Bill Tyler, a native of upstate New York, received his bachelor's degree in horn performance from University of Memphis, and a master's degree from University of Wyoming. He was a concerto contest winner at both schools, and has played in various orchestras, including the Cheyenne Symphony and the Abilene (Texas) Philharmonic. He is currently employed by the FAA, working (though retirement-eligible) at the Charlotte/Douglas airport tower as an air traffic controller, where he has been employed for the past 18 years. His spare time is filled with performing with the Charlotte Civic Orchestra, the Somerset Winds (a woodwind quintet, with his wife Kim on oboe), various brass ensembles and just about any other group that will let him join in.