Jenny and Tyler

For Jenny and Tyler Somers, the lyrics sung in meaningful tunes represent an ideal channel of communication.

The performing Somers write their own songs and feel that getting out their particular messages are the most important aspect of their music.

This musical team recently graduated from the University of Delaware.

Jenny Somers graduated with a major in English and History and Tyler with an emphasis on Marketing, Music Management and Voice. Together they covered all facets of a professional band.

Jenny grew up in a musical family. Her dad played in bluegrass bands, and her mom was a singer. Bluegrass jams were a frequent occurrence in her household. Songwriting came to Jenny naturally, and she was writing seriously on her own using piano and guitar while still in high school.

Tyler also wrote songs throughout his high school years.

His dad is a jazz pianist and is choir director at the Tatnall School, a private school in Delaware. Tyler sang in choirs Most of his young life.

They were both solo acts, writing their own material, when they met on a bus sponsored by the Ogleton Baptist Church to bring congregants to the church for Sunday services.

Tyler introduced himself, and the subsequent conversations revealed how similar their musical aspirations were. Says Jenny, “We started doing back-up vocals for each other and we decided we were a really good pair. Musically, we were better together than apart. First we got together musically, and then we fell in love.” They classify their music as a folksy, pop-ish sound with jazz influence and a bit of bluegrass thrown in. “The lyrics matter the most” said Jenny. “I write poetry and Tyler journals.

We want to put a positive message out there. There is such a false standard of beauty in the world today and we want to help correct that.” They often use the vehicle of satire to accomplish their objective.

Jenny’s early performances were with a band in junior high school and as a solo artist in a coffee shop in Ocean Springs, Mississippi while still attending high school. Tyler’s family had a beach house in Avalon, New Jersey, and he often played at a coffee house there called Coffee Talk during his high school years.

They have been a duo for two years now, and their favorite places to perform are anywhere where people are listening. It is Jenny’s belief that original music is not currently enjoying strong popularity in Delaware, so they often add cover band pieces to their repertoire. When pressed for a specific “favorite place to perform” they said, “Starbucks.

People go there to listen to music instead of just having it as background. We’ll play anywhere, but it’s nice when you’re playing and people are listening. Actually, we like playing in any of the restaurants along Main Street.” Every musician has a horror story to tell about one of their performance, and the J and T Band are no exception.

Jenny remembers the day they forgot their microphones and had to send friends back home to retrieve them. The evening continued going downhill from there. Tyler’s “D” string broke during the first song. A new restrung “D” string broke twice again the very same night. They also remember expecting to perform in a club for 20-30 year olds and arriving at the gig to find it was being held in a gymnasium and the average age was over 50. This caused a quick reshuffling of material. “Mostly though, things have worked out for us,” said optimistic Jenny.

They were more enthusiastic about describing their CD release party at the Ogleton Baptist Church on December 7 of last year. Although it started snowing in the afternoon, about 400 people showed up. The duo played with a full band that evening. “Our parents were there, we sold a lot of Cds, we got to talk about our songs to people who listened, and we had some amazing friends that came down and played with us. What more could we ask for?” The duo does not label their music as “Christian music” but admits that their religion does permeate every phase of their life, including their music. They can sing and play their music in church during Sunday worship service and also have it accepted in cafes and other venues.

Currently, Tyler is working at Starbucks and interning with the student ministry on campus. They are considered missionaries at the University of Delaware by the North American Mission Board, which provides some financial support. Tyler works the morning shift at Starbucks and in a computer lab once a week; they play gigs two or three times a week in the evenings and rehearse whenever they can. Missed sleep is made up on Sunday afternoons.

Jenny also handles the bookings and PR. Tyler, the outgoing member of the pair, makes the contacts and creates their flyers. They are looking to move to Nashville in June to Pursue their mutual music career. The duo hopes to be picked up by an independent artist and taken on tour.

To get the word out on their performances, they have an extensive mailing list and a web page designed by one of Tyler’s friends.

The two expect to take their band to the next level by emulating their favorite band, Shane and Shane. “We admire the way they do things. They have their own label and do nation-wide tours.

Our dream gig would be to open for them someday.” said Jenny.

Dave Barnes and Matt Wertz are other artists admired by the Somers. “Barnes and Wertz are independent artists doing incredible music in Nashville. They recently signed with a Nashville label. The way they write their songs and market themselves has a great influence on us.” When asked about their favorite piece of music, without hesitation they agreed on “Falling Slowly,” a piece of music written for an independent film called, “Once” by Glen Hansard with Marketa Irglova, which won an academy award for the best song written for a motion picture.

