Christian Sands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christian Sands
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Sands in Denmark, 2015
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christian Sylvester Sands |
| Born | May 22, 1989 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 2000s–present |
| Labels | Mack Avenue |
| Associated acts | Christian McBride |
Christian Sands (born May 22, 1989) is an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his amazing piano playing and for writing his own music. His album Be Water was released in 2020. A song from this album, "Be Water II", was even nominated for a Grammy Award!
Life and Career
Christian Sands was born on May 22, 1989. He grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and later moved to Orange. He started playing the piano at a very young age, taking lessons from when he was just four years old. He has said that music was always a huge part of his life.
Early Music Journey
When Christian was a teenager, he was mentored by a famous pianist named Billy Taylor. Being "mentored" means someone experienced guides and teaches you. Billy Taylor even let Christian finish one of his own concerts at the Kennedy Center!
Christian later studied music at the Manhattan School of Music. While he was there, the school's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, which he was part of, recorded an album called Kenya Revisited Live in 2009. This album was nominated for a Latin Grammy!
Becoming a Professional Musician
After finishing school, Christian joined a band called Inside Straight. This band was led by the famous bassist Christian McBride. Christian Sands and Inside Straight have traveled all over the world to play music.
In 2012, Christian Sands became a Steinway artist. This means he is recognized by Steinway, a very famous piano company, as a top pianist who plays their instruments.
Christian has mentioned that other musicians like Christian McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, and Marcus Roberts have influenced his music. He admires how they bring people into jazz music while also moving it forward with new ideas. In 2014, he was a finalist for the American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship Awards.
His Albums and Awards
Christian Sands has released several albums as a leader. Some of his albums include Reach (2017), Facing Dragons (2018), and Be Water (2020). He also plays on albums for other artists.
His song "Be Water II" from the Be Water album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2020. This was for the Best Instrumental Composition category, which means it was recognized as an excellent piece of music without singing.
