Bio
I grew up in a small suburb of NYC. My dad was a chemist and my mom stayed home. We lived modestly and I don’t recall wanting for anything. My favorite subject was science, but I did well in English, too. I played various sports, best at golf. I played trombone in band and orchestra. I loved Monty Pythonand the Yankees. My sister made me laugh.
Listening deeply to music was my salve during a difficult adolescence. Certain music sent tingles down my neck and tears down my cheeks. And for some reason I felt challenged to make my own, even though I hadn’t touched a piano since I quit lessons in 6thgrade. Finally, when I was 20, I couldn’t resist it any longer. My parents had a piano, an old upright with damaged keys in our dingy basement. I set up a Yamaha cassette deck and a Radio Shack microphone and started making up songs. This was summer, 1980.
In 2010 I found myself surrounded by great musicians, recordingmysongs, at Henson Studios in Hollywood. The experience was transcendent! Decades of self-doubt receded. I finally felt like a realmusician. (Never released the album.)
After I moved to LA in 1988, I had to do real life. Job, marriage, kids. Those were, and always will be, the worst years of my life. JK! Being a good husband and father will always be the highlight of my life.
But by 2007 I reallyneeded to live out my music dream. And I needed to try it full time. Thanks to the support of my amazing wife, I was able to do that. Plus, the kids were old enough to ignore. JK?
My kids had a piano teacher named Chuck. They liked Chuck, but they hated piano. One day Chuck came and the kids were so sadly uninterested we just threw in the towel. But my wife says, hey, why don’t you and Chuck hang out in your studio? I had just completed a couple songs that I thought were pretty good. I played one for Chuck and he lovedit. He wanted to use it in a movie he was trying to get produced. I’m like, WHAT?!
Nothing ever came of this. I have zero idea where Chuck went. But the boost of confidence he gave me will never be forgotten. Thank you, Chuck.
I spent about two and a half years writing and recording Resonance. I call it the story of our future. My dream is to have it become a stage musical. The more money I make from it, the more money goes into my charitable gift trust. This is how I want to put my money where my mouth is.
Like all of us, I hope to leave behind something of lasting value. Resonanceis my best shot to date, and, universe-willing, something good will come of it.
Let love commence,
Christopher John Esse