It was certainly refreshing to have a special guest who practices my favorite type of art, music. It was very interesting to hear the perspective of the lead singer and founder of a modern band. Particularly, I thought Chris’s statement that art is dependent on why it is made was interesting. He explained that art made purely to fill a financial void can struggle to feel like art. Instead, art should be an expression of one’s own artistic vision, and something will feel like art if one stayed true to that. I strongly agree with Chris on this point; I feel that art is often partially or entirely compromised by the desire to profit from it. Chris proceeded to explain the need for a balance between one’s own artistic vision and the need to make money as a business.

Furthermore, I was interested in Chris’s musical background. He explained that he was initially a drummer for a band which he did not lead, which helped him to become comfortable with collaboration. He had originally learned how to play the drums from his uncle. I gained a lot of respect for his journey as an artist as he explained that he is now the predominant songwriter of his band. In fact, he claimed that the creation of music is his favorite part of being in the band. I sympathized with his comments about becoming a “slave to the rat race” through touring and the importance of spending time at home with one’s own family. Lastly, I asked Chris about his musical influences in an effort to understand his style and background. He named artists such as Blink-182 and The Cure, which makes sense in terms of the pop punk music he now makes. Overall, I enjoyed hearing from Chris quite a lot, and it was excellent hearing from a genuine musician.