Robbie Schaefer Reflects on Solo Career

Eddie From Ohio vocalist/songwriter Robbie Schaefer has become successful because, as he puts it, "life is what happens when you're making plans." The folk/rock band, which has been around since 1991, has released nine CDs -- selling upwards of 150,000 copies, all on their own Virginia Soul Records.

But, more recently, Schaefer has been able to crave a niche as a solo artist -- something that started by somewhat of a coincidence. When his middle son started preschool, one of the teachers asked Schaefer if he knew anybody who would be interested in being the school's musical director. Schaefer quickly volunteered and taught preschool kids while touring with the band.

But in September 2005, everything changed when Julie Murphy Wells was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, after an intense year of chemotherapy, Wells is feeling much better, but EFO has scaled down a schedule that used to include as many as 200 concerts per year.

"In that time taking off touring, I said 'you know, I've written a few kids' songs, I've been doing this a couple of years, why not?" Schaefer told RRT. "All of a sudden, I ended up selling a lot of [albums] and doing a lot of kids' shows all over the place, even traveling to do some kids shows... It just sorta happened that way."

Schaefer's kids' album, "Songs For Kids Like Us" was released in 2006 and has kept Schaefer busy ever since. It also led to his current show on XM/Sirius' Kids Place Live that airs Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. He also serves as the station's music director.

Like his career as a kids’ singer, his role as radio host began somewhat by chance. In January 2007, Schaefer was invited to XM to play one of his more popular songs, "Carp in the Tub," as part of the album's promotion. During his time at the station, the program director, Mindy, asked Schaefer if he knew anybody interested in hosting the show. Schaefer stepped up to the plate and the rest is history.

"It ended up being the perfect thing at the perfect time," he said. "I get to create my radio show every day and pretty much have carte blanche on what I do. That's where many of my creative juices go. I've noticed that I still write; but I've never been a very prolific writer and I'm really not prolific now."

Don't let his self-deprecating humor fool you; Schaefer has found time to keep writing. His first adult-focused solo album, "Strange and Lovely World," was released late last year.

"I just couldn't hear any of those songs really being delivered in the format of Eddie From Ohio," he said. "It just felt like something I should do on my own, that I wanted to do on my own."

"I often find myself writing about something months or years after the fact," he added. "Not that I've been sitting there planning on writing a song about this thing for a few years, but something will trigger that. Many songs are also this cluster of events and experiences; they're not necessarily about one specific thing that happened to you."

Despite his many commitments, Schaefer hopes to keep touring to promote the album.

"I really want to do more of that. I really love the music on there," he said. "It's such a different thing than playing with the band and I love both of them, but I'd really like to concentrate on that a little bit more."

Schaefer has a few more kids' songs ready to go, but not enough to fill an album. Therefore, he's decided to write a picture book for kids around his song, "Professor Schnoodle," that will include a CD with some new material as well as the original song. He hopes to have it out within the next year.

"Some kids' songs are kinda blurry, right? All the Beatles songs are like that; they're adult songs but kids love them," Schaefer quipped.

While his solo career may have started through somewhat of a coincidence, there's no doubt that he has earned all of his successes.