Musician in search of his unique sound
Peterborough actor and artist drawing from range of musical inspirations
“I’ve written hundreds of songs that I haven’t put out yet,” Peterborough actor, musician and artist Christian Rose says.
Like all artists, Rose has struggled with inhibitions when producing his work, both internally and externally.
He is probably best known for his appearance this year in the NBC sci-fi drama show “Debris.” The series premiered in March, but was cancelled after its first season ended just two months later.
Although it was short-lived, Rose thoroughly enjoyed his experience working on the show, describing it as “one of the most terrifying and exciting things” he’s ever done.
Rose’s employer, independent music store Maar’s Music in Peterborough’s Brookdale Plaza, even organized a live screening of the series finale to celebrate, which he recounts as a delight for both him as well as for his friends and family.
The young actor admitted that he could never get used to seeing himself on TV and felt similarly star-struck when watching his former co-star Norbert Leo Butz.
“Every time I see him when I watch “Bloodline,” I think ‘that guy was my dad!’ ” revealed Rose, referring to the current Netflix series in which Butz stars. He laughed as he relayed this frisson of fatherly recognition.
On “Debris,” Rose portrayed the son of Butz’ character Craig Maddox, a CIA agent investigating the mysterious titular space fragments alongside series leads Bryan Beneventi (Jonathan Tucker) and Fiona Jones (Riann Steele).
Rose’s character, Dario Maddox, appeared in three episodes. Dario was afflicted from speech and movement impediments after a tragic accident earlier in the show’s story. For Rose — who was born with similar if not as severe setbacks, and grew up using a wheelchair — it was easy to identify with his character’s unique condition.
Rose enjoys telling the story of how he recorded his impromptu audition tape, upon learning about the casting call for the series from his agent. He made a mad dash to his computer, and whipped up something with only minutes to spare and with little thought, purely following his instincts.
Rose’s ecstatic and affable nature must have shone through on that tape though, as he ended up nailing the part.
Flying by the seat of his pants, like in the following instance, pretty well encapsulates Rose’s experimental, instinctual approach to making art. He considers himself a musician in constant search of his own unique sound.
When writing songs, Rose prefers to freestyle first and then refine his work later. As he shared, it usually begins with strumming away on his guitar, an acoustic amble to find a good melody.
“I think there’s a healthy medium between knowing theoretically what you’re doing, and following your heart,” he shared.
For this up-and-coming indie artist, pleasant meandering between genres defines the core of his music. As shown through his eclectic taste, and the diverse array of songs he’s produced, Rose refuses to limit himself to a single style.
Rose described his musical inspirations as ranging from Nirvana to John Coltrane. On his upcoming album “Space Man,” he seeks to synthesize his varying tastes. Even casually listening to his Spotify catalogue will highlight elements as wideranging as hip-hop, alt-rock, grunge, and experimental electronic.
He credits modern unfettered distribution platforms like Spotify for allowing artists like him to deviate from the norm.
“I’m not trying to be a famous rock star,” he said, “I just want to share my music with as many people as possible, and now I can.”
For Rose, making music is first and foremost about the passion it gives him. He grew up around guitarists in his family, and fell in love with bands like Green Day at an early age, which shaped his style.
Rose’s personal and professional environments helped cultivate his love of music. For the past three years, he’s worked at Maar’s Music, where he’s surrounded by colleagues and customers just as passionate as him.
Well-connected in the local music scene, he’s even briefly received guitar lessons from local rock musician Bridget Foley.
The Adam Scott Collegiate graduate has always possessed a flair for performance, with drama and music classes being his main high school haunts. During this time, he was also writing and making several short films with his friend.
Rose’s interest in screenwriting nearly rivals that of his songwriting, as he’s currently working on a feature-length screenplay amid his other projects. Rose’s admiration for auteurs like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, and desire to emulate their styles in his own works, speaks volumes about his own artistic approach. Few young aspiring actors, musicians, or writers have as extensive or diverse portfolios as Rose — and he doesn’t intend to stop any time soon.
With so many projects in the works, even Rose himself finds it difficult to keep track.
“Honestly, I still haven’t watched every episode of ‘Debris’ yet,” he revealed sheepishly, “The story just keeps getting better the further I get. I don’t want it to end!”