Working with Christopher Barwise as my keyboard player and MD was an absolute game-changer! His attention to detail, creative vision, and deep understanding of sound took the project to a whole new level. Chris is not just technically skilled but also incredibly collaborative, making the entire process smooth and enjoyable. If you want your music to truly shine, Chris is the one to make it happen. Highly recommend!
Roozbeh Golpa / Persepolis
CFO Golpa Institute of Music
I’ve played keyboards for both original acts, such as Persepolis & Rosalia Ritchie, and also for cover bands. Mainly my 2010s tribute band, I also have a general knowledge of function songs and setlists. I run sounds through either Mainstage or Ableton, doing this allows me to capture sounds from records with significant ease, or use VSTs and Instruments common in production from studio based records. I’m very comfortable acting as a Dep musician, with experience sight-reading both sheet music and chord charts. As an Musical Director, I’m able to either find session musicians to generate a new band, or work with existing members on arrangements and ways to serve the music of the band to it’s original intent. I’m able to transcribe simplistic chord charts or drum charts for dep musicians or for recording to reference at a later point in time. When implementing studio and live sound overlap, I’m often able to discuss implementing cues and click tracks for band members, allowing them to be familar with song structures, regardless if it’s their 1st or 100th time playing the music.
For me being an MD & Keyboard player is pushing the scope than just “playing the gig”, it’s understanding the parts sonically and their relationship to the rest of the band. And spending time both before and after the gig evaluating successful outcomes and methods of improvement for both myself and the rest of the band.
Outside of the stage, I love playing keys on the studio work I record, either as a producer, or sessioning for artists.