Ty Jack, the Soulful Musician from Franklin, NJ

Like many soulful Black singers, Tyler Jackson, known as Ty Jack, first developed a passion for music in the church. Ty Jack is a versatile musician and music executive from Franklin, New Jersey known for his rich, captivating voice and emotional performance. Besides New Jersey’s culture, the church’s raw, soulful sound largely influenced Jackson’s musical style and his love for the art form.

“What drew me to church in the first place was the music. I learned a lot about live instrumentation and playing music with emotion, not just playing music regularly,” Jackson said. “I used to just sing words on a page, and it wouldn't mean anything. Then I had to learn that if you really want to connect with the people who are listening in the audience, you have to sing with feeling and actually believe what you what you're singing. So that's why I'm really picky about the songs that I sing.”

At five years old, the musician started singing in the church choir. After attending Soumas Heritage School of Music in Plainfield, he developed more as an artist, and he began to take music more seriously around the age of 18. The church taught him how to sing with emotion, while music school gave him the technical skills.

“Going to music school taught me how to control my voice and what I can do with my voice. I was doing recitals at six in front of audiences, so it [also] taught me how to have that confidence,” he said. “A lot of singers just sing, and nobody really takes the time to dissect and see what they can actually do with their voice.”

Today, performing a variety of music at different kinds of events throughout the tri-state area, Ty describes himself as genre-fluid.

“It's really no one lane. Like I could be singing gospel one day, and then I could be singing James Brown the next,” Jackson said. “It's honestly just full artistry for real.”

In the same way that he does not perform just one style of music, Jackson does not have just one role. He wears many hats: musical director at Rose City Productions, chief executive officer of Moods N Tunes and founder of The Experience Band.

Each position requires a different set of skills, but Jackson’s main focus in every role is creating music people can feel. That goal led him to launch his own band. 

“It's really just turning music into an experience. I was singing over instrumentals, and that's cool, but it's not controlled. You got your hook, you got your verse, chords, beats. With a band, I can literally control the atmosphere for as long as I want … and give the exact vibe that I'm looking for,” the artist said.

Image courtesy of Ty Jack.

The Experience Band started after Jackson performed in the Music Café Tour, a performance series in New Jersey, New York and Atlanta that highlights standout local talent. Artists audition for a chance to join the lineup, and those who are selected get the opportunity to share their original music with a wide audience.

Performing on the tour in 2018 changed the trajectory of Jackson’s music career. Now, he travels with his band across the East Coast, mainly in the Northeast. “That was my first real time with the band and doing my own original music, and I just fell in love with it, and I haven't performed over an instrumental ever since,” he said. The band creates a unique blend of sounds, pulling from gospel, jazz and R&B.

Just as much as Jackson enjoys performing, he has a passion for paving the way for other artists. Moods N Tunes, the umbrella brand that The Experience Band falls under, serves as a gateway for Jackson to support other artists. He has executive produced live performance shows, including “Guess I’m the Bad Guy: The Rose Room Experience” with artist Bennie Bates.

“I've been an artist for a very, very, very long time. It’s not that I'm giving up on being an artist, but now I just have a passion [for] putting other people in the spotlight,” Jackson said. “If I got gems, why not drop them off to somebody else? I think that Jersey's number one problem. We don't want to help each other. Everybody just wants to be the star. We all can be stars.”

Jackson aims to help artists of all ages. To him, giving back to the community that has supported him is essential. One of the ways he does that is by teaching children vocal lessons every weekend.

“A lot of the community, aka the church, made me who I am now. I gotta realize that somebody helped me along the way. So what good am I if I can't get back to my community and help along the way as well?” Jackson said.

The artist said he remains intentional about how he shows up on stage and in his community – he continues to grow as a multifaceted musician because he still values learning. He is inspired by artists who play many instruments, including D’Angelo, Masego, FKJ and Prince.

“I'm a music connoisseur, so I study it for a living. In order to be great, I feel like you have to study different styles and different artists … just to get a different perspective,” he said. “I'm a student of the game.”