Ty Rogers was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Following high school, he travelled across Canada for several years playing a wide variety of music.
Upon his return to Winnipeg, Ty spent almost ten years at the University of Manitoba, completing: a Bachelor of Fine Arts (honours) majoring in painting; a Bachelor of Music; and a Bachelor of Education.
While in University, Ty made a living playing the “A circuit” rock rooms in Winnipeg with a band called Cinema; releasing an album, Go Big. As the Winnipeg music scene started to lean towards country, the band changed its name to Hawg Wylde and became a country act.
Hawg Wylde recorded a CD entitled “Kick off Your Boots” with a single of the same name, which was played on heavy rotation from coast-to-coast on radio, as well as on the national country music channel - CMT. The single and album made it on to Canadian charts and won several MACA awards.
Since finishing his degrees, Ty has been playing with numerous artists including: Tracy K and the Right Hand Band; Blues On First; Claire Bestland; Sean Hogan; Duane Steele; Gil Grand; J.R. Vautour; Momentary Madness; Curtis Newton; Eli Barsi; Grant Leutschaft (The Grind); Brent Scott Trio; Greg Lowe; Udder Maddness (Now, Hey Romeo) ; The Piano Cats; Kitty and the Bad Kats; The Joe Curtis Band; Star 69; Shandra Levreault; Not Too Shabby; DJ St. Germain; Four Play; Brenda Rogers; Stephanie Thomson, Hydraulic Jackson, Jenifer Scott; Tim Butler; The Barry Player Band; Chris Bigford; Mike and the Eastwood Gang; Tracy Millar; The Piano Cats; Craig Moritz; and Gord Bamford.
Ty appears, playing drums, in two Hollywood movies; Coming Forward starring Penelope Anne Miller; and More Than Meets The Eye: The Joan Brock Story, starring Carey Lowell.
Ty, Tracy K, and the rest of the Right Hand Band also recorded a song – Rock this House – for the soundtrack of Coming Forward. Ty is also on Tracy K’s newest album, Old, New, Borrowed and Blues
In addition to acoustic drumset, Ty plays acoustic percussion and the Zendrum – an instrument which is held in a similar fashion to a guitar and plays digital drum sounds. A sampling of his Zendrum performances can be heard on two CD’s with Chapman stick player Leo Gosselin. He also performed live with B.J. Garrison, Sonic Vibe, and the Amazing Rhythm Band on acoustic percussion and Zendrum.
Four of Ty’s paintings appear in by writer/director Cam Patterson’s independent film, Flashes. Ty storyboarded, and played Zendrum on Figment. Ty also played acoustic drums, and Zendrum on Grant Leutschaft’s album Volume One.
Ty was awarded 2006 WinnipegBlues.com Drummer of the Year.
CBC recently aired a Tracy K concert, recorded in Ottawa on February 15th, 2008. It can be heard at the Concerts on Demand: Tracy K , on CBC.ca. Ty is playing Zendrum on tracks 9-13.
Modern Drummer, the world’s #1 drum magazine, has featured drum sets painted by Ty. The Laughing Drum Set is featured in the January 2006 issue, and The Twins, cocktail drum set, is featured in the February, 2009 edition.
Ty has been teaching private drum students for over 15 years and currently maintains a roster of forty students. Ty is a member of the Vic Firth Education Team and endorses Ayotte drums.