Ep. 73 - Developing a Personal Compositional Voice - Christopher Tin

"The question I had to ask myself was, 'Do you want to change who you are as a composer just so can match a particular sound that is in fashion or is expected of you in the concert hall world or do you want to say true to yourself as an artist?'" Time and time again, whenever this question pops up, it's always you turn towards yourself and ask yourself who you are and you stay true to who you are. You don't change your sound based on what is in vogue in the music world. Be true to yourself. Be the best version of yourself and don't try to be a second-rate version of anyone else."Christopher Tin is a two-time Grammy-winning composer of concert and media music. His music has been performed and premiered in many of the world's most prestigious venues: Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, the United Nations, and Carnegie Hall, where he had an entire concert devoted to his music. He has also been performed by ensembles diverse as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orkest, and US Air Force Band.His song "Baba Yetu", originally written for the video game Civilization IV, is a modern choral standard, and the first piece of music written for a video game ever to win a Grammy Award. His debut album, the multi-lingual song cycle Calling All Dawns, won him a second Grammy in 2011 for Best Classical Crossover Album, and his follow-up release The Drop That Contained the Sea debuted at #1 on Billboard's classical charts, and premiered to a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium. His third album To Shiver the Sky also debuted at #1, and was funded by a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign that raised $221,415, smashing all previous classical music crowdfunding records. His fourth album, The Lost Birds, is a collaboration with acclaimed British vocal ensemble VOCES8 and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2023.Tin is signed to an exclusive record deal with Universal under their legendary Decca label, published by Concord and Boosey & Hawkes, and is a Yamaha artist. He works out of his own custom-built studio in Santa Monica, CA.To get in touch with Chris, you can visit his website, christophertin.com, or find him on Instagram (@christophertinmusic) or Facebook (@christophertinmusic).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.Email [email protected] to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace HudsonLOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify