Award winning banjo player Tyler Comeau to play at Brome Fair
Tyler Comeau of Cowansville may still be in high school, but that isn’t stopping him from making quite a name for himself with his music. This summer, at the 83rd annual Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax, Virginia, Tyler came in first place for solo youth banjo playing and also in first place for youth band.
Entering the solo category of youth banjo player, Tyler faced stiff competition from a multitude of players from all over the United States, Canada, the British Isles, and even Japan. It was a great experience and it was made even greater when Tyler came in first place, being named Youth Banjo Player of the Year.
On the same day, Tyler had to perform in his youth band, a group whose members had met at previous festivals and kept in touch, practicing together using the internet. It was a demanding, high-energy contest and the band only had a little time to practice in person at the festival before performing on stage. Joining Tyler were Kyser George from North Carolina on the big bass, Presley Barker, also from North Carolina, on rhythm guitar, and Carson Peters from Tennessee on fiddle. The boys all had to be 15 years old or younger in order to compete. They performed two songs and had to wait until the evening to get the judges’ results. First place!
What made the competition results for Tyler extra special was that it was his first time entering a competition. Those titles are impressive enough on their own, but the young musician’s skills stand out even more when you find out that he has been playing the banjo for only about a year.
A gifted musician who plays by ear, Tyler learned to play on his own with help from his great uncle, Larry Comeau, and a little extra advice from his grandfather, Ronnie Comeau, both of whom used to be in a blue grass band called, “The Southeast Mountain Boys”. In 2017 Tyler performed with the band. Tyler not only plays the banjo, but the guitar and the mandolin.
Now Tyler has his own band, “Tyler Comeau and Highway 10.” They got together this past spring. The other band members are Jean-marc Lajoie, Ronnie Comeau, Joey Digman, and Peter Goulet. They have played at a festival in the 1000 Islands in Ontario and other venues. They will be performing at Brome Fair on Saturday morning on the small stage at 10 a.m.
As for the world of competition, Tyler says he wants to return next year to compete in the adult division. It will be a challenge, but one that he wants to pursue in the years to come.