I started Sharpsong Music as a method to put music I love out into the world. As a professional bass player for over 40 years, I have spent a lifetime seeking out great songwriters to work with. Along that path I’ve discovered, time and time again, that the songs and songwriters that inspire me also tend to spark a powerful emotional response in others. I’ve also learned that the recording process can enhance a beautiful piece of music, or it can easily dull the brightness with the wrong production. The honesty that draws people in, that snapshot of true vulnerability, can be easily buried under overzealous musicality. It’s tricky stuff.
The path to a successful recording is, in my experience, paved with exuberance and dissension. For example, most people don’t know that the version of “What’s Up?”responsible for launching my band 4 Non Blondes to international fame is not the version originally recorded during the tracking of Bigger, Better, Faster, More! That was a big lesson in how to trust my gut and follow my heart in the studio. If you would like to learn more, please visit my 4 Non Blondes website.
In preparation for Sharpsong Music‘s debut release with Genesis Fermin, I assembled a small, experienced team of career professionals, recruiting LA-based singer-songwriter/producer Gina Villalobos and her sidekicks: engineer Erik Colvin and guitarist Kevin Haaland, all generous artists chock full of integrity, immense talent, and musical wisdom. Our philosophy was to find and expose the beating heart of each song while leaving the sincerity and soul intact.
I like music that takes risks, no matter the genre. If you would like to find out more about my life in music, please visit my website at christahillhouse.com
Christa Hillhouse
May 2021
