By Alyssa Riley

 

For many college students, attending a university – big or small – has always been the plan to get a preferable job and be successful once stepping out of the education world. While going to college can provide these things, it does not have to be the answer for everyone. In fact, dropping out of school to pursue aspirations and goals is becoming more common than ever. 

 

Tyler Colon, a.k.a. Tai Verdes, dropped out of college and has successfully made it in the world without the college courses, credits and degrees that are so often put on pedestals. With eight singles and an album under his belt, Verdes’ music career has taken off, but it was not any easy paved road that led him to where he is now. 

 

After parting with the education route in 2017, he started working odd jobs, like his prior occupation as a telephone salesman, to support himself while striving for fame. Even his seven rejections by talent shows like American Idol and The Voice did not alter his plans. 

 

It was not until he entered an MTV dating show that he had the means to launch himself into the life he always wanted. He won the series, along with $50,000, and booked it to Los Angeles where he continued working in retail while perfecting his craft.

 

After his persistent hard work, millions of streams from his TikTok hit ‘Stuck In The Middle’ and several other chart-topping singles, he has gained praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Apple Music, and on March 28, 2022, Tai made his way to George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, Arkansas; a stop on his HDTV Tour.    

 

George’s Majestic Lounge, a well-known bar and music venue in Fayetteville, often brings in musicians that locals are thrilled to see live, and this concert was no different. On the evening of March 28, the concert began, and the room was packed to the brim.

 

Arden Jones, a 20-year-old alternative and indie artist, opened the show with several of his most popular songs, which did not disappoint the waiting crowd. An acoustic guitar, ukulele, and DJ accompanied the musician while streams of blue, pink, green, yellow, orange, and purple spilled from the stage lights.

 

College students –  in an assortment of clothing from Hawaiian shirts to Bass Pro Shop hats – pushed further toward the stage as Jones thanked the crowd and introduced Tai, who would be entering shortly.

 

As the show drew nearer, more people piled in through the entrance, yet not all were hip 20-something-year-olds. Several men with beards and canes moseyed around the performance hall, not knowing what to expect from Verdes.

 

“I just heard about him three weeks ago, but I’ve been listening to his stuff and he’s pretty good,” said one older man, surveying the room and its occupants as alternative rock music played from the speakers during the intermission.

 

Around 9:30, the band members filed onto the stage toward their respective stations. Smoke spilled out of the side wings as whoops and hollers gained volume and excitement – blue lights shot into the front row of fans.

 

Suddenly, blue switched to flashing white, and high-pitched whistles gave a welcoming and anticipatory aura in addition to the array of steadily growing noises. Tai’s name was chanted and finally, the grand entrance was made.

 

The opening song ‘Happy til it hurts’ began and Verdes danced and moved around the stage energetically. The crowd followed suit, raising all arms and throwing them back and forth to the beat.

 

The show was already off to an excellent start.

 

As his first show back in America for the tour, and in red, baggy pants and a casual white t-shirt, Tai Verdes gave an air of comfort and ease.

 

When he started ‘FEELING THIS BAD NEVER FELT SO GREAT’, the adoring fans immediately joined in singing the lyrics. “Ohhh, you guys were ready for this one,” Verdes chirped, smiling adoringly and chuckling.

 

Later in the performance, he looked to the left side of the crowd and called on a fan named Mike. “Big Mike, do you want to know what she said to me?” he asked the lucky, pointed-out man. Everyone went wild, literally. ‘Stuck In The Middle’, which led to an avalanche of TikTok videos across the globe to the alternative, up-beat song, began, and not one person was standing still as the chart-topping hit played.

 

The way Tai executed the production portrayed there was nowhere else he would have rather been and nothing he wanted to hear more than his songs sung in a bustling room. He even performed a never-before-heard song, ‘100 Sad Songs’, that will hit the shelves of music platforms everywhere soon.

 

After becoming wildly popular with those who prefer their music with a touch of R&B, alternative, and pop, he released his album ‘TV’, which is “The story of the last four years of my life – and I needed every single track to have a purpose…” he told BBC News in an interview. 

 

Verdes said, “I wanted it to be a story so that people had a reason to listen to the whole thing and understand who I am and what I’m aiming for.”

 

There was not one moment during his concert when the whole room was not racked with fun instrumentals, catchy lyrics, fulfilled audience members, and encouraging remarks to keep the tunes coming.

 

Although his journey to fame was not easy – and he is still making his way up the ladder – he has a devoted and adoring fan base who are thrilled for the release of new music and to witness his journey to the top.

 

And hopefully, Tai Verdes will make his way back to Fayetteville one day soon, where students considering life without school and the possibility of other opportunities can find inspiration in his story, both of dropping out to follow his dreams and what is to come.