If you like your songs with a little tongue-in-cheek yet with their finger firmly on the pulse of the human condition, then Tyler Ellis is for you. “Tell the soundman to mix it for my mom; she likes to hear a lot of me.” (Music as Usual)

Tyler Ellis has worn two musical hats for a long time. Two wonderful musical hats. On the one hand, a critically acclaimed, award-winning singer/songwriter with eight full length recordings to his name; on the other, an award winning music teacher.  Over the years, Tyler has shared a lot of music with a lot of people. Whether writing ditties for CBC Kids (Days of the week song); co-writing with The Julian Taylor Band; talking about music education on CBC Ideas (Ballad of the Tin Ears); presenting university lectures on the joy of singing (Bad Singer/Good Singer with author Tim Falconer); hosting the long running Riverboat Monday Open Stage; performing shows solo and with his band, The Eddy Line; his many years of conducting a 75+ member junior elementary choir; or, just working on his craft, for Tyler it’s always just “music as usual”.

backstory:

"Musical meanderings" is how Tyler Ellis often describes his career of 40-plus years. He took piano lessons early on, from a “kinda cool cat” who chain-smoked through his lessons. He practiced a lot, mostly because it drove his brother Rob mad, but also because of a burgeoning interest in songwriting. He started learning guitar at summer camp because the Rec Hall piano had mice living in it. He became a camp counselor, and was popular at campfires because he could sing really loud, and remember all the words. He discovered the John Prine/ Jerry Jeff Walker et al. School of storytelling through song, and he was hooked. His first independent album, Straid Hill, was well received, and re-released on The Dark Light Music label, the roster of which, at the time, included Willie P. Bennett. His second album, Horseshoes and Handgrenades, was set to be launched by music publicist Richard Flohil; however, he didn’t like the album and bowed out. "The album’s not that folky," says Ellis with a smirk. By this time, he had a young family and decided to focus more energy on another of his loves, teaching (developed during his years of taking teenagers on wilderness canoe trips North of Lake Superior, and his work with children with special needs, as an educational assistant with the Toronto School Board). With a Bachelor of Education degree under his belt, Ellis set out on what would become a 20-plus-years career as a beloved elementary school music teacher (think Jack Black, without the illegal bits). His annual concerts were a highlight of every school year, with his 100-plus-members junior choir taking centre stage. During this time, along with coaching his kids’ hockey and soccer teams, and every sport going at his school, Ellis continued to write prolifically and perform, often with a full band, dubbed The Eddy Line (a whitewater canoeing term, syk), and to release albums: Tyler Ellis Live, Northern Bliss, and Well Seasoned. He also made a musical connection, through his involvement in the Toronto open stage scene (Tyler is currently the host of the long running Riverboat Monday, in Toronto), with Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor. Their collaborations, which continue to this day, have garnered awards and accolades. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellis decided to retire from full-time teaching and focus his energies on his songwriting, and supporting his family (his father and brother both recently lost their battles with Parkinson’s Disease). In 2024, Ellis released a critically acclaimed live LP, Greater-Than; and in 2025 he has release yet another full-length album, Down by the Don. 

Booking and General Inquiries: NorthernBlissMusic@gmail.com

Media Contact: Beverly Kreller: bev@speak-music.com