“Blue” Gene Tyranny, born Joe Gantic and then adopted as Robert Nathan Sheff, lived a life dominated by music. From staging avant-garde concerts in high school to participating in the iconic ONCE festival in Ann Arbor to collaborating with Robert Ashley. He straddled many worlds but was always true to himself and his piano playing and composing reflect all of that.

Blue’s approach to music is best demonstrated through his own words:

Music is my way of being in the world. It teaches subtle feelings, natural growth, social interaction, and more. Music is the art of time passing filled with motion, emotion, locomotion, love of sound, and much more in bits and pieces. Music takes care of two basic needs that last throughout a lifetime: the need to relate to others and the need for freedom.