Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Chaix.
Claire, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where my mom started teaching me how to play the piano at the young age of three. A few years later, I started singing and playing the viola. From that point on, I joined youth orchestras and choirs, namely the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra (YMCO), formerly known as the Young Musicians Program (YMP) in Berkeley, CA. Being surrounded by young peers who were talented and passionate about music made me fall in love with my art. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with learning everything I possibly can about music. Several years later, I was drafted to be the piano accompanist for my middle school’s choir. Here, I started to write out string arrangements for my friend to play with me and the choir. After several more years of lessons, rehearsals, gigs, and concerts, I started high school where I joined my school’s orchestra. I found myself to be unsatisfied with the repertoire, noting that it was awfully boring to not only listen to but also to play. I decided to challenge myself and arrange music that people knew and would also be fun for the members of the orchestra to perform. I realized I loved this and wanted to learn more about it, and several more years later, I am now in my last year at Berklee College of Music, studying exactly what I started doing in the 5th grade for my middle school choir.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have to start by saying that I am so grateful for everything I have experienced in my life. I am so lucky to be where I am. The biggest pattern of struggle I notice when I look back on where I’ve been in doubt. Some doubt from mentors and peers, which then transferred into a whole lot of self-doubt. Being surrounded by the environment I grew up in, there was typically one way to do things. A lot of my peers had a straight path that was set for them if they were to work hard at what they do. I worked very hard at doing well at my lessons and getting good grades in school. I knew, however, that neither of those things was what I really wanted, even though it was what everyone else around me was doing. It was very challenging to not know exactly what I wanted when it seemed like everyone around me was comfortable with their default path. Eventually, it came down to having to turn down a full scholarship in order to do what I wanted to do. I am so happy I did because I’m now exactly where I want to be: studying what I love, being with the friends I love, and learning about myself and growing every day. Above all, I was and am so lucky to have a very supportive network of family and friends that supported me even when I didn’t support myself.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am an arranger and composer. Taking from my roots, my music is classically based, but fused with pop, R&B and jazz elements. In a way, it combines all stages of my life. What I specialize in is arranging for strings and vocals. Just like how I did in high school (but with a little more experience), I love taking songs people are familiar with and arranging them for string ensembles. At this point in my life, I have played the three main string instruments (violin, viola, cello). I know how they work, I love how they sound, and most importantly, I know what it feels like to play them. It’s important to me that my music is not only an experience for the listener but also the player. The same goes for my vocal pieces. I’ve been in choirs of varying levels and sizes since I started singing, so I know how powerful a vocal ensemble can be. My favorite thing about writing, in general, is that I’m constantly developing my own voice. I’ve always favored music that sounds LIKE someone. I love being able to hear my own style, flavors, and personality in what I write. Music is meant to be collaborative. I take that very seriously when I write. I like for the players and listeners to get a feel for who I am as I learn more about myself as a musician and human.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I’m really excited for the music industry because I can feel a strong pull towards collaborative efforts among artists across the board. We’re already starting to see producers being as important as songwriters, with features being the main component of top ranking songs/albums. People want to write, play, and perform with people, and I LOVE that. Like I said from the beginning, my main goal has always been to absorb as much musical information as I can. I do that best when I can link brains with someone else and experience their creativity and musical voice. I see a lot of musical elements like colors. If each person and their voice is a color, that’s amazing, because I am my own unique color. On my own, that’s enough. BUT when combined with an entirely new color, a new voice with ideas and experiences completely separate of my own, that’s when something even more beautiful happens–a new color!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.clairechaixmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairechaixmusic/
Image Credit:
Pascal Garoute
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