Tyra Neftzger
Encyclopedia
Tyra Neftzger also known as Tyra Elliott, is an American guitarist
and composer
born November 22, 1975. He's a Nashville, Tennessee
session musician and the guitarist and vocalist for the jazz/pop band Lucky Munk as well as lead guitarist and composer for the contemporary Christian band Ka*Pop. In addition to his work with Lucky Munk and Ka*Pop, Tyra has worked on a number of projects in the rock
, pop
, and jazz genres and has written several articles about music.
and raised in Illinois
on the banks of the Ohio river. He learned to play the guitar from various teachers and began playing for hire and in clubs before he was old enough to drive to his own performances. One of Tyra’s early music teachers was his uncle, Joe Stanley, lead guitarist and keyboardist for country artist Dan Seals
. Following his graduation from Pope County High School, Tyra attended Berklee College of Music
in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduation from Berklee, Tyra moved to Nashville and began working in the music industry as a guitarist by touring with various bands and doing studio work. In 2003 he released an instrumental CD of his original arrangements of traditional Christmas music with a group called “Tyra & Co.” he later followed this with several solo jazz projects.
While Tyra works primarily in rock and pop music, he is strongly influenced by jazz and identifies the genre as one of his favorites. In 2005 Tyra released a children’s book and CD with his wife, author Amy Neftzger
. The book, called All That the Dog Ever Wanted, was designed to help introduce children to jazz at a young age. Tyra also helped develop free classroom curriculum for teachers interested in using the book to teach their students about how jazz is different from other genres and to help them understand improvisation
.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
born November 22, 1975. He's a Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
session musician and the guitarist and vocalist for the jazz/pop band Lucky Munk as well as lead guitarist and composer for the contemporary Christian band Ka*Pop. In addition to his work with Lucky Munk and Ka*Pop, Tyra has worked on a number of projects in the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and jazz genres and has written several articles about music.
Biography
Tyra was born in Paducah, KentuckyPaducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
and raised in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on the banks of the Ohio river. He learned to play the guitar from various teachers and began playing for hire and in clubs before he was old enough to drive to his own performances. One of Tyra’s early music teachers was his uncle, Joe Stanley, lead guitarist and keyboardist for country artist Dan Seals
Dan Seals
Danny Wayland "Dan" Seals was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as the "England Dan" half of the soft rock duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, which charted nine pop and adult contemporary singles between 1976 and 1980, including...
. Following his graduation from Pope County High School, Tyra attended Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduation from Berklee, Tyra moved to Nashville and began working in the music industry as a guitarist by touring with various bands and doing studio work. In 2003 he released an instrumental CD of his original arrangements of traditional Christmas music with a group called “Tyra & Co.” he later followed this with several solo jazz projects.
While Tyra works primarily in rock and pop music, he is strongly influenced by jazz and identifies the genre as one of his favorites. In 2005 Tyra released a children’s book and CD with his wife, author Amy Neftzger
Amy Neftzger
Amy Neftzger is an American researcher and author who has published fiction books, non-fiction books, business articles, and peer review research. Her works have reached an international audience....
. The book, called All That the Dog Ever Wanted, was designed to help introduce children to jazz at a young age. Tyra also helped develop free classroom curriculum for teachers interested in using the book to teach their students about how jazz is different from other genres and to help them understand improvisation
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
.