ROCK ON! This Week's Sound Bites...10/8/15

By Danny Coleman

originally published: 10/08/2015

"We all have dreams and aspirations; I used to make plans and I don't anymore. Life is happening now and if you don't go with what's happening today; how can you tell what may happen in the future? I just go with what comes along and it seems to be working at the moment," says the self made "Social Media Artist" Tyler Ward about his future plans as he embarks on his "Yellow Boxes Tour."

To understand the significance of "Self made" and "Social media," one must get a bit of background on this young super talent. Born and raised in Colorado, Ward chose music after a series of misfortunes in his athletic career and he credits his father, who imposed a time limit, for playing a large part in his success. This chain of events and some brilliant marketing on his part; catapulted Ward into the limelight. "Yeah, I grew up in Colorado around the Parker, Aurora areas; Denver too. Originally I was thinking of joining the Air Force so I spent a semester there and then onto another college and I played football. After a couple of concussions I decided to try and do something else and started playing guitar. My dad was very cool about it all; he made me an offer. He said, "I'll let you move in here with me. You've got two years to make this music thing work; after that you need to get a real job." So I went out and got a regular gig at a place and started doing really well and I thought; hey I can make this work. In 2010, the "Winter Olympics" were held out here and I'd heard that a bunch of artists were getting together to remake "We Are The World;" so I got together a bunch of my friends and decided to do a cover version of it and I posted it on YouTube. I posted it within hours before theirs hit and mine was actually right below theirs! Every time theirs was searched, mine popped up as well and the views skyrocketed. So I continued to do that with songs and video posts and the next thing I know I have this great following; all done through YouTube and social media."

YouTube took notice; awarding him with the distinction of being one of the "2015 YouTube Awards Top 50 Artists to Watch." On the strength of the award and his recent disc, Tyler has been receiving collaboration offers from industry heavyweights such as Jason Mraz, Earth Wind and Fire and Jason Derulo ; something he finds quite humorous. "People keep reaching out to me and asking, "Will you work with my client?" he stated with a hearty laugh. "Earth Wind and Fire; to be able to do a song with them and be in on the production, I mean, they're legendary, it was like, are you kidding? I am still just amazed; it's a great feeling."

"Yellow Boxes Part One" is a 19 track effort which Ward feels is all about the changes that he's made and about moving on; hence the yellow boxes. He says that there will be a "Part Two," tentatively scheduled for a January 2016 release but he's enjoying the moments that "Part One" is producing. "Yeah, it's been a real ah moment," he explained in reflective tones. "Since I started this, I've done everything advised to me. I couldn't make decisions on my own and I fell into some bad habits; started drinking and what not. I realized before it was too late that it needed to change, so this CD is really my story. I did this myself, no producer and it is 100 percent authentic; it's my story of what's happened to me over the last year."

Ward says he, "Used to be formulaic" in his songwriting but that has all changed as he gains more experience and perspective. "I didn't want to be cookie cutter like," he said again with a slight chuckle. "I've used skills that I've learned from Nashville songwriters and watching and learning from others. Now, it's just as it is. I used to sit down and write and try and force things at times but not any more. Songs can hit me at any moment, I used my phone memo app or write ideas and lyrics and melodies down. Some songs take 15 minutes, some a year; it's kind of wherever I am at the time I go with it."

So far the tour is only ten dates young and with a stop in Asbury Park, NJ tonight at the Wonder Bar located on the corner of Ocean and Fifth Avenues; the good vibe that Ward sends out is sure to continue. "We're only ten dates in with a couple of months to go but so far this is the best tour yet. The connection with the audiences so far is the best I've ever experienced. My shows have become kind of like a conversation because the sets seem to go in different directions. I try to stick to my set list but the variations wind up making the show for me. Interacting with the people is the best and when they come up to me after a concert and say, "This is the best concert I've ever seen," well that cements it for me; what I'm doing is working."

About the author:

Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.

Joe Russo's Almost Dead
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ

Joe Russo's Almost Dead is Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo. We're a Grateful Dead cover band.

Mccarter At The Museum: An Evening With Jason Robert Brown
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Princeton Art Museum
45 Elm Drive, Princeton, NJ

Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.

Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.

With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.

A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.

Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].