At just 24, John Tyler has already done more than most artists dream of accomplishing in a lifetime. An Emmy Award–winning composer, bandleader, and entrepreneur, he’s also the visionary behind one of Baltimore’s most exciting cultural events: the LoveGroove Festival. The 9th Annual LoveGroove Festival is taking place Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
What began as a scrappy idea to give young artists a professional stage has grown into a movement that bridges Baltimore City and County, brings together hundreds of performers, and draws in major sponsors. Yet when we sat down with him, what stood out most wasn’t just the résumé or the accolades, it was the constant return to community, especially the ways Baltimore County and Towson feed into his vision.
Early Sparks
Tyler likes to say his career started with Guitar Hero III in the fourth grade. What began as a video game obsession soon led to a real guitar from his grandmother, a band in elementary school, and a roaring ovation from 200 classmates at a fifth-grade talent show. “That was the moment,” he told us. “That was when I knew music was going to be my life.”
By middle school, he was writing songs and teaching himself how to self-produce. High school brought even more growth: producing for artists as far away as London, playing festivals like Baltimore’s Artscape, and landing his first film and commercial work. That period also birthed what would become his signature creation the Love Groove Festival.
The Love Groove Vision
Founded in 2017, Love Groove started with a simple question: Why should young artists wait until they’re “discovered” to play on professional stages? Tyler saw hip-hop shows in basements, DIY punk gigs, and house parties with jazz players—all brimming with talent but siloed from one another. “Love Groove was about breaking down those walls,” he said.
Now, the festival has supported more than 500 emerging artists, partnered with over a dozen schools, and secured sponsorships from institutions Towson families know well Johns Hopkins, T. Rowe Price, PNC Bank, the Mellon Foundation. It’s also become a platform for giving back: past showcases have raised money for breast cancer research at Hopkins while spotlighting all-women lineups and offering workshops for students.
A Towson Connection
Though rooted in Baltimore City, Love Groove has always drawn heavily from Baltimore County. Tyler points to volunteers and sponsors from Towson, students who commute into the city to perform or intern, and families who make attending the festival a yearly tradition. “Towson is a bridge,” he explained. “Artists rehearse here, families support us here, and businesses get involved here. It feels like the county and the city growing together.”
That sense of connection carried over into 2023 when Tyler was asked to produce the music for the Orioles Baltimore City Connect Uniform reveal with Nike, for which he won an Emmy. His work curating local artists for pre-game performances and playlists meant that every home stand featured Baltimore talent—some from just down York Road. “When you’re sitting at Camden Yards and hear someone from Towson or Timonium blasting through the stadium speakers, that’s a moment of pride for the whole community,” he said.
Baltimore City Connect Reveal 2023 | You Can't Clip These Wings | Baltimore Orioles - Music Score by John Tyler
Expanding the Brand
Love Groove has since evolved into Love Groove Entertainment, a full-service company that plans festivals, books artists, and provides live band support for touring musicians. Clients range from Nike to community nonprofits. “It’s about infrastructure,” Tyler explained. “Artists need more than a stag, they need professional support, booking opportunities, and education. That’s what we’re building.”
Towson audiences may have already seen Love Groove Entertainment at work: from curated sets at the PNC Bank Black History Month Showcase to collaborations with Baltimore Center Stage and regional Juneteenth celebrations.
Scoring the City
Tyler’s work isn’t confined to festivals. He has become one of the region’s most sought-after film scorers, providing music for Bloomberg Philanthropies, Maryland Public Television, and Visit Baltimore.
Scoring, he said, scratches a different creative itch. “As an artist, you’re telling your own story. As a composer, you’re serving someone else’s vision. It forces you to listen in a new way, and that makes my own records stronger.”
John celebrates his Emmy Award
Albums, Emotions, and Audiovisions
Tyler’s discography reflects a refusal to be boxed in. The Good Side of Things leaned playful and genre-bending, framed like a radio show with skits and call-ins. Men Do Cry dove deep into masculinity and vulnerability, turning heartbreak and trauma into powerful music. His latest projects push even further: a two-part duology called Cry Like a Man and an ambitious Audiovision stage show, If I Could Weep, It Would Hail, paired with a companion book.
“These projects are about unpacking what we’re told not to feel,” he explained. “For men, that’s especially heavy. You grow up hearing ‘be tough, don’t cry,’ and you bury trauma. Music can be the medicine that brings it back up and helps you process.”
Ice Cream, Stadiums, and “Lost”
Tyler’s 2023 collaboration with the Charmery may have been his sweetest project yet: an ice cream flavor inspired by his single “Sugar & Spice.” The flavor became the creamery’s fourth best-seller of the year, launching the same weekend he played at Camden Yards and curated a block party at Patterson Park. “That weekend was wild,” he laughed. “Music, ice cream, baseball, community, it all collided.”
His single “Lost,” released soon after, reflects on identity and trauma while embracing stadium-sized production. “Playing in front of thousands changes how you hear sound,” he said. “That inspired me to make a song that felt huge but still personal.”
The Business of Art
Behind the music and festivals lies a sharp business sense. Tyler is candid about the challenges of money and acceptance. “Early on, I didn’t fit in anywhere, musically or socially,” he said. “And financially, being an artist requires learning how to stretch every dollar.”
Today, he treats budgeting as a creative tool and urges younger artists, including high schoolers in Towson to pay collaborators fairly, document their process, and pursue partnerships. “When you value your people, they stay, and your work gets better,” he said.
Dream Collaborations and Local Heroes
Globally, Tyler dreams of working with Yussef Dayes, Pharrell Williams, Janelle Monáe, Ludwig Göransson, and Tyler, the Creator. Locally, he’s excited about talents like 4K Michael, Julien Chang, and Mumu Fresh. “I reach out, no matter how big or small,” he said. “Collaboration makes the world go ‘round.”
Looking Ahead
Next up: more touring, more film scores, and more education. Johnny Llama Radio, a playful “radio station” concept he debuted as a teenager, will return this year as part of a Love Groove Entertainment platform that Tyler describes as “our own little HBO.” The site (and eventually an app) will house music, films, podcasts, and festival tickets.
For Towson, the call is simple: show up. Buy a ticket, sponsor a workshop, volunteer, or simply hit play. “Every time someone from Towson supports a young artist, that energy ripples outward,” Tyler said. “That’s how you build a scene that lasts.”
