Christian’s Story
Music and Movement
Born and raised in Staten Island, Christian comes from a hard-working family dedicated to both music and sports.
His mom, a professionally trained flutist, and dad, a self-taught trumpet player, introduced Christian to the violin at age three or four. “Hearing both my parents play music my whole life kind of set the standard for what good music should sound like, which set a nice goal for me,” he explains.
He later picked up the trumpet, discovered Jazz in junior high school, and never looked back.
“I chose Jazz specifically because it’s more creative. In Jazz, you have your own creative, personal voice that nobody else can really replicate.”
Another thing his family has in common is a love for sports. At Purchase, Christian plays on the baseball and golf teams. A major factor in choosing Purchase was the flexibility both programs afforded him to prioritize music.
Community Continuity
Early in his first semester, Christian recalls sitting down to watch a group of upperclass students jamming out in the open.
“I had my horn with me, and one of them asked me to play. I was scared, but I played,” he says. “It didn’t matter that they were a lot better than me. They liked hearing me play and hearing me improve throughout the year, too.”
This year, it was his turn to offer tips and help the new musicians improve, a cycle that gives the program its strength.
“The upperclassmen leading the way for freshmen to follow…that whole cycle just continues. And that’s really beneficial to the program. That’s how we keep getting better as a whole.”
Faculty Connections
Already, the faculty has had a lasting impact.
He names Adam Birnbaum and Jon Faddis among his favorites. And last fall, Professor of Music Pete Malinverni invited Christian to play in his collaboration with NYC Master Chorale, Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, a celebration of writer James Weldon Johnson at New York City’s Merkin Hall.
“He’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. He has a way of teaching that nobody else has, which is really beautiful.”
See a rehearsal clip on Instagram
Preparation and Mindset
“Purchase was the perfect fit for me.”
Artists and athletes often see a parallel in the dedication required to succeed. For Christian, music, baseball, and golf require a similar mindset encompassing both hard work and grace.
“They’re all kind of connected. They’re three different worlds, but…you need the same type of mindset to succeed in all three. You need to put the time and the work in.”
“But you also need to have an easy mind, be nice and calm, and give yourself the ability to get better and accept that not everything’s easy, and you’re going to have struggles, but you’ll get through and it’ll be okay, you know?”
Scholarships Matter
“Thanks to the scholarship, I can really focus on what I love to do. I can use the free time to expand on my craft instead of having to work on the side to afford to pay for college.”
Christian sees how scholarships benefit the program as a whole, as he believes many are deserving.
“I think a lot of people who aren’t in the music world don’t understand the importance of music and how to some people, it’s their life. It’s what gives them joy.”
“There’s a lot of benefit that could come from giving more music scholarships to allow for more great young musicians to develop their talents.
“It would give more life to more musicians. And I think that would be very beautiful.”
The World Needs More Purchase People
Help Talented and Deserving Students Like Christian
