Tyler Pompei

(he/him)

Tyler Pompei is a professional songwriter, performer, and music teacher specializing in piano and bass. He began his musical journey as a young teen, forming a rock band with friends. Known as Koala!, the band performed everything from The Smashing Pumpkins to Simon and Garfunkel and Yes and played many shows around the Boston/Providence area. After the band parted ways, Tyler formed Mr. Thinwheel, a jazz fusion project that saw him take the stage at renowned venues like The Middle East in Boston, The Met in Rhode Island, The Hard Rock Cafe, McCoy Stadium, and perform live on public radio, among countless other performances.

In 2014, Tyler graduated from the Berklee College of Music, completing a program led by world-renowned bassist Victor Wooten. This experience shaped his approach to improvisation and musicianship, giving him the opportunity to learn how to confidently perform in a variety of musical settings.

Tyler’s teaching journey began in 2018 at School of Rock, where he developed his communication and teaching skills while mentoring over 30 private students in piano and bass. He also led group performance classes, guiding students to stage performances at local venues. After leaving School of Rock, Tyler continued his teaching career independently, focusing on personalized lessons for each of his students.

As a teacher, Tyler is known for his approachable and attentive personality. He believes in the power of music as a form of self-expression and aims to create an open, warm, and welcoming environment in every lesson. His goal is to help students build confidence, find their voice, and feel comfortable exploring their musical ideas. Tyler values the importance of building strong connections with his students through shared musical goals and a mutual passion for music. He truly believes that teachers and their students should be a co-operative team, always encouraging open communication, making sure his students feel free to ask questions and express themselves.

Tyler has worked with students of all ages, and while rock n’ roll is his first love, he also enjoys and has experience playing and teaching in a variety of styles, including jazz, classical, pop, and hip hop.

Tyler teaches music simply because he believes in music’s unique ability to help us discover who we are inside. His mission is to share that transformative power with his students.