Grayson Nye
Art form(s): CAPE Teaching Artist since 2021
Education:
B.M. and M.M. in Jazz Studies
Bio:
Grayson Nye is a keyboardist, composer, producer, and educator based in Chicago, IL. Coming from a diverse musical background, Grayson’s skills allow him to fit in any genre, from classical to jazz, R&B to hip-hop, or folk to indie. All of these styles are reflected in his compositions as well as his playing. His playing style combines the lyricism of Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau, the emotion of Bill Evans and Paul Bley and the energy of Herbie Hancock and Thelonious Monk.
Born in the 1990s and growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Grayson was always interested in music. He started learning piano by ear before starting lessons in elementary school. From middle school through high school, Grayson played saxophone, where he first discovered his passion for jazz. Towards the end of his high school career, he switched to jazz piano where he continued his education by majoring in Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University. Grayson received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from WMU where he studied with Jeremy Siskind, Matthew Fries, Andrew Rathbun, John Hebert, and Edward Simon. While in Michigan, Grayson was the manager and keyboard player of the genre-bending group Lushh, where he produced three albums, and two large-scale collaborative arts projects. Lushh was awarded multiple awards in the Blues/Pop/Rock category of the DownBeat Student Music Awards and in 2019, Grayson was acknowledged as a soloist winner in the Graduate Student Blues/Pop/Rock category. In the summer of 2019, Grayson led a jazz quartet of musicians on a two-week teaching and playing tour of Colombia, helping spread jazz throughout the world.
Grayson’s versatility and unique voice has led him to performances at everything from jazz, to celtic, to EDM festivals. He has performed with touring off-Broadway acts, accompanied at The Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive and New York Voices Vocal Jazz Camp, written for and performed with symphony orchestras, composed for film, and much more. Just about anything you can think of, Grayson has done it, and continues to do so. Currently, Grayson performs with Jordan Hamilton, Sol Dial, the Last Gasp Collective and Fake Baseball while also performing and recording throughout the Midwest as an in-demand keyboardist. He continues to teach through his own private studio, Music House, and City Strings & Piano while furthering his efforts in composing, producing, and performing.
