Meet Chris Watson | Professional Musician

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

Hi Chris, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I have been curating a love affair with music for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a house that had many instruments, I spent an above average amount of time listening to and playing those instruments along with records and tapes my parents had collected. When I was 19, I set out to be a full time professional musician with little idea of what that actually meant and how much my life up until that point had not prepared me for the culture shock of diving head first into the flourishing cultural arts scene in Dallas-Fort Worth. To me, this brief biography applies directly to the question that I have selected.

Throughout my 20’s, I was constantly told how demanding it was going to be, and how hard I would have to work to carve out the piece of artistic paradise that I envisioned for myself. I didn’t listen much to the people in my life trying to convince me it wasn’t worth it, and those words pushed me to strive for success. Over the years, that success goal would have to be inched back toward the earth from time to time, but the one thing that always remained constant was the sheer amount of work that has to be done week in and week out in order to remain progressive and relevant in the eyes of fans and peers.

This culture of grinding and hustling 24/7 rode me hard and put me away wet for about 8 years until I met my now wife, Chelsea. Not an entertainer by trade but still very much entertaining, she gave me a much needed fresh perspective on this concept of work life balance. Until then, my work was my entire life, and my body and mental capacity were suffering for it. Even after celebrating milestones and successes early on, I could not allow myself rest and enjoy the accolades that countless years of playing piano and guitar had afforded me on a professional level. Something had to change.

It was only when I took a huge step back and looked around at what I had built that I made the commitment to myself to find this balance between work and life. I entered the world of entertainment and show business to escape the formulaic nature of the way your life is mapped out for you when you’re a kid: school, college, job, retire; but I had boxed myself into the same type of burnout and staleness that the former routine would have ultimately provided for me. So, I started seeking out the balance in other activities and crafts that I find enjoyable.

One of my toxic traits is that I will begin a new hobby based on curiosity and enjoyment alone, become decently proficient at that hobby, and then attempt to monetize it until I don’t enjoy it anymore. So I turned to the outdoors, my third love (behind my wife and music). I began to enjoy long extended hikes by myself, fishing along the way, or just stopping to take in the scenery. The silence of the human world enabled the symphony of the out of doors, and this became a refuge to me as I had finally found a proper way to meditate, albeit in my own way.

This breakthrough ultimately did several amazing things for me that I will try to sum up as best I can:

The first tangible difference that I myself noticed, was how much more calm I was in every situation. The mindfulness provided by being immersed in nature grants a calming confidence within oneself, and this had spilled over into my day to day life. I was finally taking the time to process the things that were stressing me out, so when I was confronted with more stressors, or every day issues, I had a much clearer head to compartmentalize and overcome without getting bogged down with urgency and deadlines.

Secondly, once that quiet calmness had permeated my career life, the nature of the offers I received changed in a profound way. I was respecting myself and my craft more with a focused, clear headed approach, and in turn, this was ultimately improving my craft in ways I hadn’t considered. That improvement in product and focus was evident in more plentiful and higher quality offers and contracts. With an onset of better offers, I was able to pare down my workload into something very manageable while maintaining my personal mental status quo. This left me significantly more time to delegate to myself as I saw fit.

Third, I learned how to properly rest. I don’t mean going to sleep and getting some rest, I mean when I have a day off or even just a few hours to myself, sometimes I will just – rest. To me, this means my phone goes on “focus mode”, I only play an instrument if I’m feeling inspired with a fun idea or just flat out feel like doing it. I am active and engaging in the moment with my wife and our 4 pets. I am watching a movie that I have been meaning to see, or treating us to a nice home cooked meal. Otherwise, I let my body and mind be still. The ability to rest and recuperate is a learned skill, but one that will help bring balance and joy to anyone’s life. The 24/7 “hustle and grind or your’e losing ground” mentality is just as pernicious as your company asking you to work countless hours of unpaid overtime. It does not serve you, it takes away from the balance in your life, and ultimately degrades your performance, professional and personal, on any given day.

