#102 Chris Anander, Brilliant Bassist

Chris Anander is an amazing musician. His earliest memories are musical memories, such as when he was in a stroller at age two with Tchaikovsky's B flat piano concerto in his brain. We had a great conversation at Victor Wooten's Spirit of Music Camp. Chris started violin in kindergarten and was always an avid listener. He went to Berklee College of Music for trumpet, but played a lot of guitar and now considers himself a bassist. He has played all sorts of music, from classical to heavy metal. He says the power of music "might be greater than any of us can describe. … There is a primal thing to music that defies explanation." He is aware of the profound effect remembering music has had on him and he says, "I want to impart the passion" of music to others. "I try to use my own experience as a guide for what is possible, what music can do. When the memory of a song can bring me to tears without hearing it, I would like to show people how to get there." There are more great musicians now than at any time, he says, but the problem is with compensation, that everyone is getting paid but the musicians. The secret, Chris says, is that "everybody is important." He says, "Music is truly one of the last things I have faith in."