150: From Cleaning Pools to Hearing His Song on SiriusXM

What happens when the dream starts becoming real, but you're still doing the work nobody sees?On this episode of The Jazz Flyte Podcast, I sit down with saxophonist Kyle Schroeder for a conversation about becoming an artist, building an independent music career, and finding your own place in contemporary jazz.Kyle takes me back to the beginning, from learning guitar and oboe to discovering the saxophone in high school. Seeing Eric Darius perform helped him realize what was possible, while artists including Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and David Sanborn would influence the musician he was becoming.One of the defining moments of Kyle's journey came while he was cleaning pools for a living. With his headphones on, listening to SiriusXM Watercolors, he suddenly heard “Let's Get Up,” the first song from his album Get With It that he had promoted to radio. It was a milestone that showed him his music was beginning to reach people beyond his immediate circle.We also talk about what audiences don't always see behind an independent music career. Kyle explains why independence means taking responsibility for everything from radio promotion and branding to CDs, artwork, logistics and assembling the right team. It's more work, but for Kyle, having greater control over his career makes that responsibility worthwhile.Kyle also shares why the people surrounding an artist matter, how he chooses musicians for his recordings, and why personal chemistry can be just as important as musical ability.We close with another side of Kyle's vision: giving back. His Christmas on the Farm event brings music back to the community where he grew up while supporting local children and families during the holidays.Kyle is still writing his story, and that's exactly what makes this conversation interesting. We're getting a look at what it takes to build a career while you're still building it.Connect with Kyle: https://www.kyleschroedermusic.com/