He obtained his BfA in Classical Piano from The City College of New York, where he specialized in 19th-21st century music. His work has been acknowledged with the ASCAP-Chappell/City College Gershwin Award for Classical Composition presented by his teacher, the renowned composer David Del Tredici. Shy’s music often merges modern Scandinavian aesthetics and the French impressionist compositional approach. This combination sets the tone for all his creative work: composition, piano performance, and arranging.