The band’s advice for aspiring performers is to put yourself out there, knock on doors, record a CD, and do cold calling to drum up jobs. As they look back on their career to date, they are glad that they stuck with their own style of music and put such emphasis on the lyrics being the most important part of the song, even if it wasn’t always considered upbeat enough for the bar scene.

Jenny advises others not to lose their purpose for writing, to stick with what inspires them, and not to compromise their message for what is popular. “If you want things to be different in our country, you have to live for what matters. We know things can be better in this world, and we like to think we have a part in making it that way.” If you were around in the sixties, these sentiments, fired up with idealism and social consciousness have a familiar ring.

Jenny and Tyler can be contacted through their website, jennyandtylermusic.com.

Jenny and Tyler were recently featured on 93.7 FM radio’s “Hometown Heroes” program, hosted by Mark Rogers. They reside in Newark. - Newark Life Magazine

It started with a church bus ride and ended with a fusion of Jack Johnson and Norah Jones.

Jenny and Tyler Somers, December 2007 and May 2007 graduates, respectively, realized right away they were perfect for each other, and not just in the "I-knew-you-were-the-one-for-me" kind of way. They both had a similar passion for something that would help create chemistry in their relationship - music.

The newlyweds have recently released their first CD as an independent duo, A Prelude - an acoustic combination of folk, jazz and pop - after singing together for more than four years. Jenny says both she and Tyler began performing at an early age because of their strong musical backgrounds.

"My parents were both very musical," Jenny says. "I started singing in choirs when I was 8, and in public when I was 11. I started writing songs a lot in high school and then we met each other in college and played together."

Tyler says he also had strong roots in music, particularly through his father.

"My dad is a jazz piano player and he leads a choir at a middle school and high school," Tyler says. "I grew up around it, always doing something musical."

They also had the opportunity to expand on their musical interests as students on campus, Jenny says. Jenny was a member of the Deltones, an a cappella group on campus that helped her fine-tune her voice, while Tyler was a double music minor in voice and music management studies. His music management minor was helpful in figuring out the business of releasing their independent CD.

Jenny says they realized how intimate it was to write songs together so they took their musical collaboration to the next level.

"Music is like a spiritual aspect of life," she says. "We played together my freshman year and developed a friendship. I recorded back-up vocals to a song he had written. But if Tyler didn't play guitar, I would still want to be married to him."

Tyler says much of the work to make the record was done by them and by people the couple knows in the industry.

"We pretty much do everything by personal contacts," he says. "Most of the recording was done by me. It was recorded in Nashville. I got that reference through a friend. It just works out like that."

Despite the extra work it is to release an independent CD, it was the right decision for their musical talents, Jenny says.

"Some artists lost control over what they're doing," she says. "I would much rather stay independent."

Tyler says he also wants to maintain direction over what he and his wife are making in the studio. They want the freedom to make their art the exact way they had always pictured it.

"We didn't want to have the recording label dictating the image we have to have," Tyler says. "We don't want to be portrayed as something we're not."

Jenny says the reason the couple decided against trying to release a mainstream album was because of the unique messages in the songs' lyrics.

"It has a real message, music that makes a difference," she says. "We're discouraged by the standard of beauty and culture that promotes superficiality."

Jenny says their message is exemplified in the song "American Dream", which was written about superficiality in today's society. "Why can't everything be as real as you are to me? / Why doesn't everyone say just what they mean? / Why must we hide behind smiles we strain to find? / Why can't everything be exactly as it's meant to be?"

Senior Beth Cohn, a member of the Deltones and friend of Jenny and Tyler's, says they are inspirational because of the way they integrate their talent together and still manage to be happy as a couple.

"It's pretty amazing, just because they were getting through school and dating and still stand to work with each other," Cohn says. "They're so talented and had enough drive to put it to good use. I'm proud of them."

Tyler says he and Jenny are moving to Nashville in June to continue to pursue a musical career in a place that offers more opportunity than the Newark area.

"We think there's more of an opportunity for an original music scene," he says. "There's more of an opportunity to take our music and not put it in Nashville, but among the nation. We want to meet people who want to help us out."

After their release it has become clear the couple wants to attempt a musical career on a larger level, Jenny says.

"We want to pursue it as much as we can," she says. "We want to do this as a job and tour. It's a lot of work and will take a lot of years."

Cohn says she thinks Jenny and Tyler will inspire other students who want to record a CD someday.

"I hope more students recognize this is a possibility," she says. "As long as you kick your own butt you can do amazing things outside of school." - UD Review