Guest Artist Spotlight: Adam Tilford

This year, second-year Musical Theatre students at LIHSA are learning from the dynamic and multi-talented Adam Tilford, a freelance composer and performer with an impressive background in the arts. A graduate of Ball State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance, Adam brings both academic training and professional experience to the classroom.

Adam has composed scores for Off-Broadway productions like A Christmas Carol, earning a New York Innovative Theatre Award nomination, and for the film Big Easy Queens, which won Best Soundtrack at the Vienna Independents Film Awards. His career also includes international performances, leading sing-alongs with Darren Criss at Elsie Fest, serving on the AMDA New York faculty, and working as Artistic Director at Depot Theatre Academy.

At LIHSA, Adam is a musical director, vocal coach, accompanist, and conductor, guiding students through the rewarding process of producing a full musical. He began working with LIHSA through the Summer Arts Academy and has since collaborated on shows including Finding Nemo Jr., Shrek Jr., The Who’s Tommy, Urinetown, and the original production Big Shot.

What Adam appreciates most about the LIHSA community is the unique combination of hard work and creativity. “Everyone comes prepared,” he says, “so we can create in the moment.”  He brings the joy of being an artist to his students at LIHSA and his enthusiasm for art is contagious.

When facing creative blocks, Adam reconnects with the joy that first drew him to music—playing and creating for fun. He encourages students to embrace failure as a necessary and valuable part of growth.  His advice for aspiring artists?  “Ask for help. Be willing to fail. Go for it—all out. Why do anything halfway?”