06/12/2026
At the Union Pier Social Jazz Session next Wednesday, June 17th...
Whether it be performing in Mexico with the viral songwriter known as Tesher, designing MAX patches to create innovative and immersive multimedia experiences, or teaching budding musicians how to find their voice, Kyle Brooks is a rising performer and pedagogue, seasoned by and for the modern music industry. An internationally-performing saxophonist, composer and educator, Brooks spent most of his adult life working around the different corners in the midwest, having lived in Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana respectively, performing at venues across the US and Mexico. Versed in multicultural idioms, Brooks has, and continues to work with organizations that regularly present jazz, rock, hip hop, Bollywood, Malayalam, electronic and salsa music, just to name a few.
In addition to maintaining his own studio of private lesson students, Brooks has presented clinics and masterclasses across the midwest, primarily working in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. In 2022 and 2023, Brooks collaborated with Jina Brass Band to provide clinics about traditional Indian musical idioms to multiple schools in the Chicagoland area. In 2023, Brooks co-presented a free clinic on Indian brass band music for Brass Beyond Binaries, a Chicago-based music workshop whose mission statement is, “Empowering women and gender expansive musicians through workshops and performance.” Brooks pays his musical education forward, offering instruction in woodwind performance (saxophone, clarinet, flute, and oboe), music theory, jazz improvisation, music production, and music business.
As a performer, Brooks has collaborated with artists and organizations such as: Tesher, Shayna Steele, Diane Schuur, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Toledo Jazz Orchestra, and more. He can be heard on several different recordings that span from EDM to free jazz. Brooks also works with many grassroots musical endeavors, making contributions to ensembles including: Kochuveettil Beats, Third Shore Collective, Jina Brass Band, and more. Brooks combines his diverse array of experiences in music-making with his theoretical and historical knowledge to create a melodically and harmonically sophisticated musical identity that can be enjoyed by audiences of all backgrounds.
He will be joined by Marco Villarreal, Kris Lohn and more!
