ABOUT Tyler Hawes
SESSION TITLE: Clack City Kashakas Town Hall
Tyler Hawes is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator from Akron, Ohio. During his undergraduate percussion studies under Josh Ryan at Baldwin Wallace University, he studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa, at the Dagbe Cultural Institute under Emmanuel Agbeli. Immersed in traditional drum and dance music, he discovered the kashakas, or “thelevi” in the Volta Region, which became a significant influence.
During the Covid pandemic, Tyler delved deeper into the possibilities of the kashakas. Social media revealed global kashaka communities, leading him to connect with PANMAN, a Japanese kashaka virtuoso. Studying PANMAN’s techniques, Tyler developed his unique style and techniques, aiming to popularize the kashakas in the United States.
Seeing a lack of quality kashaka instruments in the U.S., Tyler founded Clack City Kashaka Co., a small business run from his garage. He manufactures kashakas from traditional swawa gourds imported from West Africa, treated with a “secret sauce” to enhance durability, climate resistance, and resonance. Tyler’s goals for Clack City Kashaka Co. are to produce quality instruments, raise awareness of the kashakas, integrate them into contemporary American music, and inspire others.
Tyler holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and an MFA in Film Music Composition from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He teaches private lessons at the Trillium Schools of Music and performs with various groups in Northeast Ohio.
