How A 16-Year-Old Musician Went From Drums To National Tours

Ty Smith was only 13 years old when he began performing with his acoustic guitar. Now, at 16, he’s the frontman of his own band, "Ty Smith & the Minor Offenses."

He stopped by the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch to talk about his early career and upcoming shows.

Image Provided By: Ty Smith

Early Musical Roots

“I started playing drums as soon as I could walk. My parents made the good decision to get me a drum set when I was just four years old. It was loud and very brave of them, but I fell in love with it.”

With drum lessons under his belt, Ty's musical journey was already in motion.

“My grandparents owned a pool hall and a music venue, so I was around music 24/7,” he explains. That exposure sparked his passion early on.

By the age of 13, Ty had taught himself guitar and hit the road, performing at shows.

Choosing Between Pool and Music

Interestingly, Ty’s life wasn’t just about music. He also had a talent for playing pool, thanks to growing up with a table in his garage. Ty said when he was 13, he had to decide between becoming a pro pool player or a musician.

As he began touring full-time, his family made a tough call to sell the pool table just to afford hotel rooms on the road.

Even though music won out, Ty’s love for pool never faded. "On my days off, I’m still in Sand Springs at the pool hall, playing for hours," he says, balancing both his passions when time allows.

The Formation of Ty Smith and the Minor Offenses

“It used to just be Ty Smith Music,” he explains. “But there are a lot of Ty Smiths out there, so we wanted something that could grab the audience's attention. We'd been joking around how I'm a minor, so it'd be funny doing like 'Minor Offenses.'"

After pitching the idea to their manager, they quickly embraced the name and soon had a full band. Now, "Ty Smith & the Minor Offenses" are playing shows across the country.

A New Music Video: "Lost and Found"

Recently, the band shot a music video for their new song, "Lost and Found.”

“A friend of ours from Nashville, KC Johns, flew in to shoot the video with us, and she even did a duet on the album,” Ty says.

He credits Greg Shipman Photography for handling the video production, describing the experience as “a blast.”

Where to Catch Ty Smith Live

For fans eager to catch Ty and his band live, they have two shows lined up.

The first is Friday night in Broken Arrow at The Lodge on Main. The acoustic show is free and starts at 8 p.m.

Image Provided By: Ty Smith

The Saturday show is at the Party in the Country event in Sapulpa. Their opener starts at 5 p.m.

For more information on the band, check out their website. Or visit them on their Facebook and Instagram pages.