Tyson Stubelek | Instructor Bio

What is your teaching philosophy?
Finding inspiration through discovering how to play music well.  I like to start out with something the student is interested in and branch out to all sorts of cool things from there!

How long have you been teaching music? At YMP?
I have been teaching drums privately, in clinics, master classes and schools for over over a decade. 

What is your favorite thing about teaching music?
I really enjoy those “ah-ha” moments, when a student has been working towards something for a while and you see it all come together. Sometimes it happens all at once, and sometimes you notice the improvement when you reflect back on how far the student has come. My own music teachers have played a hugely positive role in my life; I consider it an honor to pass on some of that positivity through music education.

What do you expect of your students in classes/lessons?
To do your best and stick with the groove.  Learning new things on the drums doesn’t happen right away, and not getting it instantly isn’t bad. Sometimes you have to slow down and build the new idea from the ground up.

About Tyson

Portland native, Tyson Stubelek, began playing music at the age of 3 under the guidance of his father, also a drummer. During his youth, Tyson quickly became involved in the local music scene, playing in a number of symphonies and ensembles. Upon meeting and hearing Elvin Jones play live, Tyson, at age twelve, began to focus intently on being a jazz musician, studying with Portland drum gurus Alan Jones and Mel Brown, to whom he attributes much of his musical understanding.

Tyson moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 2005 after rounding out his undergraduate studies at Portland State University, completing a triple major (BM, BS, BS), and continued on with 4 years of graduate level pursuits (MM, GD) at the New England Conservatory, where he studied intently with many of the world’s finest musicians including: Lee Konitz, Dave Holland, George Garzone, Jerry Bergonzi, Billy Hart, and Bob Moses. In 2009 Tyson moved to New York City where he continued to work and live as a professional for 4 years.

Tyson has over 2 decades of teaching experience in schools, colleges and privately. He has toured internationally across Canada, the UK, the United States, and has performed with numerous prominent musicians including: Danilo Perez, Esperanza Spalding, Brian Lynch, Joe Locke, Don Byron, Clay Jenkins, Chuck Isreals, Julian Lage, David Friesen, Glen Moore,

Todd Sickafoose, Devin Philips, Shook Twins, Tony Furtado, Anna Tivel, George Colligan, and Darrell Grant.
In 2013, Tyson returned home to Portland where he performs in a variety of stylistically diverse projects and teaches regularly, both privately, at the University of Portland, and formerly at George Fox University. He remains entirely dedicated to learning new things, bettering himself as a person and musician, and passing on positivity through music community.