Today we’d like to introduce you to Ty Bloomfield.
Hi Ty, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Originally from Chicago, IL, I began my journey as a musician as an oboist in concert band and saxophonist in jazz band in 2012. After I finished my high school degree, I was eager to continue my work in music by attending Illinois State University to pursue studies in music education. Although I was excited to become a teacher, the pandemic completely changed my career path. Isolated from music making with my peers, I became invested in classical composition by creating music on my computer. When I returned to campus, I joined the composition department in 2021 and formally began taking lessons. In 2023, I enrolled in the graduate department at the University of Michigan receiving a full fellowship to continue my studies. Acquiring knowledge from some of my favorite composers turned mentors such as Bright Sheng, Michael Daugherty, and Erik Santos, I felt my skills increase which has lead to international performances, collaborations, and awards from institutions such as Harvard University’s Fromm Foundation, the GRAMMY-nominated ensembles such as the American Composers Orchestra and the JACK Quartet. Directly after my graduation, I was hired to teach undergraduate courses at Eastern Michigan University where I continue my artistic practice and journey into administrations through concert curation alongside my instructor duties.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been smooth at all. Financial burden, self-doubt, and the time pressure is always on my mind. In my field, there is a lot of pressure to become as successful as possible before you reach 30. Many competitions and awards have strict age limits. Having started later than many of my peers, this need feels even greater for me. In addition, I have a terribly-competitive mentality of being tough on myself whenever anything does not go my way or if I lose a competition — a mindset I am still working on breaking. Money is also a major stress factor in the industry as it is a barrier to many festivals and opportunities collaborations. I have been fully supporting myself since I was 20, and have to always be conscience about the ways I can grow my career without the need to “pay-to-play”.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
One of the most fascinating aspects of life to me are dreams and nightmares. Our mind distorts, warps, and re-contextualizes our most notable memories while imbedding our own associated emotions within them. My compositional practice revolves around this idea in both concept and technique. Many of my works are about some of my favorite memories and how they have manifested themselves in my sleep. Similarly, my music reinforces this idea by revolving around taking simple melodies and slowly morphing them drastically over the course of a piece.
Most of my works are not solely acoustical classical pieces. There is often another multimedia element. In my current work, most pieces utilize either dance, poetry, or electronics, and are often inspired by contemporary artworks.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Many of my works are quite strange and have involved my own risks. Not all of my music is not for everyone, and that is perfectly acceptable. Without taking risks, an artist is bound to fall into a sea of monotony. To me, being adventurous and taking risks, while initially frightening, is the best way to commit to yourself artistically and discover your inner voice. It can be uncomfortable, for sure. I have dealt with this internal battle for a lot of my career. The need to write something “safer” that more people might enjoy has always been a pressure I have been trying to shake. Sometimes, I have fallen for it and created music that is artistically outside of my voice to seek approval from more listeners. Yet, my strangest and most daring works are the main ones that see success. There is always an audience and it’s important to be brave enough to seek them out, even if others are not fully behind your practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tybloomfield.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomfield.ty/ (@boomfield.ty)
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tybloomfield1219
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/0QXVx76EnfqqjURLzI
