Tyler Ford is a contender on the second season of The Glee Project. They were eliminated in the fourth episode, Sexuality. Tyler's pronouns are "they/them/theirs".[1]
About[]
Tyler has an ear for music. They have been performing for 11 years, and are passionate about picking up and learning to play different instruments like the ukulele, for instance. Tyler is very independent in their lifestyle and ambitions. When they were 18 months old, Tyler taught themself how to read by sleeping with maps and the TV guide in their crib. Currently they are a student at Vanderbilt University. Tyler is half black, half Jewish and transgender. Tyler originally auditioned for The Glee Project at the Nashville open casting call: "I decided to audition because I love performing so I’ve always wanted to do that as my career, and The Glee Project came along and the audition was five minutes from my school, so why not? I hadn’t seen The Glee Project before, but I did know I wanted to be on Glee. I went to the open call in Nashville and waited for four hours with like 500 other people and got to Robert. It’s crazy to think this all happened because of an open call" (from their exit interview with EW magazine).
Transitioning[]
Tyler originally knew they were a boy when they were 3 or 4, according to a Tumblr post. " I was too young for my gender identity to cause conflict between my brain and body, but I absolutely knew that I was a boy. I knew in elementary school, but didn’t have the words or enough grasp of the situation to express myself. I knew who I was and who I wanted to be, but I also never questioned adults (aloud) as a child and was always aiming to please them. I heard “you’re a girl - go stand in line with the other girls” enough times to just accept that it was something that I had to do." they said in this post. " Over the summer between 6th and 7th grade (a few months shy of age 13), I decided to repress my identity to try to fit in. I tried to “be [stereotypically] feminine” for 3 years, and by sophomore year of high school, I was too depressed to care. However, by this point, I had repressed my identity so much that gender wasn’t even on my mind anymore. I knew things were wrong, but I couldn’t place them. I only knew that I felt completely different from everyone I came into contact with. High school was generally a horrible experience, with the exception of some awesome teachers and opportunities perform in several talent shows." They said they started questioning their gender identity the summer after their freshman year of college: "I was a camp counselor for 12-14 year old boys. I spent a lot of my free time reading blogs and watching vlogs by trans people. Over the months, I questioned everything about myself and what I wanted to do with my life." They went back to school but kept feeling an overwhelming sense of depression, saying "Every single day was a war in my head. I tried to pinpoint exactly what I wanted, why I wanted it, and at what cost I could make it happen. I was suicidal and terrified of my future and who I was becoming as a result of depression. As desperate and miserable as I felt, I saw a microscopic light in the very back of my mind. I’ve always had a sense of purpose, and I knew that if I found a way to get myself through everything I was dealing with, I’d be able to live an amazing life and change the lives of others. This honestly did not make me feel any better, but it was enough to push me to just survive every day. Every single day continued to be the worst I’d ever had, but I slowly came to understand myself better. After an entire year of questioning myself and my identity, I came to the decision that I wanted to live in the body I’d wished for since I was a kid. I wanted to start hormones no matter the cost, because I couldn’t stand to live and not be seen for who I was. When it came down to it, physically transitioning was a life or death choice for me. I wasn’t born with the ability to choose my gender. I was born with the ability to choose to live in a way that is open, honest, and true to myself."
Trivia[]
- Do not put out their birth name. They are Tyler
- They chose their name because of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Source
- Tyler is an only child (according to a live chat on 6/25/12).
- Tyler and Abraham didn't know one another before the show, but they are now roommates (2012). Source
- Tyler didn’t mention their transgender status during his GP audition until they were asked to sing in their falsetto range – a range which by then was already gone. Source
- By the time taping started, Tyler was 7 months into transition and their voice was changing almost daily.
- Tyler's favorite character in Glee is Santana Lopez. Source
- They grew up singing in Boca Raton, Florida with Ariana Grande.
- Their biggest fear is choking on food or pills (Fearlessness Vlog).
- They like Faberry, Brittana and Klaine.
- They use Lady Gaga as a constant inspiration in their music, as well as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake.
- Tyler’s Mom recalls them humming at 8 months, and by 2 years old they were planted in front of the stereo singing along to Elton John, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. Source
- About their goals, they say "My first goal is to be on the Ellen show — I love Ellen...My dream has always been to have a record deal and go on a world tour. I definitely want to improve my voice because I’m only one year on testosterone, so it’s still doing its thing. I also want to get into speaking, and sharing my story and [helping] a lot of people. As long as I get to help people and do what I love, that’s what I want."
