Kyle Etges Music

Kyle is a saxophonist, percussionist, composer, and educator in Denver, CO. He began playing music in 5th grade band, and has been playing in his own musical projects since he was 13 years old. Throughout high school, he was an active member of Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, and was honored to play in ensembles led by Paul Romaine, Brad Goode, John Gunther, Greg Gisbert, and Eric Gunnison. Kyle graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2012 from the University of Northern Colorado, with a double major in Music Education and Jazz Studies.

Kyle was honored to play with the UNC Jazz Lab Band One for three years, under the direction of Dana Landry. Through this ensemble and the Greeley Jazz Festival, Kyle has played with amazing performers such as the New York Voices, the Clayton Brothers, Jeff Coffin, Donny McCaslin, Benny Green, Jeff Hamilton, and many others. He was also selected amongst two other musicians in a national contest to play with the Lionel Hampton Youth Orchestra at the 2012 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho.

Kyle can be seen playing with his group Contraband, as well as The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Irie Still, Citizen Dan, Highway 50, Mass Hipsteria, Saved by Aliens, and The Messers. Kyle has toured across the west coast for three years in a row with Contraband and the now defunct Ska Skank Redemption, as well as for three weeks in Romania with UNC Lab Band One. He has opened for The Wailers, The Skatalites, The Supervillains, The Slackers, Mustard Plug, The English Beat, The Toasters, to name a few. Kyle is also currently the woodwind teaching artist and volunteer coordinator at El Sistema Colorado at Garden Place Elementary, an after school orchestra program for at-risk youth in Denver. He is also now the vice president on the board of directors for Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, the program he was a part so many years ago.

He currently resides in Denver with three roommates and his cat, Ianto. Kyle’s schedule doesn’t leave much downtime, but when applicable Kyle enjoys science fiction television, cooking, and getting bitten and/or scratched by his cat.