Conversations with Tyler Hammond

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Hammond.

Hi Tyler, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Simi Valley skater boy finds jazz – A love story. The clickiddy clack of the board on the sidewalk led the way to the deeper heartbeat of jazz music. From a non music oriented family Tyler Hammond found community and stoke out in the streets skating at 8 years old leading to a passion for social, emotional and artistic connection behind the drum set at 11 years old. From childhood until the present day he has always been joining different bands and pushing to explore new challenges eventually becoming an everlasting presence in many different communities in ventura and Los Angeles. Graduating from Santa Susanna high he turned right back around and taught his high school jazz band for two years as a farewell and thank you to his childhood. He had then begun embarking on his true jazz career in ventura and The Grape under the mentorship of guitarist Hans Ottsen. Once he turned 21 he began his journey into the Los Angeles scene. Through his unwavering presence in many jazz jams he eventually stumbled int Fred Durst at a lil club in Calabasas. Fred and Tyler started a jazz night of their own accord at Black Rabbit Rose in Hollywood that firmly solidified his presence in LA. This residency, originally entitled “Fred’z with a Z”, became known as “The Tyler Hammond Jazz Experience”. Thursdays were one of the most successful nights in LA attracting all sorts of incredible talent from Lady Gaga to Reggie Watts to Leon Bridges and many more! After the pandemic shook the scene, it was time for a change. The Tyler Hammond Jazz Experience set off to find new and unexplored territory. Thanks to the help of Tim Yarger, Tyler and the gang found themselves at dystopian art festival at the Salton Sea which inspired their first explorations of free jazz, group improv and collaborations with other mediums such as painting, dance, spoken word and fire performances. From this festival also a new residency at one of LA’s most elegant, artistic and illustrious hotels, Petit Ermitage. Sundays have housed the Jazz Experience for 5 years now and it continues to be a staple in the LA jazz and art scene for those who know. This community has brought his band to Burning Man through the Robot Heart Foundation. While all of this has been going on Tyler had been staying loyal to The Grape in Ventura and after Hans Ottsens passing Tyler has taken the lead of the Gratitude Jazz Jam every Tuesday which has grown into a massive community event of musicians and artists alike! Music has truly been his entire life but he still skateboards semi professionally, competes and throws music shows at skateparks. Tyler writes this to you in a little clothing store on a short stint in New York playing jazz and skateboarding with and for his beloved friends out on the East Coast. Tyler looks forward to ripping, shredding and stoking people up til the wheels fall off so stay tuned and go see your friends and tell them you love them.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ever since I was a kid I knew I would be a drummer, a skater and be successful in whatever I put my mind to but I said to myself that I must find the reason for doing it or it would all come crashing down, needless to say I didn’t discover the reason soon enough. A life on stage and a life dedicated to uplifting others can lead to some dissociation and feelings of imposter syndrome. Up until I was 27 I had been smoking and drinking and living a very high life with no real grounding and after Hans’ passing my world caved in. I was playing shows while watching the color of the world around drip away leaving just a dull grey reality. I started purposefully destroying shows just to see where the line was, just to see what would happen if none of it mattered. 8 months of spiraling finally led me to get sober and take a month off so I went into the forest in the middle of nowhere Georgia, USA. During my monastic retreat I dropped all preconceived notions of my self and just journaled in solitude. After being completely sober, fasting often and feeling like I forgot my name my friend cam back from his trip and asked me if I wanted to go to church. I agreed and he brought me to St. Mary Of Egypt Orthodox Church. Having been atheist and experiencing many christian churches that just didn’t feel like the real deal I was skeptical but I had never been an environment with such sanctity of spirit and a grounded sense of purpose and love. What really got me was when my friend said to the lady at the bookstore “This is one of my best friends and he’s interested in Orthodoxy” and just threw her arms up and said something to the extent of “That is none of my business”. I wouldn’t be saying all of this if it didn’t save my life. I returned home fell straight back into the chaos and vices that previously consumed me and faced the intense challenge of reorienting my life toward God, finding a church, quitting my Nigerian church gig in Inglewood to attend church at Joy of All Who Sorrow in Marina Del Ray and refining my life into one with true purpose, the purpose of Love. I am not out of the woods yet though, everyday I am tempted to prioritize things that lead me astray from true peace and love. But if there were a challenge in life i can recall I would definitely say that that was a major one. Glory to God for all things.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a freelance Jazz Drummer, Band Leader and Skateboarder. I am known for being entirely consumed in my art and for my consistency in showing up and leading the energy and the logistics of the events and projects I am a part of. I am proud to have made all my mistakes by my own reasoning and that those experiences have given me a unique and deep rooted perspective on life. I believe that I am the same as all others but they got that covered to I have to work extra hard to provide something valuable to them.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I started a website www.thejazzexperience.com that is a calendar of all the music, art, workshops, comedy, dance and everything in between happening in LA that may be hard to find otherwise. It is still taking shape but it is seeing to be a very beautiful and helpful tool for the scene. 🙂

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thejazzexperience.com
• Instagram: @tylerhammondjazzexperience @notmychair
• Youtube: @tylerhammondjazzexperience

Image Credits
Jake Rich, Lucia Raiden, Anastasia
kolie