Tyler Henderson

I was born in the small town of Oneonta, New York. My musical journey began after my family received a piano from a local church. I started to pick out little melodies and chords at the age of 5 or 6. As I got a bit older, I began to learn my favorite classic rock and soul tunes from the 70’s (Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, etc) by ear. It was then that my parents decided it was time to start getting me classical lessons. My teacher would get frustrated with my inexorable knack for changing notes and rhythms to the way I wanted to play them. This continued for some time until the age of about 10 or 11. During this period of my life, I discovered something that would change my life forever. I came across Autumn Leaves from Bill Evans’ iconic Portrait In Jazz recording. After hearing the first few notes, I was mesmerized. After playing the first snippet of Autumn Leaves in my lesson that next week, my teacher decided it was time to get a real jazz teacher. Suddenly I was gigging in town with local professionals, and fully entrenched in learning the language and basics of the music. During my 8th grade year, my parents, who recognized my passion, decided to do something radical. They were willing to fly my sister and I to Houston to audition for one of the most prestigious art schools in the nation, HSPVA. I was instantly drawn to the school from its who’s-who list of jazz alumni (Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Walter Smith). My sister and I found out we made it into the school a few months after the audition, and we planned to move to Houston in the summer of 2015. In high school, I had the pleasure of playing with Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Inrgrid Jensen, Don Braden, and was encouraged by masters such as Barry Harris, Javon Jackson, and Robert Glasper through my participation in incredible programs such as YoungArts Week and the Thelonious Monk Institute All Star Tour. In 2019, after high school, I applied to and was accepted at the Juilliard School in New York City, and I am currently finishing my undergraduate degree at this wonderful institution. My goal is to keep the spirit of swing alive from the music of the past, yet be forward thinking and open to new ideas.

My biggest influences are Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Clare Fischer, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Kelly, and Phineas Newborn.
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