Apple Music Country host Ty Bentli knew that he wanted to spread the joy of music to the masses at a young age. “There are tapes of my best friend and I doing a bedroom radio show,” Bentli explains, explaining that tragedy helped fuel his belief in the power of great music. “I lost several friends to suicide when I was young, which informs my commitment to making people feel included, connected, and loved. I love to show people that they belong—and music plays a role in every bit of that.”

From those humble bedroom beginnings, the South Dakota native and lifelong country music fan worked his way up the radio ranks, through Little Rock, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, and, finally, New York City. Nashville opened a door when he was offered a nationally syndicated country show, which expanded internationally soon after. (“I’m still on each morning in New York City,” he explains, “but with the added benefit of a yard in Tennessee.”)

On his namesake Apple Music Country show, Bentli uses songs, stories, and in-depth conversations with your favorite musicians to reflect what’s happening in the world each day. “My job is to take the connection you have to music, make it more fun, and give it more depth,” he says. “The personal aspect of a song and how it can emotionally move someone is so important.”

Tune in to The Ty Bentli Show every Monday through Thursday on Apple Music Country at 7 am LA/9 am NYC/3 pm LDN.