Ross Christopher Donaldson
Photos provided by Ross Christopher Donaldson
Website: Ross Christopher
Facebook: @rosschristopher
Instagram: @rosschristopher
Twitter: @rosschristopher
5(ish) Questions for is a chance to discover and learn about St. Louis Creatives, Community Champions, and, well, just interesting people in and around our city. It's a deep dive into what they love and where their passion lies. It's an opportunity for all of us to see our region from a different perspective. This written interview is a peek into their lives and their outlook on St. Louis.
Hey, Ross! Tell us a little about yourself…
I am a forward-thinking cinematic, ambient/orchestral songwriter, composer, and producer. As an orchestral composer and dedicated storyteller, I strive to create deep emotional connections with my audience through visual and evocative songwriting.
Why do you do the work you do?
Music has this incredible power to unite and create wonder. I think it’s why I started playing the violin at age 3. My parents saw this magnetic draw to the instrument and I haven’t put it down since. I love that I can create worlds of beauty and hope through my songs and connect with people, on a deep level, that I would never have had the chance to connect with otherwise.
What impact are you making, or hope to make?
One of my more recent albums is titled Apophenia. Apophenia is the tendency to find meaningful connections between unrelated things. And that’s really it. That’s the goal of my art - it draws the listener in and connects and expands our worlds and imaginations. I hope to bridge gaps and to unite otherwise unrelated people, and show that deep connection is more beautiful than division and isolation. That’s a future worth dreaming and hoping and fighting for.
What are some of your goals for the next year, or the next 5 years?
Over the years, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work with some amazing artists that have won Grammy’s, had our music featured on TV, film, and documentaries, and I look forward to continuing to grow that list of artists that I’m writing and collaborating with. I'd love to work with more and more STL artists and film directors. I’ve got a short "dream list" of film directors that I’d love to compose for. And of course, it'd be incredible to win a Grammy of my own!
What inspires you about St. Louis?
St. Louis is such a wonderful hometown for creatives (whether it’s musicians, visual artists, the amazing food scene, the startup scene, etc). I feel like it has all of the talent of larger, more well-known, “artist towns.” But I’ve always felt like it’s more collaborative and less competitive. We like to champion our own. When I win, St. Louis wins, and when St. Louis wins, I win.
What do you do in your spare time?
I love to travel. I’ll take any opportunity to visit a new country or new city! I’m forever inspired by the foods and colors and sounds and people, from all over the world. I’m always reminding my kids of the lessons we’ve learned from world travel - that MY world is not THE world. I’ve always been greeted with open arms, warm hearts, beautiful ideas, and the most gracious people. It's been a huge source of inspiration for my songwriting and composing.
[NOTE: Ross Christopher is notorious for his live show, which has landed him on bills, festivals, and touring more than two thousand shows with the likes of Sleeping at Last, RAC, Jars of Clay, Andrew Belle, Colony House, Guster, The Wallflowers, Robert Randolph, The Black Crowes, Kishi Bashi, Sucre, and many, many more.
His music and string performances have been featured on Grammy Award-winning songs, films, documentaries, and television (Grey's Anatomy, Reign, HUB Network, Sirius XM, United Airlines, JetBlue, and more).]
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