Acoustic solo artist Greg Klyma wasn’t planning on being in Ames on Tuesday, but as hard as he works, it’s no big surprise he got the gig opening for Lucy Kaplansky at the Maintenance Shop.

Klyma, who performs roughly 150 shows a year and says he spends the rest of his time working on his music, heard about the M-Shop through a fellow artist and has wanted to test the stage ever since.

“I’ve been trying to get booked at the Maintenance Shop for about three years,” Klyma says. “If I hadn’t been touring this couldn’t have been happening.”

The Buffalo, N.Y., native brought his blend of lyrical Americana fused with mandolin to Cedar Falls on Monday, playing a live show on the UNI campus radio station, KUNI. Later in the week, Klyma plays in Iowa City on Wednesday, returns to Cedar Falls for a Friday set, plays Des Moines on Saturday night, then somehow he will try to make it to St. Paul, Minn. for an 11 a.m. Sunday performance.

“This Sunday, I am a finalist in the Minnesota Folk Festival song-writing competition,” Klyma says. “I play in Des Moines Saturday night, sleep a little bit, wake up at five, then start driving to St. Paul.”

It’s a busy schedule, and he’s been at it for four years, but Klyma feels success comes only with hard work.

“I’m totally 24 hours about music. I’m the owner/operator of my own music company, I’m the act I’m supporting . how hard I work is a reflection of how well I do,” Klyma says.

The work is paying off, and he is making a living doing what he loves, he says. With changing technology and public attitude he foresees a transitory period from corporate ownership to self-produced artists like himself, Klyma says.

“I think the world is changing. The age of corporate record companies is meeting its end,” he says. “I think it’s changing to a more grassroots movement. All of the music that I get lately is from other singer songwriters, I don’t know when the last time I bought a record from a store was.”