When Tyler Borton, a talented Bromfield sophomore, heard from friends at school about a Teen Idol competition, he jumped at the chance for his moment in the spotlight, and ultimately outperformed 17 other talented teens at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, placing third.
Borton auditioned successfully with Nine Inch Nails’ “Hand That Feeds.” During the competition he performed “Lost?” by Coldplay and “Calling All Angels” by Train. Regarding music, Borton says “I listen to way too much. U2 is my favorite band, but I listen to plenty of other stuff, from ’80’s Gothic music to modern rap; I’m all over the place.”
Borton reflects, “I was pretty surprised to have placed third in the competition. Some of the singers were very talented, and since there were two representatives from 10 different schools, my chances weren’t super high.”
Asked whether he dreams of performing on the popular music talent-search show American Idol Borton responds: “As far as American Idol is concerned, it’s not for me. I used to think so, but I don’t anymore.”
Although Borton likes to “dabble” in guitar and keyboard, his true passion is writing and singing. “With writing, my preferences come down to the lyrics usually,” explains Borton. “I’m rarely ever satisfied with what I write, but if I am, I can’t wait to sing it. When I play, I prefer the darker sounding songs usually, and a beat you can dance to is always nice.” He is currently taking guitar and voice lessons.
Borton dates the true beginning of his music career to Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. “That was the first time I performed with our band, Friday Night Delight, consisting of sophomore Will Byler on guitar, junior Phil Stapleton on bass and keyboards, and sophomore Ethan Chadwick on percussion,” he says. The band has performed at various events around town, the Bull Run restaurant, and Danny’s Place in Acton, according to the group’s Facebook page. The band hopes to release its first album, Sweet Nothings, this year.
Borton says he hopes to continue his music career and let it take him as far as it can go.
“There are abundant opportunities for careers in music, but at the same time, every other person wants to be in music. It’s certainly a competitive field. And as far as that competition goes, I want to place. No matter what direction my life may head, I want to keep music in there. I think being able to play music is one of the greatest things that can happen to someone. You just feel a tremendous sense of connection to everything, and to other musicians especially. It’s this bond that, as far as I know, can’t be compared to anything else.”