Tyler Joseph

“As long as we need examples of how to live, as long as we aspire, we will never be too old for heroes” (Granger). David Granger’s article explains that heroes are essential to culture and despite age or time era, people will always need someone to look up to. Heroism can be seen through the traits people admire and want to possess. A hero can be any person possessing heroic traits which can be gained by thinking outside of themselves. Heroes can be seen every day: a fireman who risks his life to spare someone else’s life, a foster parent who wants to make an impact on children’s lives, a youth pastor who guides students through their faith. A person can show heroism simply by doing good to better the lives of others or by putting other people’s needs before their own. The title of “hero” can be gained through selflessness and compassion by helping others and sacrificing to benefit those around them. A hero is someone who portrays perseverance and also has the ability to stay true to what they believe.

Tyler Joseph(right) and Josh Dun are given custom awards presented by Warner Music Canada making their single "Stressed Out" Triple Platinumhttps://musiccanada.com/news/twenty-one-pilots-presented-with-platinum-award-plaques-in-toronto/An individual who portrays these heroic traits is a singer and songwriter named Tyler Joseph. He serves as an inspiration by using his fame to encourage people to stay positive during tough times and to ultimately stay true to themselves no matter where life takes them. Tyler Joseph, who grew up in a Christian household in a small town in Ohio, started off playing basketball in high school and was planning on getting a scholarship from it, but he knew he had to follow his passion of singing. He formed a band who began playing at local venues, not aware that he would end up winning many awards and touching the hearts of fans around the world. Although many people may only know Tyler Joseph for his Grammy Awards performance, or Triple Platinum single, his fans think of his perseverance through life struggles and his honesty in what he believes, despite societal views, which makes him a hero.

Tyler Joseph successfully faced the challenges put in front of him, and in doing so, is now a hero to many.  Before fame, Tyler Joseph created the band Twenty One Pilots with band member Josh Dun but soon realized their dream was not easily achievable. In an interview Joseph talks about his struggle to rise to fame: “We realized it was very difficult to get shows as a local band... so when you get one you have to think and make sure no one forgets this...” (Tyler Joseph).Tyler Joseph describes how it was very difficult to get shows because no one was looking for bands who were simply “local bands” to perform. Despite the lack of opportunity, he did not give up on his dream. Tyler Joseph did not let this drawback stop him, and made many calls and from time to time would get a show. When he did get to perform, though just locally, he gave it his all so everyone would remember their performance. A few years later, Twenty One Pilots released their first independent album and it was a huge hit. However, their second independent album didn’t have the same fate. “Joseph and Dun released the second independent album of the band titled ‘Regional at Best’ on July 8, 2011 to little success. The album could garner sale of only 3000 copies” (TheFamousPeople). Even after their sales dropped in 2011, Tyler Joseph continued his passion for singing. He wrote from his heart and regardless if he made a large profit, or none at all, Tyler Joseph gave it his all and followed his dream. Though not many people were buying albums, and the fan base was small, Joseph did not hesitate to persevere through the rough patch and proceed to express his musical talent. If it had not been for his perseverance, Joseph would have never written and produced his third album, which was a hit and sold over five thousand copies. Tyler Joseph is a great example to follow your dreams and be passionate about things you love no matter the outcome. Through Tyler Joseph’s perseverance, he accomplished so much despite having a rough start to his ideal career.

