Christian Knaub is a senior music major here at Eastern University. He chose music because it is the thing in the world that he is most passionate about. He says that anytime he thought about doing anything else, he just kept returning to music. Knaub is a transfer student who came to Eastern last fall after attending two other schools.
Knaub began his time at Eastern as a commuting student, but last spring decided to make the move onto campus full time. He says he made this choice because he liked the people and community found at Eastern. At community college, it can be hard to make real connections with fellow students, despite the ‘community’ in the name. However, Knaub finds that at Eastern he has been able to make solid friendships with people that he feels actually know him.
Around campus, Knaub can be found involved in the choir and the men’s volleyball team. He is also frequently hanging out with friends, both new and old. It isn’t uncommon to fi nd him engaged in conversation with a variety of people throughout the day. Outside of music, he enjoys drawing, which he admits that he hasn’t done much of recently, and snowboarding, which is hard to do in this area. He also enjoys almost anything athletic, whether that’s playing an actual sport or simply working out in the gym. If he’s moving and active, he’s happy.
When asked about his favorite music artist and genre, he laughs. It’s hard for a musician to pick any one favorite artist. Knaub describes himself as a ‘moodlistener.’ Whatever mood he’s in, he fi nds the genre to match. For him, a bright sunny day with the windows down means country, while a grueling workout in the gym equates to rap, and so on. He also enjoys artists whose sound spans a wide range of emotions. It’s the kind of sound he wants to have in his own music.
“I don’t want just one sound, I want to be able to do a ballad and the more hype music,” and all of the inbetween sounds, Knaub said. He sees this style of song writing as more accurate to the human experience, since we don’t just experience one emotion at all times. One artist he admires is OneRepbulic.
“I would love to write with Ryan [the lead singer of the band] one day…it’s a life goal,” Knaub said.
While Knaub graduates in May, he won’t be around campus next semester. As part of the music program, he has the opportunity to study music in Nashville, Tennessee. The time spent in the city will consist of songwriting workshops, learning about production of music and making connections within the industry. Those types of connections are crucial for an aspiring musician—they can make or break an entire career, which is why he is extremely excited for this opportunity. After graduation, Knaub is open to God’s plan for him.
“I could live [in Nashville] or I could move back here, it’s all about where God opens up the opportunities,” Knaub said.
He expressed that he is excited, whichever possibility the future holds for him. He’s just ready to dive into God’s plans for him.