The last student recital for the academic year has finally approached and this junior is ready for his jazzy performance at the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

After an entire semester of practicing, rehearsing and composing, Tyler Seawood, a music studies major with a concentration in jazz studies, will be perform his junior recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Dvorak Concert Hall.

The event is open to the general public free of charge and it will be what Seawood calls a tribute to his biggest inspirations in music.

Seawood is set to play piano to seven songs from artists such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Walter Gross, Keith Jarrett, Jimmy Van Heusen, Lennie Tristano, Chick Corea as well as an original piece that he has composed himself.

With the pressure of his big recital coming up, Seawood just said he feels excited and hopes everyone who comes will feel the same way.

“I’m just really excited about it,” Seawood said. “People get to come out and listen to free live jazz music at no cost, no expanse and hopefully enjoy themselves, so it should be good.”

However, Seawood also said it’s been difficult preparing for this recital and juggling other school activities.

“It’s been tough because the music department is pretty demanding,” he said. “I’ve had to go and arrange it, write it out, figure out what I want to do with the songs as well as multi-task with my classes, but I’m able to make it work.”   

Seawood said his inspiration for music was sparked from watching his dad playing the drums. He would watch his dad play drums and keyboards and he would beg his dad for one.

After only a few short years, he said he actually considers himself professional now, but with him only being a junior, it was even more surprising to find out that he only started playing the piano and the bass during his freshman year at Seton Academy High School.

“I actually taught myself how to play piano and bass with a lot of research from going to the library and getting books to watching YouTube videos,” Seawood said. “But piano came first and bass just followed.”

One of the biggest inspirations in jazz music that Seawood said he has is his current piano teacher Paul Johnston.

“He’s helped me out so much in terms of the thought process of music and gave me new ideas and new things to practice,” he said. “I thank him for that because he’s definitely been one of the most influential pianists in my life.”

Professor Paul Johnston, associate professor of jazz studies, felt humbled by Seawood’s words about him and said how great it has been to watch him develop as a musician.

“What’s specifically neat about Tyler is that he came with a lot of natural ability, but hadn’t had a piano lesson before he got here which is pretty unusual,” Johnston said. “It’s extra special that he’s able to play both bass and piano at such a high level.”

Above all, Johnston said his hopes for Seawood are for him to go into the world and utilize his many musical skills to achieve success.

“I really hope when he leaves here, he feels that he has the skills to be successful in whatever he chooses to do,” Johnston said.

Now, even before Seawood became interested in music he says he’s always been a creative person, from drawing to writing poetry, but overall he loves jazz music because it gives him more freedom.

“Jazz music is being able to create on the spot; it’s being able to really express yourself musically,” Seawood said. “It’s as if someone gave you a crayon and let you color on your own.”

Currently, he has composed an original song called “Home (Chicago)” which is currently on iTunes, he’s working on a full bass album and is proud to call himself a musician.

“Musicians paint with sound, our utensils are the air,” he said. “Our canvas is silence; we take silence and add notes to it.”

With his proud and encouraging family and friends coming to see him, Seawood said he hopes his recital will stimulate interest in audience members.

“I just hope the public develops an appreciation for jazz music because it’s truly expressive,” Seawood said. “Everything that they hear comes from within and is created and generated in that space and time.”

Darronte Matthews can be reached at 581-2812 or dqmatthews@eiu.edu.