After completing his B.Music at the University of Calgary in Jazz Studies 98’ Tyler continued to enhance his drumming skills attending the North Texas Drumset Camp, studying with legendary instructor Ed Soph. After that Tyler went on scholarship to the University of Colorado (Boulder) and completed his Masters Degree in Jazz Performance/Pedagogy 2006’. Since then Hornby has become a gifted composer by expanding his musical tastes, studying the craft with Grammy Award winning pianist Chip Stephens, and immersing himself in the work of other great players from all over the planet. His list of collaborators is wide and wealthy, including Bob Mintzer, Ingrid Jensen, Walter Smith III, Wycliffe Gordon, Frank Mantooth, Alain Caron, Randy Brecker, Eric Marienthal, Tom Harrell, Jiggs Whigham, Irvin Mayfield, James Carter, Brad Goode, Chip Stephens, Hugh Fraser, Tommy Banks, PJ Perry, Shelly Berg, Ralph Bowen, Maciek Grzywacz (with a 2007 Polish Music Award nomination for their collaboration), Maciej Sikala, Piotr Lemanczyk, Pat Bianchi, John Gunther, Ken Walker, Phil Dwyer, Mike Murley, David Braid, Joel Miller, Campbell Ryga, Jeff Johnston, Brad Turner, Victor Goines, Kirk MacDonald, Jens Lindemann, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks.

Hornby has performed at festivals, clubs and concerts in North America, South America and Europe, and has appeared on more than 50 recordings. His first solo album, a critically acclaimed exploration of post bop released in 2005 called Shadows of a Brighter Day, was selected for a National Jazz Compilation called Dig Your Roots. In 2009, Tyler was nominated for the Galaxie Rising Star Award of Radio Canada & General Motors Grand Jazz Award at Festival International de Jazz de Montreal and in 2011 released A Road to Remember which was nominated for a WCMA for Best Jazz Recording of the Year and received a Downbeat Magazine review: “…Tyler Hornby is a fluid player with a light touch and a penchant for writing wistful mid-tempo songs” (Nov 2010). In 2013, Tyler formed a new group the Tyler Hornby B3 Trio, releasing Locus which received a WCMA nomination for Best Jazz Recording of the Year (2014). In 2015 the Tyler Hornby Quartet released Launch which features Ingrid Jensen & David Braid and hit #1 on the Canadian National Jazz charts and remained in the top ten for 10 weeks. Launch was nominated for a 2015 WCMA & 2016 YYC Music Awards nomination for Best Jazz Recording of the Year. Tyler also received a nomination at the 2016 YYC Music Awards for Best Male Artist (all genres) & a Juno nomination for his drumming on Al Muirhead’s It’s About Time.

In addition to working with his own groups Hornby has collaborated with the Poland/Canada Jazz Trio Sikala/Lemanczyk/Hornby which received a 4 star review in Jazz Forum Magazine for their latest release Able to Fly. He has served as composer and musical director on a handful of live productions including; More Rocky Mountain Fairy Tales, University of Calgary Dance Department: Senses and Why Dance to the Power of One, and Sex Over 40.

Tyler is the jazz coordinator and instructor at Ambrose University teaching drum set, jazz history, and jazz combo as well as an instructor at the University of Calgary teaching drum set & percussion ensemble. He has developed clinics and workshops in Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, the United States, and Venezuela, and is the founder and director of the Drumset Educational Camp (Ambrose University) held annually in August as well as the director of the Ambrose University Jazz Camp.