Here Tyler Joseph is preforming for his churchhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMymMTFfDkTyler Joseph portrays a heroic persona because despite his fame and new lifestyle, he stays true to his own beliefs and his faith in God remains unshaken. Hollywood’s judgment can be harsh, but Joseph ignores that and proceeds to make his faith known. “Joseph, a devout Christian, has also remained associated with Five 14 church... many of the songs written by Joseph are influenced by his faith”(TheFamousPeople). Joseph was raised in a Christian household with Five14 church being his home church and he continues to attend service there when he is not on tour. Throughout all his fame and fortune his faith has never wavered. Being “Hollywood famous” can make it especially hard to share unpopular beliefs because not everyone agrees with the message of Christianity. People’s careers have been ruined because of their Christian faith and it can often lead to a loss of fans. The fact that he is so open shows his faith is more important than his career. Through this, it inspires other Christians to do the same, looking to him as a role model. Not only are his Christian beliefs important to him, but he also believes in strong content: “We’ve been big believers in the importance of content online, and we have videos up before we had gotten signed or anything so it’s a big reason we are here today” (Tyler Joseph). Tyler Joseph states that content had always been something very important to him, he believes that it is what led to his success. This “content” consists of being open about himself online and having moving lyrics in order to get a strong connection with his fans. Many famous singers and bands just sing about whatever is trending and what will make the most profit, but Tyler Joseph writes from the heart to inspire fans, which is why people look up to Twenty One Pilots. Fans know he puts a lot of effort into is songs which make them special to listen to, especially knowing he sacrifices so much of his own time to ensure his following is encouraged through the positive messages in his lyrics. Tyler Joseph goes into more detail of  their song content: “...people are listening to the deepest things that you could struggle with as a person but it was accepted on such a level that I realized that that’s what music should be about; opening up about things that you really can not have a conversation about, or talking about those things in just a normal setting.” Tyler Joseph is saying he believes that through music, he can reach people in their hardships by discussing these topics in his lyrics. When the band became more well known and people began listening to their music, instead of being ashamed of his secrets and struggles, Tyler decided to use it as an opportunity to meet people where they are circumstantially, and he used his music to relate to others. The personal struggles Joseph writes about cover topics such as faith and suicide which are things listeners may be dealing with in their own lives as well. This type of content, as said in the quote, can be hard to discuss in everyday life because people do not always want to admit they need help, but when listeners hear the lyrics they can feel like they are a part of something bigger and know others struggle with similar things. He believes that his music will help people which is why his song lyrics and content is important to him. Joseph connects his faith and personal struggles together in order to write his music and by doing so, he makes known what he believes and tells people what helps him in a way that people will want to hear. Tyler Joseph sticks to his beliefs personal although it can be a challenge with all the pressure that is put on him by society in order stay true to himself and share his faith.

This is something Tyler Joseph says at the end of concerts let their fans know they are all connected through their musichttps://www.pinterest.com/explore/twenty-one-pilots-names/?lp=trueUsing his fame for more than to benefit himself, Tyler Joseph stuck to his beliefs and persevered through hard times in his life, inspiring others to do the same. By overcoming his obstacles he was able to rise to fame and give hope to his fans. Despite drastic life changes, he still stayed strong in his Christianity, and his close relationship with God helped with his songwriting. By persevering through his hardships, he was able to share his experiences in life in his music and give other people support. Tyler Joseph is an inspiration through his honesty and his personal, hope-filled song lyrics that cover deep topics. One of the things he wrote that really spoke to me was in his song “Screen”: “While you’re doing fine, there’s some people and I who have a really tough time getting through this life so excuse us while we sing to the sky” (Tyler Joseph). Here, he expresses that he too has struggles and to get through them, he turns to God for encouragement. This lets listeners know that everyone struggles, but things will get better through God, who will give comfort. This relates to my life because I am a Christian, and I hope that my faith in God will eventually be as strong as Joseph’s. He is the perfect example to turn to God in all your trials and shares the gospel message with all of his listeners not worrying about repercussions. As a Christian, I am often questioned for my faith, but because of Tyler Joseph, it is easier for me to stay firm in my faith. A hero is anyone who has the power to inspire and help others. When I look at Tyler Joseph, I see more than a man with a talent; I see a hero.

Works Cited:

AlternativePressMag. “Twenty One Pilots Tell the Story behind Their Masks.” YouTube,   YouTube, 16 Oct. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDCYFvrw7DM.

“Christian band Twenty One Pilots confounds secular critics, shows Gen-Y & Z a way to faith” God Reports, 18 Dec. 2017,blog.godreports.com/2016/04/christian-band-twenty-one-pilots-confounds-secular-critics-shows-gen-y-z-a-way-to-faith/

“Twenty One Pilots Share Why They'll Never Cut Corners and the Importance of Live Shows[Interview].” EARMILK, 17 Aug. 2015, earmilk.com/2015/06/18/twenty-one-pilots-share-why-theyll-never-cut-corners-and-the-importance-of-live-shows-interview/

“Who Is Tyler Joseph? Everything You Need to Know.” Tyler Robert Joseph Biography - Facts,Childhood, Family & Achievements of Singer-Songwriter, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/tyler-joseph-32694.php