We were lucky to catch up with Sky Choice recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sky, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Colorado has always been my home. I was born and raised in the Denver Metro area, moved to Alamosa, Colorado for college, and then after a year on tour, moved back to the Denver area to be with my grandparents. It was comfortable there. I knew the neighborhood, the street names, the stores, how long it would take to get to and from different parts of town. After my grandparents passed away, I started thinking about if Colorado was where I wanted to live long term.

On my year of touring, I had traveled to so many beautiful cities and towns. Some were more like Denver, some were very different. The lakeshore of Duluth, Minnesota was one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever visited. The whole town sits on a steep hill overlooking the waterfront and downtown area. Arcata, California was a small college town with a pleasant mix of forests, mountains, and ocean. Both had a small town feel and were places that stick out from the other hundred or so stops because of how comfortable they felt. But the one that kept calling me back was New Orleans, Louisiana. After the tour, I found myself spending every vacation going back and exploring more of the city while also stopping by my favorite haunts. The people were always kind and the city had it’s own natural beauty that I hadn’t found anywhere else in the U.S.

There was something else, something I still can’t put a name on that pulls at my heart and soul. That indescribable pull led me to leave a budding music career and successful banking job. I was starting to perform regularly at several different venues around town and our band had just headlined a large benefit concert. At my day job, I was making more money than I had ever made in my life and was on track to move into a leadership position in the next few years. Even so, there was a sense that if I didn’t make the move soon, I would have too many roots to be able to pick up and start somewhere new. With that in mind, I asked my partner if she would want to go with me, and when she eventually said yes, we started planning.

We’ve been in New Orleans just under a year now and I can safely say it was a risk worth taking. While I’m still building up my presence and fan base in the area, I’ve met a lot of incredible musicians and venues that have been helpful in navigating the new market. There’s still a long way to go before I’ve got the same traction as before I moved, but it’s a slow and steady process I’m willing to work through. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to move and to start somewhere that already feels like home.

Sky, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been writing, recording, and performing music for almost 15 years and studied vocal performance and music business in college. Music has always been a way to connect with others through the stories and emotions that songs create and reverberate within us. I think what sets me apart as a singer/songwriter are humor, extended metaphor, and lyrical wordplay which make the songs shine.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Support locally. Most people who have “made it” as musicians started out playing at local open mics, coffee shops, and music venues before they were selling out stadiums and touring globally. It takes music fans who don’t just go and listen to their favorite group, but who show up on time for the opening act as well. It takes someone trying something new and breaking out of their comfort zone to find something else they enjoy. Then they continued to support it, to listen to the music, share it with their friends, follow them on social media, and bring other people to the shows. Tell the venues how much you appreciate them having live music. Tip the band. The bottom line is that without people listening to the performers who have a smaller presence now, those performers will never have a chance to grow and become bigger.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Canva. This app make it so easy to create fliers, promotional posts, and other graphics that are absolutely necessary for a social media presence. Even if you’re not someone who understands graphic design, there are thousands of templates that you can edit and alter to make them your own. While there are some features that require payment, most of the app and its contents are free.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.skychoicemusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skychoicemusic/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkyChoice/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8u_e0_-3BGmp4F0rm252aA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@skychoice