Get your copy of Tyler's new album, "When the Light Shines Again" today! Click here to order!

Award winning old time musician Tyler Hughes has been performing and preserving the musical traditions of Central Appalachia since his teenage years. A multi-instrumentalist and square dance caller, Tyler also works as an educator sharing his knowledge at camps and workshops across the country. In 2015, Hughes graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies. Since graduating college he has toured at home and abroad in Europe. His latest release, "When the Light Shines Again" paints a musical timeline of the history of coal mining in the mountains of Appalachia. Tyler's banjo tunes and songs have been heard on PBS' Song of the Mountains, NPR's Mountain Stage, at Jazz at the Lincoln Center, the Grand Ole Opry, and at the historic Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia. 


 

"Tyler Hughes knows what he’s about. His passion and skill infuse every note that he sings and plays, whether he is performing solo or in an ensemble. For an artist so young, Hughes delivers his music with great taste, wisdom, and joy. He’s comfortable in his own skin, which explains why he connects so well with audiences—he knows how to draw them in and deliver an experience they’ll remember. He’s also imaginative; in Hughes’ hands, an old song or melody takes on a fresh, new life. Hughes’ generosity of spirit makes him a genuine pleasure to work with, and his personal courage and fortitude make him a force to be reckoned with both on and offstage."-Katie Hoffman-Performer, Author, and Director of Appalworks, Inc.

"Tyler plays the music of his native Southwest Virginia with the kind of knowledge, respect, and affection that speaks of a deep understanding of who and where the music came from. With folks like Tyler on the scene, I know our music is in good hands."-Rich Kirby, Traditional Musician

"Tyler Hughes embodies what it means to be Appalachian in the 21st century. He has a long worldview and stands out among his peers as someone who is relentlessly positive, astute and persistent, and quick to jump in and help a good cause. His music is unselfconscious and true and when you hear him play and sing you get a strong sense of who he is. His nickname around ETSU “T-Love” couldn’t be more fitting.” - Roy Andrade, East Tennessee State University Professor Banjoist of The New Reeltime Travelers

"I used to worry that the wonderful music I grew up with in southwest Virginia was going to be lost to time. But with young people like Tyler Hughes around, this beautiful and vital legacy will be preserved. He's not only a wonderful entertainer, but an educator, too, who helps the audience understand the history of the place and its musical heritage."-Rita Quillen, Author of "Hiding Ezra"

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