Rising Stars: Meet Jamie Christopherson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Christopherson.

Hi Jamie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
First of all, I’m an Angeleno through and through. I was born here in Los Angeles when my parents moved out in pursuit of making it in the rock & roll scene. My life growing up in LA was pretty great and colorful. The entertainment business seemed normal – one of our neighbors was even a working TV/Film composer and it really opened up my eyes to see someone doing that for a living. I was fortunate that from early on, I knew that I wanted to be a composer, but I still wanted to get out of LA to experience college and other parts of the country. So I went to a liberal arts college in New York called Vassar and really got into classical theory and composing there while at nights playing in jazz and rock bands. It was the best of both worlds. After college, I spent a year in Boston assisting a working composer and working as a music engraver, and then found out I got accepted into a great graduate program at the University of Miami in Florida. I got my master’s degree in media music and then came back home to LA. I’ve been back here now in LA exactly 20 years, and it’s been a wild and wonderful ride so far.

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 always tell people that composing music for media is not for the faint of heart. That probably goes for every job in the entertainment business. It’s a ton of hard work and long hours honing the craft. I’ve had to sacrifice a lot to get to where I am today. But I’m extremely grateful to have had the success I’ve had so far and be able to do what I love for a living.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a composer for all sorts of media and in all styles of music. Some of my clients and fans know me as the “heavy metal videogame” guy, and some know me as “the composer of pretty music for Samsung phones” guy. I love jumping around different projects and genres to keep things interesting. Good music is good music. I know that it sounds cliche, but I’m always the most interested and proud in what I’m currently working on. I always put my everything into projects I’m working on and am constantly trying to push myself to try new things and find the heart of the music.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Probably the most important lessons that I’ve learned are to treat everyone with respect and be someone that other people like to work with. No matter how talented you are, if you are a jerk or disrespectful and rude (or boring haha) then eventually that will catch up to you and the work will go away. Be cool, be cool.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamiechristopherson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamie.christopherson/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamieChristophersonMusic

Image Credits
Main photo credit: Jamie Christopherson Country guitar credit: Jamie Christopherson Record photo credit: Mike Masten Piano pluck credit: Julio Rodriguez Studio picture credit: Jamie Christopherson