Pondering, student and musician Tyler Michael Law fiddled his upper lip with an index finger, wearing a casual button-up blue shirt, grey dress pants and white bowling shoes.

Sitting in an apartment that is shared with friends, on his blue 1985 furniture donated by his parents, Law sank into his answers, just as he sank into his comfortable couch.

Law has attended Shippensburg University since the fall semester of 2014, majoring in communication/journalism.

As a freshman, he joined The Slate newspaper as opinion editor, and then became editor of the arts and entertainment section his sophomore year.

Now, he focuses on starting his ambitious solo musical career, while balancing the many hours of schoolwork and paying rent.

Law has performed as a solo acoustic act many times throughout the Shippensburg area, as well as in Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and several other cities.

He has always had his heart set on entertaining others.

His first real experience of feeling success was when he was 16, participating in a talent show at Palmyra Area High School in Palmyra, Pennsylvania.

Law wrote an original song and performed in front of people for a kids’ fundraiser. Law ended up winning the talent show and was applauded.

“Winning that talent show and getting a positive response was one of the most satisfying experiences of my life,” Law said.

Later, Law was nominated for a Hershey Apollo Theatre Award for “Best Lead Actor in a Musical,” for his role as The Cat in the Hat for “Seussical.” The award is given for exceptional acting for high school students in central Pennsylvania.

“I got to perform a song at the Hershey Theatre in front of 2,000 people and that was very satisfying.”

Looking deep into his psyche, he discussed his role as an individual and artist.

“I want people to think of me as a creator and it’s also important that people see me as a person,” Law said. Law is not just a musician. He is an actor, a poet: “I like to create things,” Law said.

Law made a great distinction that those we see as actors and famous, “we stop seeing them as people.” His desire to be human is key, and music helps humans be closer to other humans.

“Sometimes musicians have crowds of 30,000 people, and it’s amazing that they are coming together to see someone do something incredible,” Law said.

The emotion that is brought together by way of music is something that Law says is beautiful.

Despite his loose, semi-casual choice in clothing, Law has embraced the idea of bringing people together through art.

“The venue of having people together with similar interest of what’s going on, it makes it easier to talk about other things with those people,” Law said.

Law’s style that he has gravitated to over the years is that of old-country music influence, based on good storytelling.

His upcoming EP of six tracks, “Highway Born,” falls in line of the typical American stories that everyone has experienced in some way, at one point or another, whether they realize it or not.

For example, the title song, “Highway Born,” talks of a fight between a couple that seems never-ending, which parallels the infinite illusion of the road. This then allows the listener to form an image in their mind and relate to what Law is pouring out into his music.

“Imagery has always been important to me. I like pictures. I like when a song can put a picture in my head,” Law said. “It’s really important in music. The best songs are those that can paint a picture in your head.”

Another song, “Sleep,” talks about a collection of random images, like when he sings, “Candles flicker off the wall.”

The people that Law admires, like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, also have this ability to paint pictures through music.

Law said that even though they may not be complicated musicians, it is the substance of their music that matters most.

“It doesn’t matter how complicated the music, or how impressive your vocabulary is. If you do not have a reason for writing and a message, then I don’t think it’s worth doing,” Law said.

Troy Okum, a close friend of and roommate of Law’s, often hears him practicing in their apartment.

“It’s like having a free concert, whether you want to go or not,” Okum said.

Okum explained that Law is always working, all hours of the day, and he admires that Law is devoted to what he is doing.

“I’m like a cheetah. I never stop,” Law said. But Okum thought that Law reminded him of a raven, looking down to Earth yet separate from it, reflecting on what the world should be.

Okum explained that when people see Law on stage, he is giving them his heart, “his physical heart, an organ, opening the floodgates of whatever he decides to share.”

“People have been relatively receptive about him and he’s always been able to get into venues. I’m sure it will continue to happen,” Okum said.

Law’s first single, “Medicine,” from his “Highway Born” EP, is available now at tylermichaellaw.bandcamp.com.

“A day might come where I’ll have to hang this up and I hope that doesn’t happen,” Law said. “I hope I can make a career out of this, but I’m glad that for the moment I can do what I love.”

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