Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Ahlman.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been playing music most of my life in one form or another. My first instrument was piano. I eventually settled on playing the guitar and singing original music, which is what I do today. I started playing professionally in 2006 when I got a steady gig every Saturday night at the local Hilton. From there I never really looked back. These days I mostly am focused playing music in and around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think anybody always travels on a smooth road. For me it has been a good one. I love what I do and that makes it fun. It can be difficult sometimes when the business is a little slower and I’m not playing as many gigs as I would like to, but that gives me time to focus on other things like writing new material and enjoying other aspects of life like spending time with friends, reading, working out at the gym, and just hangin out. Sometimes I struggle with finding inspiration for writing songs. It can be a difficult process to harness that creativity, but so rewarding when everything comes together and you create a really good new song.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a professional Singer/Songwriter. I specialize in playing live shows at venues that host music. I have released five different albums throughout my career. The most recent one I recorded in Nashville with some amazing musicians including Cliff Goldmacher, who produced and provided his studio, Kerry Marx on Electric Guitars, Catherine Marx on Piano and Hammond B3, Dave Francis on Bass, Andrea Zonn on Fiddle, Steve Conn on Accordian, Jessa Shown on Vocals, Matt Nelson on Cello, and Wes Little on Drums. Jim DeMain from Yes Master Studios did the mastering, and Bill Wence contributed his vast experience and skill with radio promotion. The album is called- The SunCrashers. It debuted on the Americana Country Album Chart at #10, and #11 on the Country Album Chart, as well as #21 on the California Album Chart as reported by Roots Music Report. Three individual songs from the album also charted in the Top 25 in a couple of categories as well. I am pretty proud of that. I think what sets me apart from others is my large repetoire of original music. I play a lot of originals at my shows as opposed to going heavy on the cover material. I pride myself on that aspect of what I do.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Taking risks I think is a natural part of a business. You’ve got to put yourself out there. As I mentioned before, I play a lot of original music at my shows. This can be risky, as a lot of the gigs around go to artists that are playing mostly cover music. Luckily I have built a decent foundation where venues will hire me on the regular as they know that I am a professional. I wouldn’t say that I focus on taking risks, but if there is an opportunity out there I’m going to reach for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chrisahlman.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/chrisahlmansongs
• Facebook: Facebook.com/chrisahlmanmusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ahlman-5a48294/
• Twitter: @chrisahlman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FktDPIKwzco
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/chrisahlmanmusic
• Other: [email protected]