We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christen Ball a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Christen, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Up until recently, I thought I had to change the genre/style of songs I write to be more accessible…but the truth is, people are attracted to authenticity. So, I have chosen to embrace my uniqueness and let it work for me instead of against me. If I lean into who I really am and how I want to sound, people are drawn to the authenticity of it all because it’s real. I also believe that deep down, people are hungry for something different. So…those of us who are different actually have the advantage after all.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a singer songwriter in Nashville, TN. My music lands somewhere in between alt-rock and americana. Over the past couple of years, I’ve released 7 singles that explore the spectrum of these genres. I have four more singles that are in progress that I hope to release soon!
I’ve been writing a lot of songs over the past few months, and have been enjoying playing my songs live with a band.
Speaking of live bands…I host a full band songwriter night in East Nashville at Living Waters Brewing on the 4th Wednesday of each month where I showcase my songs and bring in some of the best up-and-coming artists Nashville has to offer. My friend Gideon invited me to start hosting these in January and these events have been the highlight of my year so far!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Humility, perseverance, and the desire to keep growing.
Out of the three, humility is the greatest quality that anyone can have, in my opinion.
I love how Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”
This verse has stuck with me, and in a world of competition, and trying to get ahead (especially in the music industry), I love how this verse has challenged me to always keep my motives in check and to stay humble.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My biggest area of growth has been my voice. I’ve always struggled with singing higher notes strongly— and on top of that…the last couple of years I was struggling with losing my voice a decent amount.
So, I started taking voice lessons. My voice teacher Ivory Romance is wonderful and she has a beautiful voice of her own. She was like a surgeon going in telling me which parts of my technique needed improvement. This was a game changer for me. Ivory also made a warm-up track for me that I go through most times before I sing live—this has been life-changing!
I also started seeing an ENT a few times a year.
I do a lot of gigs— I’m thankful for this— I can get experience right away in the areas I am growing in. Ivory is the best teacher but experience is the second best teacher.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.christenballmusic.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/christenballmusic
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com/christenballmusic
- Other: Link to listen my latest 7 singles: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ngcAn3TiuTGsanhq8C5RN?si=0j0TANt7Q56e888AhtU-DA
Image Credits
imagebycoco
