Youthful, feisty, energetic, stubborn, ambitious, funny, intelligent, well read, classically trained in voice and piano but driven by the pure art of Rock & Roll.

Her musical influences play counterpoint to her personality and they include everyone from the legends to the obscure – “anything with high quality lyrics and very emotional and extreme sounds. The Cure, David Bowie and Tom Petty were ‘on 10’ in my house constantly. In the 90's I was all about Bjork, Radiohead and the Smashing Pumpkins. Now-a-days I listen to everything and view all musical genres and styles and their levels of commerciability as valid art forms.”

Christa always wanted something more which is why she still listens to The Cure and Bowie and continues to discover lyrically sound artists like Jane’s Addiction, The Postal Service, Fiona Apple, Kate Bush, Sarah Harmer and Tori Amos.

“My creative influences span the spectrum, from Deepak Chopra to Leonard Cohen and Anne Rice, or anyone who writes great poetry and fiction. I also like Dr. Seuss, and really any children’s books. There is something sacred and spiritual about kids books.”

Christa’s parents encouraged the route of a classical education. Her life was a whirlwind of extracurricular activities - dancing, gymnastics, art classes, piano lessons, music theory lessons, singing lessons and straight A’s. “Everything deemed creative came naturally to me”. As a socially awkward kid, it was as if she had found her comfort zone, her place of belonging. The foundation of classical music and opera were a heavy part of her early musical education and she took to it like a duck to water. Unlike a lot of performance-gifted kids, it wasn’t enough for her to just win the competition and sing the song. She wanted to know exactly how music worked in the same way that math invariably did.

This thirst for the “exact” would later throw her into studies of sound physics, and help develop a great love of chemistry, which got her into trouble in later years as she often experimented on herself. 

Christa was awarded scholarships and completed a degree in Vocal Performance. “I fought my way through it being the black sheep of the vocal school. Today, I hold my professors (the very same ones I tortured being the smart ass of the class) very dear to my heart. They taught me to look deeply into the music of ALL things. This really came in handy when I started to put the puzzle pieces of my life back together with orange. “

As a classically trained pianist and singer, Christa is first and foremost a consumer and analytical innovator of music. Her degree has taught her to assimilate her thinking to such design.

“I just have to write songs or I will do something terrible and crazy and end up severely depressed. Besides, I am in need of constant creative stimulus and only music and songwriting really challenges all parts of me that want to work together without fighting.”
Her songwriting has influences from her training. For example, she loves the dark gothic and romantic form of German Lieder, so a lot of her “pop” songs deal with darker themes. “It’s indulgent but I live for it.”

Christa’s album I Rhyme With Orange, due out this year, will reflect many of the themes, voices and periods in her life. Listeners will be invited inside the mind of a brilliant misfit as she travels through temptation, lust, and insecurity and near-insanity in order to finally gain self-acceptance.

Christa's Los Angeles songwriting partners and producers include We3Kings (Seven, Wally Brandt, Bill Brandt and Spider) That entourage has written for, produced or remixed the likes of Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Hillary Duff, Mae, Ya Kid K, Techno-tronic, Third Eye Blind, Mandy Moore and a host of film and television shows. 

She also teamed up with writer/producer Claudio Cueni who has written for, produced or mixed notables Nas, Tupac, Immature, Boys II Men, Jordan Knight, 3T, Candy Hill, A1, Lee Ann Rhymes Snoop Dogg, Mandy Moore, and the Temptations. Christa continues to collaborate with the hottest musicians in the L.A. music scene including songwriter / guitarist Michael “Fish’ Herring who has worked with Christina Aguilera, Prince, 2PAC, Siedah Garrett, Ben Moody, Teena Marie, Anastacia, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Dru Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Mya, Rick James, Narada Michael Walden, and Lionel Richie.

Christa consistently brings a deep, self-effacing honesty to her writing. I Rhyme With Orange offerings ‘Cut Me Loose,’ ‘Empty Bottles’ and ‘Better Than She Can,’ can be considered reflected and introspective. The balance of I! Rhyme With Orange will evoke speculation, anticipation, and triumph.

“I’m no different than most. I have struggled fiercely to find out where I fit in, who I am and why I am so haunted by my own actions. I have finally discovered that building your own empire is the only way to still that struggle. Create a conspiracy of one. Igniting an inner dialogue that forces me to evolve everyday has helped me find who I am and taught me to accept life’s unexpected twists and turns with a smile – and then go do my best to write a kick-ass song about it.”

About the meaning of I Rhyme With Orange, Christa says, “As a kid I remember hearing that nothing rhymed with orange. Today as I assimilate the mood and condition of our planet with personal reflection, being in the moment, and speculation, I find myself challenging what is, both externally and internally. I was told; this is who you are, where you are and where you will be.  Well, screw that! Don’t always accept the accepted. Nothing rhymes with orange? Well I do! At the same moment I decided I rhyme with orange, I decided to take the chance, risk it all and follow my passion – songwriting and performing.”

“As a young person growing up in this world, I think we need to become more involved in our planet.  We need to stand up, speak up, grow up and show up, or for those spreading hate and fear - shut up. The word “up” evokes images of ascending, rising, climbing, growing, improving. There’s no sin in trying to be as smart as you can. Hey, we are all a little F%&$’ed up but there is validation with being an individual, as long as we take care of ourselves and those around us.”