Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Christgau.
Adam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Born and raised on the east coast into a musical family, I started playing drums at the age of three. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to play music professionally. After attending performing arts high schools in Connecticut, I spent ten years New York, first earning a jazz performance degree from Purchase College and then cutting my teeth in the NYC music scene. After touring with the singer Sia for most of 2011, I felt like Los Angeles would be a better fit for my professional career and my health as well. I spent the better part of the next few years on tour with artists like Tegan and Sara, Dispatch, Troye Sivan, Miley Cyrus, Angel Olsen and finally took a break from touring in 2019 to start my furniture business Christgau Design. Since then, I’ve balanced my time between building custom furniture and playing music on the road, on film/tv scores and everything in between.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been very fortunate in always being able to find my footing along the way. The biggest struggles have been finding the work/life balance. Either you’re working too much or you’re not working enough. I haven’t found that there has been a lot of middle ground there.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The answer to this question is a bit twofold since I have two businesses to balance between. In the furniture world, we build custom high-end home goods that we can ship nationwide and we also specialize in recording studio furniture. Since I’ve spent so much time in recording studios over the years, it really helped me be able to create custom pieces that not only look visually appealing but serve many needs functionally as well. On the musical front, I’ve been able to build a reputation as someone who can learn music quickly and fill in last minute. It’s rare that there’s ever an understudy in the musical touring world. I’ve had moments where I get a call 24 hours before playing a festival like Austin City Limits because the drummer has a stomach bug, or I’ve had to play large venues without having a chance to rehearse beforehand. Once even with only 2 hours notice. It’s something I really love to do!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Always be a sponge and a researcher in everything you do. I find that its rare that to ever regret learning new skills, or new trades, or new languages. Find the best people in your field and ask them as many questions as they’re willing to answer. I’ve benefited greatly from mentorships in both the music and furniture worlds.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.adamchristgau.com & www.christgaudesign.com
- Instagram: @adamchristgau @christgaudesign
