Christian has taken full advantage of his 5 years at Northeastern while studying Physics and Music Composition & Technology.
Active in the theatre community, Christian has composed and sound designed with New Renaissance and NU Shakespeare Society, collaborated on writing original musicals in classes and with Sliver Masque, and band-directed and recorded with NUStage. Film also drifts into focus - he’s composed for many short films with soundscapes including classic "indie movie" atmospheres, well-worn 50’s rockabilly, and bombastic saturday-morning cartoons (his favorite).
Christian is a performer and leads his highly-collaborative band - Orson & the Rosebuds - through writing and recording 3 albums and playing over 40 shows. He mixes and produces for himself and many Boston artists like Joe Sung-Rae, Anthony Giordano, and Saint Dvorak. Live audio engineering joins the mix with Christian coordinating modest open mics and joining the Tiny Dorm Sessions team for one season. Frequently in over his head, Christian has developed proficiencies in guitar, piano, bass, vocals and drums to fill the gaps and have some fun.
Christian looks forward to releasing his next album this summer, enjoying the pandemic permitting premiere of “Oedipus: The Musical," and continuing to be active in the ever growing community of artists however he can.
The Shape of A-E-I-O-U: A Case Study of Vowel Height, Vocal Synthesis, and Placement in Collegiate A Cappella Singers.
Apple Tree is a song to lean on when the seasons change.
Written within Christian’s original soundtrack for the short film "Mr. Reilly," Apple Tree was initially arranged for ukulele, bells, guitar, and piano.While helping organize the first NU Student Composer’s Club Concert, Christian rearranged the piece for string quartet and significantly expanded upon the previously minimal material. Theory and composition classes with Professor Douglas Durant greatly informed the score and music.
Apple Tree is inspired by lullabies, adventure movies, and autumn. Christian is grateful to the performers for their flexibility. He is optimistic that the music embraces the circumstances of its performance.
Fixed Media Works
Spectronoma
2020
A nonsense word for a nonsense song. Spectronoma is about finding someone so vibrant, it’s like seeing a new color.
Written while Christian was performing spectroscopic measurements on co-op as a color scientist, the song was first demoed on the mobile app nanoloop with basic melody, bass, and percussion sounds during an extended lunch break. Lyrics leverage his Physics vocabulary and background through long words and extended metaphors. Initially a sentimental and atmospheric ballad for his band Orson & the Rosebuds (studio and live), Spectronoma has evolved to become a speedy and colorful bop.
Candid guitars and vocals blend with carefully crafted percussion and synthesizers all within a lean structure. His finest work yet, this latest iteration of Spectronoma is Christian’s progress along an infinite cycle of trial and error.
Grow Up
2020
Grow Up is about recognizing that you don’t have to be the best to be your best. This song is one of Christian’s best.
Mastered at an integrated -14LUFS (an industry standard for loudness) with a vibrantly balanced spectrum and featuring some of his finest writing and recorded performances, Grow Up is a benchmark for Christian’s future work. Fundamental mixing techniques merge with prolific, yet measured uses of harmonic distortion, creative pitch shifting, and spacious echoes to form a familiarly unique sound. Writing brings together straightforward instincts with subtle compositional tricks and vibrant arrangement.
One of his first original songs, Grow Up has matured through bright pop and live rock forms to this tastefully Lofi Indie palette with nods to favorite artists - Gorillaz, St. Vincent, and Spoon to name a few. Christian chooses to see this new version as a demonstration of his continued passion to best himself.
Underwater
2020
Christian worked with Northeastern band Faxi Moto to bring “Underwater” to the surface.
Taking the project through nearly all steps of the process - from demo to tracking to mixing - Christian produced the track with the skills and knowledge he had developed through his recording classes with Dr. Doug Bielmeier. Vocals, guitars, bass, drums, and synthesizer flow together as Christian mixes DIY eagerness with studio precision. Through consistent communication with the band and careful tweaking, Christian helped develop Faxi Moto’s sound. Contemporary production tricks colored by vintage-modeled effects and creatively calculated recording techniques help the songwriting and performances shine.
Recorded and mixed in Shillman Studios, “Underwater” is a culmination of Christian’s music tech and production experiences.