Los-Angeles based DJ Tyson Illingworth (tyDi) was awarded the 2015 AEL Young Outstanding Alumnus of the Year from Griffith University for his outstanding contribution to the music industry.
Voted Australia’s number 1 DJ two years in a row and also one of the Top 100 DJ’s of the World in the past three years – Tyson has had a stellar career, releasing his very first album at just 19 while still studying at Queensland Conservatorium.
The Bachelor of Music Technology graduate is also the mastermind behind the chart-topping album Shooting Stars that reached iTunes Number 1 in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Finland, and Number 4 in the United States.
Now 28, he plays to tens of thousands of fans each week with a tour schedule of around 150 shows every year and says it’s an absolute honour to be recognised by the University he says helped launch his career path.
“The main thing I will always look back on and remember was that I was thrown into a place where I was surrounded by insanely talented musicians of every variety and that really is the best way to become a better musician yourself,” he says.
“The things I didn’t ever expect to experience at the Con were the things that turned out to be the things that changed my music for the better.”
Tyson, who grew up on the Sunshine Coast, says his love of electronic music began when he was 13 or 14 — a point where he realised he wanted to “make music, produce it and completely submerge myself in it”.
He admits though that making it in the music industry is not for the faint hearted.
“You definitely need to have fire power and you need to really know your art,” he says.
“But when you study, you’ll be blown away by the things you didn’t think you would learn that will turn out to be crucial and potentially life changing for your future in music.”
Learn more about the Bachelor of Music Technologyat Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.