Meet Christie Echols | Bassist, Vocalist, & Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christie Echols and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
As a creative musician, I find that risk plays an integral and vital role in the creation of my compositions and live performances. I look at risk-taking as an opportunity to expand my artistry rather than having it be a burden that controls my creative process. This allows me to cultivate new projects without feeling constricted to doing what I already know and am comfortable creating. I often find that when I take a risk artistically the result is worth the uncertainty that was felt. I always look back at what was achieved and cherish the new artistic skills I learned, even if the risk I took didn’t pan out exactly how I envisioned it to.

In retrospect, I wouldn’t have considered adding music composition or multidisciplinary aspects to my work if I wasn’t open to taking risks. I began my path as a strict performer of double bass and if I hadn’t been open to learning composition, singing, writing, and experimenting with electronics then I wouldn’t be the artist or person I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Discovering personal artistry and what to say with your art is a process that takes a long time to cultivate, and, in many ways, I am still exploring what I want to authentically communicate in my compositions and performances. As of late, my music is centered around personal experiences and challenges with self-identity in culture, gender, and community. As a queer femme person and third-generation Hispanic, it’s important to me that I use my music as an outlet to be transparent about my personal narrative and challenges. My greatest aspiration as an artist is for others to find solace and build community through shared experiences that are expressed in my music.

Being an upright and electric bassist greatly influences the type of music I write. Through first-hand exploration of different genres, my music combines aspects of jazz, classical, electronics, improvisation, and contemporary performance. While these elements are prevalent in my scores, most of the music I write is for solo performances that include bass, vocals, and electronics. Additionally, multidisciplinary aspects such as video, dance, poetry, and visual art are frequent in my work through collaboration with another artist or my own exploration of other artistic disciplines. My most recent work The Modification of Oneself for bass, vocals, electronics, and mixed media is a solo performance in eight parts, that analyzes the process of self-alteration in individual values, identity, and beliefs. This project has been exciting to create and is the most recent demonstration of myself as an artist. There are plans to have this work recorded and released by 2023 and there is currently a live performance available to view on YouTube.

Getting to where I am today hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it throughout every struggle. Every day I am grateful to wake up and be able to do what I love to do, whether it’s performing, composing, teaching, or learning a new creative practice. I believe that we are each in charge of our destiny. Being an artist is about taking constant steps, big and small, towards achieving our goal. As I continue to push forward I remind myself of my favorite quote from Merce Cunningham daily, “The only way to do it is to do it”.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Hartford has a ton of hidden pockets of things to do and see. I would start by taking my friend to Parkville Market to grab some food then we would head over to Real Art Ways which holds indie movie showings, art, and concerts.

For drinks and nightlife, I would take them to a great cocktail bar downtown called Little River or Pigs Eye. There is also the Spigot and the Half Door for more bars, and both are in the West End. On Tuesdays, there is a Farmers Market on Farmington Ave that displays fresh vegetables and local products for sale. It is also right by my personal favorite restaurant Tangiers International Market.

To see more of the downtown area, I would take them to Pratt St. which often holds different types of events and is fun to walk around. There’s a comedy improv club on Pratt St. as well called Sea Tea Comedy Theater that is so fun to attend. Additionally, Bushnell Park shows off the capital building and is a beautiful park in the heart of Downtown Hartford. Elizabeth Park is also a great park to walk around in as well.

For live music, I would take them to Arch St where there is live music Wednesday through Saturday, it’s hands down my favorite place to go in Hartford. Right next to it is the Infinity theatre where touring groups come in. There is also live music at Black Eyed Sally’s in the evenings and a jazz jam that takes place there on the first and third Wednesday of the month. If you’re into musicals there is Playhouse on Park and the Bushnell Center, both house many different shows throughout the year.

Lastly, if you’re looking for a fantastic art museum, I highly recommend the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art which is the oldest operating public art museum in the United States. There are several special events that Wadsworth hosts including collaborative concerts throughout the year with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first shoutout always goes to my parents and brother who are my number one supporters. They encouraged me to start playing upright bass and took me to countless rehearsals, private lessons, and auditions, helped with two cross-country moves, and purchased instruments. The list is truly endless and for that, I am always grateful to them. Additionally, I would like to add a special shoutout to my aunt and grandmother who have always believed in and supported my artistic endeavors.

A shoutout to my bass mentors and teachers, Andy Butler, Rob Hill, Nick Scales, Gary Karr, and Robert Black. Without your combined instruction my life and bass playing would not be the same.

A final shoutout to my composition mentors Gilda Lyons and Ken Steen. Both of you taught me how to be an artist and to live and create as my authentic self.

Website: www.christieechols.art

Instagram: queen_bassist

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christieechols/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christie.echols.1

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/EcholsBassist/featured

Other: tik tok: queen_bassist soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/christie-echols

Image Credits
Davis Martin Alexandra Funes, Gilda Lyons