Tempest

For solo drum set and playback. A study in 5.

The Percussionists’ Grimoire-Pentagram

After updating my new time travel profile pic, I figured it was also time to refresh the bio. The amount of world-class talent on the Cloud never ceases to amaze me. I don’t say that lightly – I’ve learned so much from so many of you. There are artists here I genuinely consider among the best musical talents I’ve heard anywhere. And I have heard a ton of music.
I’m a lifelong music addict. For me, music can be transformative, cathartic, joyful, and intellectual – often all at once. My taste? Almost anything done well. Almost. My own music is eclectic: from acoustic guitar pieces to jazz fusion, to prog/alternative/psychedelic rock, to electronica.
What really keeps me here, though, is the community – the interaction, and the sense of connection that somehow forms even when we never meet in person. The goodwill and respect are something special, and I don’t take that for granted.
Finally, regarding recording – if you’re still reading! – my humble studio hasn’t changed in 15 years. I’m even still running Windows 7 to support my old Steinberg DAW. No AI tools – just me, I like to control the physical process at every step, from idea, to playing, editing, mixing, and final production.

Ty Alan Emerson is an award-winning composer based in Cleveland whose works span chamber music, dance, and interdisciplinary collaboration. His music has been praised for its emotional power, clarity, and responsiveness to contemporary issues.

In 2024, the Cleveland Chamber Collective premiered Emerson’s hour-long work Oath Breaker, for chamber ensemble and electronics, exploring the events of January 6 and their aftermath. Other recent premieres include Shelter-in-Place and Pan Songs (2023), as well as Caliban Ascendant (2021), a full-length ballet created in partnership with Inlet Dance Theatre and featured in the Ohio Channel documentary Creating, Community.

Emerson’s works have been performed by ensembles such as The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, No Exit, Zeitgeist, ASSEM3LY, VERB Ballets, and Quorum New Music Ensemble, and have appeared at festivals including Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), New Music on the Bayou, and NEO Sonic. His music has also been featured on WCLV’s Fresh Innovations.

His honors include the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, the Searle McCullum Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a MacDowell Colony Fellowship, and multiple Ohio Arts Council grants.

New tracks tagged #Contemporary Classical/prog rock