A Musician in Training
Christopher Myles. Photo by Sonya Sexton.
Christopher Myles is a 19-year-old music major entering his second semester at Chaffey College. Myles sat down with me on Tuesday to answer some questions about his aspirations and inspirations for his music career.
Myles was born in Adamsville, Alabama, but grew up in Bellflower, California. He has been involved with music, singing in particular, from the moment he could speak. Once he started going to school, he continued to learn as much as he could about music so that he could get better at his craft.
“As I age, I grow as a musician and a person. Music is what makes me who I am,” said Myles.
Myles was raised in the church, his mother’s side of the family is from Alabama and his father’s side is from Compton. It was an interesting experience for him to grow up in this environment, but he says that he would not trade his family or his experiences for anything.
Chris’ childhood was tough because he was forced to live a strict, religious life, and he did not have a choice in the matter. Having a pastor in his family made him act a certain way in order to keep the family reputation intact.
“You can only say something if it is nice. You also have to dress, talk and act like an angel that does not do anything wrong,” stated Myles.
It was not until he started college, where he found a group of people that he considers his real friends, that he began to really be himself. He feels better now than he has ever felt in his life, and he is grateful for the group of people that have embraced him at Chaffey College.
About half of Myles' family members are involved in music, but he is the first to pursue it as a professional career. He realized from a young age that he wanted to sing, and once he found out that his whole career could be focused on that, he made the decision to go to school and pursue a degree in music.
After he graduates from Chaffey, Myles plans to continue his education and pursue a doctoral degree in music. His goal is to get accepted into The Juilliard School, but if that does not work out he is also looking into local colleges such as La Sierra University, located in Riverside, California.
After he finishes his doctorate, he plans to continue on and become a professional singer, pianist, composer, songwriter and more. He wants to try out every career path in the music industry that he can. He believes that it is important to be able to get out of your comfort zone and try new things.