Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Fawson.
Christine, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I grew up in Northern California and after a couple of years at a small university in Hawaii, I moved to Boston to go to Berklee, where I would eventually teach. Music has given me a world of beautiful opportunities and exciting travels! Music has given me an association, a community in which many common beliefs are shared, and an underlying quest for mastery is more common than not.
I grew up Mormon and after leaving the church, have had to develop my own philosophies and standards. The good news about truth is it resonates from the inside. Nobody can touch your own personal truths. Nobody can argue with them. If you believe something with your heart and live it to be true, that is who you are. (I do have to give my family and the Mormons credit for the routine of singing and a place to do it every week).
After I had been teaching at Berklee for a few years, I married a Canadian trumpet player, Ross Hill. Now, we have a six-year-old daughter who loves to sing! Music is our family’s religion. My personal philosophies have guided me through and I continue to improve as a musician and stay open to inspiration.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a jazz singer and trumpet player.
I truly believe I am a messenger of truth, and music is my message! Music is a universal truth, think about it! Music resonates! So, does truth! It’s truly astounding, as I have embraced the process of development. Some music is suffering because artists make it about themselves, and sometimes artists are not yet developed enough to deliver the message. As artists, it is our responsibility to know ourselves, to work and struggle, to grow into our potential, so we can deliver the proper message(s).
Part of my deeper purpose is basically summed up in the phrase: “Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they’ve found it.” Music is truth! And I keep rediscovering it! There is nothing like singing a chord with other singers, playing a horn line with other horn players, and there is nothing like singing or playing what your heart has directed you to write.
I have been practicing trumpet differently the last few years, before it was with some protective shield bullshit, I don’t know, fear, focusing on what I thought others would want to hear…? Now, I really am digging. I love it. I am just scratching the surface. I’ve been in the studio, my next record will be out in the fall, but I’m thinking – five or six records from now – that’s when it’s really going to be getting good!
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
Being an artist is the best. However, it’s not for everyone. You really have to have an inner strength, a forward moving purpose. Otherwise, it can get depressing. There are good times and bad times. There are packed houses – and then there are empty clubs, especially if you’re playing new music.
I have seen quite a few acquaintances and students over the years who don’t end up making a living in music – or it turns into a weekend thing. For me, this was never an option. First of all, I love music too much. But I also have faith in myself and my abilities, and the bigger purpose. The world needs us! I never wanted to allow the outside world to dictate my reality. That is just absurd!
Artists need to be doing a better job to help each other! We are too selfish. There are not as many gigs as there used to be, or it’s just changing. So, instead of being selfish, we need to be digging more. We need to be taking more responsibility for the music. We need to develop and write more, not to be heard or recognized, but to grow, and to deliver a message!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
www.christinefawson.net I paid some dues at Ryles in Cambridge and clubs all over New England – New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, as well as New York. I have started my own Music and Motivation company, Conquer Fear. We are currently developing a roster of artists, as well as motivational material. Live your bliss, this is the only way. www.conquerfear.online
Contact Info:
- Address: Christine Fawson
- Website: www.christinefawson.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conquerfear.online/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.fawson
Image Credit:
Paul Wilson – Artist (a jazz voice)
Jane Akiba – Photographer – (CF with trumpet in front of Jamaica Pond)
Dario Preger – Photographer – CF with gold trumpet)
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
