Chris Gaertner

Chris is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, recording engineer, and budding cinematographer. He has been making music in collaboration with people from across the globe over the span of three decades. Drawing from the music culture of the Southeastern US from which he hails, his music features his warm, soulful, rangey baritone, with him playing the likes of banjo, mandolin, acoustic and electric guitars and electric and upright bass. Many of his songs have included a touch of Asian folk music (as Chris has lived in Asia over twenty years) and featured the Chinese hammered dulcimer, played by his longtime collaborator, Tingting Fan. Chris and Tingting collaborated for Chris' 2013 studio debut album "Presence and Memory" under the band name "Avodah". Chris was a member of the band Eluvia for a number of years. Chris' musical pursuits aren't limited to folk, however, and touch on classical, musical theatre, rock, and jazz. His vocal forays have led to some his latest releases including multi-voiced , almost choral, background harmonies, where he's usually singing every part. Chris' songwriting is quite reflective and trends toward melancholic, though the pangs are lined with joy. His artistic experience has been further enriched in the last year by delving into cinematography, shooting and editing his own music videos. Chris has had an increasing awareness of artistic experience as a gift, and is finding joy in keeping his hands open.