate in May of 2021, Tyler looks forward to continuing to work with like-minded creatives, and hopes to soon find a home in the film music industry.