We were lucky to catch up with Christen Ball recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I feel like the journey of being a music artist is kind of like planting a garden. Which…fun fact…one of the people who inspired me most musically (my grandfather) was also a gardener! So, this illustration is a natural one! Seeds are planted, but then it takes the work of watering, tilling the soil, and harvesting at the right time to have a successful garden. For me, the seeds of music were initially planted by my family. My mom is a classical pianist, my aunt an opera singer, and my grandfather was a bluegrass guitar player, so…playing music was in my blood. Music was a seed in my dna that was destiny to bloom.

However, tilling the soil of this music seed was part of the process. In my life, tilling my music soil meant putting work into the craft. I started taking piano lessons when I was eight, but learning guitar was the key to unlock writing tons of songs. My grandfather taught me my first chords on guitar, and the rest is history! And then…moving to Nashville, TN was the right kind of water to provide nutrients for my songwriting seeds. Those nutrients were in the form of writing with other people and learning from constructive (and sometimes not constructive, haha) criticism.

One other “nutrient” I’ve added to watering my music “soil” is that I’ve taken voice lessons on and off the past year. Looking back, I wish I would have taken voice lessons sooner, but I also feel like God sent me the right voice teacher for this exact time. By the way…my voice teacher’s name is Ivory Romance, and she’s incredible!

For me, it’s been essential to stay humble and try to not have an ego as I learn from others while trying to stay true to myself. Also, we harvest the fruit of our labor (songs, recordings) when the time is right, in the right season. It has been such a blessing to share the fruits of my labor these past two years (I released 7 songs over the past two years)— and I look forward to sharing more next year.

Christen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

If we’ve never met, my name is Christen Ball, and I’m a music artist and guitar player based in Nashville, TN. My music explores the color spectrum of rock (alternative rock, Americana, pop/rock, folk). Over the past two years, I’ve released 7 songs that not only explore the color spectrum of rock, but the color spectrum the topic of perseverance—which has been a constant in my life.

I’ve been influenced heavily by British bands like the Beatles, Radiohead, and The Moody Blues.

I play my music solo and with a band! My husband is my drummer and he’s amazing.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I’m an external processor, and being an artist means that my craft is basically working through my emotions, writing about them, and then telling you all about them via song. It’s very therapeutic for me to have this outlet to share my heart.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I love Jesus, and in everything I do…every song I play, and every interaction I have with anyone listening…I want to make His love known. I actually write a lot of sad songs, and it’s my hope that as people listen to those songs, they will realize that God’s love is reaching out to them even in those dark times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/christenballmusic

Image Credits
Taylor Jacobs @taylorjacobscc