I’m a musical storyteller currently based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania striving to use my work in music and theater to connect and impact people.
As a composer, arranger, orchestrator, lyricist, music director, performer, and teacher, the intention of my work is to bring life to authentic, powerful stories. I believe storytelling is an essential part of our humanity, helping us communicate, reflect, process, understand, heal, grow, and give. I am truly inspired by the pursuit and expression of the themes and ideas - musical, emotional, and conceptual - that are at the heart of every story and discovering more about this beautiful life with each new project. Musically, I love melding genres and combining my roots in contemporary vocal music with my training in classical music to build new sounds and musical narratives in the worlds of musical theater, choral music, instrumental music, pop, and even hip-hop. I hope that I may say some things that people need to hear and put a little more light, a little more love, into the world each day.
Hello, world! I’m Tucker.
My Story
I grew up having the chance to spend much of my time watching my dad coach football and my mom and sisters perform in community theater. From my early years through much of high school, I tried my hand at both, admittedly dreaming of a future more athletic in nature. However, after stepping onstage for my freshman year musical and deciding to teach myself vocal percussion so I could join my sister in our school’s a cappella group, something began to shift. The further I went along the path, the deeper I fell in love with music and theater for how freely they allowed me to express, be, and discover myself, and because of the unique power the mediums have to bring people together and remind us of who we are and can be, and all that we share.
My early exposure to the organic, grounded sound of contemporary a cappella and its community sparked a passion that has since brought me some of the deepest relationships and most extraordinary musical experiences of my life. After relocating to Pittsburgh, I attended A Cappella Academy, where I was blessed to sing with incredible young musicians from all over the world while being mentored by some of the greatest vocal musicians of our time, including Erin Bentlage and Tracy LJ Robertson. In my senior year, I founded and directed my own group, Free Verse, where I got my start arranging music.
By then, I knew I was choosing music as my path forward.
My next step was Carnegie Mellon University, where I studied Music Composition with the vibrant and fantastic Nancy Galbraith. Graduating with my BFA in 2022, I additionally minored in Drama and Music Education and completed my Pennsylvania K-12 Music Education Certification. My most significant projects from that extremely formative era included serving as composer and music director for the world premiere of Power/Trip - a play adapted, written, and directed by the brilliant Anne DeMelo - my cinematic, heartfelt orchestral debut Stepping with the Stars, and the triumphant premiere of my original song-cycle Thoughts Drawn from Falling Water - telling the story of my own journey to find peace after a major accident changed the course of my life.
I also continued my a cappella experience in college, joining The Originals. I served The O’s as Business Manager, Assistant Music Director, and Artistic Director, and worked as a lead arranger for four years, co-arranging our 2019 ICCA Finals Set, as well as our 2022 ICCA Set, which was recognized for Outstanding Arrangement.
My work at Carnegie Mellon led me to develop a multi-faceted skillset that allows me to contribute to projects of a wide variety of styles in a myriad of different roles - from the stage to the studio to the classroom and beyond. In the time since graduation, I have worked as a teacher at the high school and elementary levels, music assisted for Pittsburgh’s Front Porch Theatricals, arranged for a cappella groups, and music directed live concert acts across the country. Most recently, I am celebrating the release of Magic Trick Rap Show by Kid Wolf and the Abracultabra, a unique project combining rap and pop with orchestral music for which I served as a co-creator as well as lead composer and orchestrator.
I believe I have much to give to the world as a musical storyteller, working to use words and music to reach people - whether I’m telling my own stories or working with others to build and share together. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and thrilled to learn, grow, and connect as much as possible while I create and collaborate. There’s so much exciting life to be lived, and many more stories to tell - stay tuned!
Thank you for being here! I hope we can connect soon.
Many blessings.