Tyler Hawes

Tyler Hawes believes music is one of humanity’s most meaningful forms of expression and that, like people, it exists in nearly infinite forms, styles, and sounds. Guided by a lifelong curiosity, he has built a career as an award-winning composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, performer, and educator by exploring as many musical perspectives as possible. That curiosity has taken Tyler from pit orchestras, cruise ships, jazz ensembles, recording studios, and rock bands to award-winning films, dance companies, commercial media, and live performances throughout Northeast Ohio. Rather than following a single musical path, he has sought opportunities to learn from every genre, instrument, and collaborator, believing that the strongest musicians are those who can create meaningful art with anyone while bringing out the value in every unique musical voice.

As a composer and songwriter, Tyler is inspired by unexpected sounds, underestimated instrumentation, and the creative possibilities that emerge when different musical worlds intersect. His music blends the influences of a lifetime spent performing, composing, and exploring across genres into work that is both deeply personal and intentionally original. That same approach naturally extends into his film scoring, where music becomes an essential part of storytelling and world-building. Although he performs on numerous instruments, rhythm has always been at the heart of Tyler’s musical identity.

A lifelong percussionist, his studies have led from DCI-level marching percussion and jazz performance to traditional music in Ghana, West Africa, where he discovered the kashaka. That fascination grew into Clack City Kashaka Co., his own instrument company, and an invitation to present a kashaka clinic at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

Tyler studied Jazz at the University of Akron before earning a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, where he worked with guest artists including Jon Batiste, Caroline Shaw, David Lang, Jonathan Scales, Francesca Anderegg, Howard Johnson, and Valerie Naranjo. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts in Film Music Composition from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His credits include more than twenty films, with multiple Best Score awards for Fred’s Dead and the original animated musical Mundance.

Today, Tyler brings the same curiosity into the classroom. Drawing from professional experience in songwriting, composition, performance, production, entrepreneurship, world music, and visual media, he challenges students to think beyond genres, embrace new perspectives, and develop the versatility, confidence, and artistic voice needed to build meaningful careers in today’s evolving music industry.

Tyler welcomes students of all ages:

• Piano (beginner to intermediate, classical, jazz, pop, improv)
• Guitar (beginner to early advanced, acoustic and electric, non-classical, rock, blues, jazz, pop)
• Electric Bass (beginner to early advanced, any genre)
• Drum Kit (beginner to advanced, all genres)
• Songwriting (beginner to advanced, any genre)
• Composition (beginner to advanced)
• Music Production (beginner to advanced)
• Kashakas:  West African percussion instrument (all skill levels)
• Multi-instrumental students