Interview With Broadway Music Director, Jennifer Christina

Photography by Clay Nordhill

Jennifer Christina is an amazing performer, composer, director, and musician. Since childhood, she had always been surrounded and influenced by music, especially by her uncles, who were members of the “Thunderbirds”. She grew up around the blues and jazz scenes but focused more on classical music, and she described herself as being the 

“black sheep of the family”

She has always loved music and performance since she was young. She loved to play the piano whenever she was upset, and she loved performing for anyone and everyone whenever shes got the chance especially for her family. 

Even as she got older she still loved to perform, and she realized how much interacting with people on many different levels could do for you. 

Photography by Krista Curry

“I just thought it was a great social thing” 

she stated. 

She has had many many amazing music teachers throughout her years. Her very first teacher being, Ann Peters who Christina said would “chain smoke cigarettes and play ragtime”.

 Her other teachers included Sandra Irving (her cousin), Donald Rakin, Janic Weber, and Judith Lynn Stillman. Donald Rakin or “Dr. D” was a huge inspiration to Christina and he taught her for nearly 6 years, 2 years in high school, and four years in college. 

Although she did not seek out so many wonderful teachers, she realized that being able to be taught by each of them has helped her learn many different perspectives of playing the piano and even uses their techniques and teachings to this day. She believes that each person should try to have multiple teachers in life in order to see many different view points and perspectives.

Throught her life she has had so many influences but one of the biggest ones was her first ever Broadway show, the “Phantom of the Opera”, which she saw when she was in highschool. She saw the show with a few of her friends and her music director, David DeAngelis. 

Despite this being her first musical and what she said was “...the worst seats”, she ended up being so inspired and even cried at the end. The reason the musical was so inspiring and emotional her was because of the music. She stated,

 “The music, it just filled me”

Her musical career started when she first became a piano teacher- which she did for 20 years due to her wanting to stay home with her son and focus on being a mom. She taught many students throughout the years and still teaches one student to this day. 

She didn’t start her work with broadway for many years but she had been playing in musicals like “Greece” since 2012 and she also played in many universities. 

When she first started considering working with Broadway, she had a lot of worries about leaving her son until he was able to leave for college but with encouragement from her family she was able to start her broadway career. Her first broadway job was a tour with “Dream Girls” in Asia. 

She described her experience with “Dream Girls” as, “One of the most incredible experiences”. Christina said that her love for traveling, playing music, and performing made this experience incredible for her. While she was there she was able to look and appreciate each culture she experienced by trying to get to know the locals and really learn about each culture. 

Now Christina is working with the broadway production, “Annie”. 

Her work with “Annie” first began when her and her boyfriend, Clay Nordill were planning to move to New York. Some of their friends suggested that they should send their resumes in for “Annie”. They both decided that it would be a really great idea and a great way for them to be together. 

“It is great” 

she said when describing her experience with being on the road with “Annie”. 

With her busy schedule, you may be wondering how she’s able to balance it. Well, Christina says that she loves to wake up early in order to see and enjoy each city in between shows. 

Her everyday life includes travel days, arriving at hotels, having free days, practicing every day, and having so many amazing shows. 

She says that it was hard to balance everything in her life at first but now she is able to balance it very well with the amazing support she has from her family, friends, and partner. She stated that having “Balance in yourself” and having the right support can help you do anything. 

For her future plans, she plans to continue working with “Annie” and to wait for what may happen in the future.

Some advice that Christina has for all the music students who are aspiring to pursue music as a career is that you should always work hard everyday, better yourself, open your mind to different things, be patient, and to stick with it. 

Go follow Jennifer Christina’s Instagram!

https://instagram.com/jen__christina?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==