This episode is sponsored by the Learned Jazz Standards Inner Circle.

If your goal is to level up your jazz playing this year and feel confident improvising over

jazz standards, the inner circle has everything you need and more.

With monthly jazz standards studies, a library of powerful courses, and a vibrant community

of like-minded musicians, you're guaranteed to improve your playing every

single month. Podcast listeners can get 50% off their first month when you go to LJSinterCircle.com.

That's LJSinnerCircle.com or find the link in the show notes. Now, on to today's episode.

Music and the opportunity for music is all around us.

And you can find inspiration in conversation or just the rhythm of something happening around you.

And so I would just take these snippets, get home, and say, what can I do with this?

And I would start to sing a melody around those words and think about what the story could be that surrounds those words.

That was Christian Schrader, a self-described hobbyist musician who recently created a pro jazz album. He described this as one of the

biggest musical accomplishments of his entire life. And so if you're ever someone who's thought about

reaching this really high aspirational musical or jazz goal, but just didn't feel like you had

what it took, this is going to be an inspirational episode. I talked to Christian. We do an interview and just go through this whole process,

went through it through his head, how did he create this album? And there are so many great

lessons along the way. I'm excited for you to listen to this. Let's jump right to it.

Yeah. All right, my friends, what's up, Brent here from Learn Jazz Standards. We want musicians learn how to play jazz while shortening learning curve.

No matter what instrument you play, I'm a jazz coach, I'm a jazz musician, I'm excited to serve you and help you play jazz and music at a much higher level. Hey, it's been a while since we've had a guest

on this show. And I'm really happy that today's guest is one of our Learned Jazz Standards inner circle members.

His name is Christian Schrader. He is a vocalist and a guitar player. And more recently,

he posted in our inner circle community a post that said something to the effect of my biggest

...