I was finally in control of the world around me that had, up until that point, been an exasperating exercise in organized chaos. Without the work life balance that I have strived for, the burnout, stress, and depression I was suffering from would have undoubtedly taken me on a very different path than the one on which I am currently traveling, and I am thankful that I was afforded the cosmic opportunity to get my shit together, so to speak.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a lifelong student of music. Gravitating to classic soul music as a kid, think Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Michael McDonald, I have attempted to bridge a gap between older music and modern progressive musical ideas. Our shows are a nightly improvisational journey, within the boundaries of funk and r&b. This makes each night a little bit different depending on the makeup of the band, and I think this is one of the things that keeps people coming back. There is a true interaction amongst the band, which leads to smiles and laughter on stage. This is all real and genuine when you come see it, and we love it when the crowd smiles and laughs along with us.

I got to this point ultimately by being open and willing to situations that make me truly uncomfortable as an artist. A large portion of my personal career is playing behind bigger artists, and those artists aren’t always playing a style or genre that I am intimately familiar with. In these moments, It is both validating to be considered the right person for that job, and terrifying because I want to live up to the standards set in front of me. I do not take that job lightly either on stage or as a producer for your album. That part of it is never easy, but in the end makes me a more well rounded player and critical thinker.

Overcoming challenges in this industry amounts to just not giving up in the face of adversary. That’s it. You don’t get fired from a band, they just stop calling. When these things happen, you pivot and look ahead to the next idea or thing. Dwelling on failures keeps you bogged down in that moment, even if that moment was years ago and you cannot accept it. Just keep moving forward at any pace. Don’t look over the shoulder of the person next to you to see how well they’re doing, as comparison is the thief of joy.

My brand is one of joy and musical excitement. If you want to sit and talk music theory for 3 hours, I’m your guy. If you want to sit in silence and listen to some music that you like and want to share, I’m your guy. If you need someone to discuss ideas about an event or need recommendations of musicians to play your gig, I’m your guy. I genuinely love this career and the success of the people around me is a positive for me too, so I champion those around me keeping it moving.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are too many spots to name in here to make the cut, but here are just a few of my go-to spots in DFW.

I will always take an out-of-towner to the Granada Theater. There is a soul to that place that only is cultivated through time and love. Mike Schoder is the man for that job, and as owner provides just as good of an experience for the artists as he does for the music lovers who paid to get in. That doesn’t exist everywhere, and everyone who has played there is grateful for it.

Deep Ellum on a weeknight can be pretty enjoyable with tons of live music and less crowd to wade through.

I live in Fort Worth, and will always try to get people out bouncing around town from the Stockyards to West 7th to Magnolia st. There are countless venues and restaurants to visit: Tulips, The Post, and Magnolia Motor Lounge are a couple of my favorite venues.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a musician, I have my parents to thank for pushing me to learn and grow as a musician once they realized I had a real aptitude for it. They weren’t discouraging at the volume (they bought me a drum kit when I was 10), and kept me honest about the discipline of practicing and setting attainable goals. When I set out to be a career musician, I was met with some opposition, and understandably so. However, over time this wrinkle was ironed out and their desire to see me not struggling turned to one of support and, at times, resources that I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. They never disparaged or denigrated my life choice, and for that I am grateful.

As a man, I have my wife Chelsea to thank for the current state of my life. When we met 7 years ago, I was headed toward my 30th birthday and deep into the daily cycle of my career and the fringe benefits that come along with said career. With delicate guidance and a loving hand, she helped me get back to a place where I could be at peace with myself, which ultimately helped my career out to a degree I cannot quantify. For that, I will be forever grateful.

Instagram: instagram.com/chriswatsonmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu8VksR7vF-FC1MkezNxdWg/videos

Image Credits
Larry gEE Brooks Burris Karley Mo Clay Thomas Andrew Sherman