- They are a Scorpio.
- The other contestants say Tyler's unique laugh is "somewhere between a goat being attacked with a flamethrower and Spongebob."
- They were dating a girl named Kristin Cornell but they broke up in early August. They say that "I’m still really struggling with it. I have good days and bad days. She’s still my best friend and I don’t care to explain any of the situation to anyone at all because that’s really no one’s business. She’s my first love (first real everything, really) and it’s just extremely difficult to process everything and go through post-breakup shit. Our relationship is one of the best things I’ve ever fallen into and I’m so thankful for everything we had, everything we have, and everything we will have, regardless of whether it’s romantic or platonic. She’s an incredible person and I love her more than I know what to do with." Source Source 2
- They are a fan of One Direction, Sia, Demi Lovato, Sara Bareilles and Ed Sheeran.
- They have one tattoo, a bluebird behind their ear.
- "Love, Actually" is one of their favorite movies of all time. They also love Miyazaki movies.
- They are 5'4", according to their exit interview with EW.
- They said in a GLAAD interview, "If I could pick my own theme [for a Glee Project episode], it would be "Musicality." We'd be challenged to write and perform our own songs. Maybe we'd be given some non-musical props and would have to find a way to make them musical and incorporate them into our performances."
- They were born in NYC and relocated to Florida when they were 4 years old.
- Music is in Tyler’s DNA – their Mom studied musical theater at NYU, and Dad played guitar – and their grandparents do a musical revue in their retirement community every year.
- They graduated from Spanish River High School in 2009 and then went to Vanderbilt University.
- They love the shows "Sherlock," "Private Practice," "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "Adventure Time."
- Their hair has been dyed purple and red in the past and they are currently thinking about dying it mint green.
- They love to read fanfiction and are an avid "shipper."
- They love Harry Potter and belong to the Slytherin House on Pottermore.
- They played the violin in 3rd and 4th grade and the trumpet in middle school. They are currently working on mastering the guitar but have yet to have it shipped to L.A. Source
- They won Spanish River High School's "Miss Shark" talent pageant in 2008 and have performed across South Florida with a troupe called Kids Who Care and used to sing with an a cappella group called Vanderbilt Variations.
- Their mom Melanie works as a medical assistant at a plastic surgery center. Source
- They love bookstores, especially Barnes & Noble.
- They prefer soy milk over regular milk.
- They say that they have many bad habits, including biting their cuticles/inside of their lip.
- They describe themself as a private and reserved person who "will never tell you what I’m going through unless you’re extraordinarily close to me and other circumstances have led me to tell you." They say they're not very patient, "not a venting person" nor a person who likes to dwell on their feelings and that they process everything internally. Source
- They have struggled with depression, like fellow contestant Nellie.
- They say that although they love being so close to their TGP friends, they hate living in L.A. because “the vibe just isn’t me.” Source
Quotes[]
- Main article: Tyler's Quotations
Songs[]
Solos[]
Solos (In a group number)[]
|
Season 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Episode |
Homework Assignment |
Music Video |
| The Final 14 | N/A | The Edge of Glory |
| Individuality | Born This Way | Here I Go Again |
| Dance-ability | We Got The Beat | Party Rock Anthem |
| Vulnerability | My Life Would Suck Without You | Everybody Hurts |
| Sexuality | I Wanna Sex You Up | Moves Like Jagger/Milkshake |
Progress[]
| Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler | RISK | RISK | IN | OUT |
IN The contender was not at risk of elimination.
RISK The contender was at risk of being eliminated.
OUT The contender was eliminated.
Homework Pogress[]
| Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler | NC | FB | NC | NC |
NC The contender had no comments from the mentor.
FB The mentor gave the contender feedback since their performance could've been better.
Contact[]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
The Glee Project Season 2 -- Tyler Interview
Tyler Interview
The Glee Project! Tyler Interview! SEASON 2
Tyler Interview
Tyler's Video Diary Sexuality
Tyler's Video Diary: Sexuality
Tyler's Video Diary Fearlessness
Tyler's Video Diary: Fearlessness