Growing up in Canada, Chris SD was immersed in his parents’ eclectic record collection, filled with artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, and Tchaikovsky. His real passion for music sparked during a family trip when he stumbled upon his uncle’s electric guitar and played the only song he knew, “Wild Thing,” repeatedly. This marked the beginning of his journey in music.As a teenager, Chris excelled in fencing, winning the junior Canadian championships twice. While honing his skills in the sport, he got into heavier music influences like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. In 1989, he and his brother formed a band in Ottawa, Canada, and toured the country multiple times, gaining regional success.When the band dissolved in 1996, Chris transitioned into music production.

Fascinated by the magic and creativity of the recording process, he dedicated himself to capturing the essence of great recordings in the studio. In 2000, Chris launched his career as a music producer by building his first home studio in Ottawa, where he began recording his friends for beer. Some of his early recordings garnered Juno Award nominations (Canada’s Grammys), which compelled him to relocate to Toronto in 2003. He was hired as the house engineer at the iconic Blue Rodeo’s Woodshed Studio, a position he held until 2012. During his time there, he had the opportunity to work with notable artists such as Kris Kristofferson, Garth Hudson from The Band, as well as many iconic Canadian bands. Albums he worked on collectively earned 5 Juno Awards and 7 additional nominations (including Engineer of the Year).Despite working with both major label and indie artists, Chris became frustrated with the lack of attention given to indie music. He believed the quality of music from indie artists was often on par with major label acts but lacked the support of labels, managers, and agents. This frustration led him to discover sync licensing as an ideal way for indie artists to gain exposure. By getting their music placed in shows, movies, and ads, indie musicians could reach millions of potential fans. He began helping some of the artists he worked with personally to discover the power of licensing their music to TV & film.

In 2012, Chris relocated to Los Angeles but shortly after arriving, he and his wife discovered they were expecting their daughter. Realizing he no longer wanted to spend 12 to 14 hours a day working in studios, Chris pivoted and started Sundown Sessions Studio, an online recording studio to balance his career and family life.He also began expanding his network within the music licensing industry, forming relationships with some of the top music supervisors for TV & film. In 2017, Chris released his program,The Art of the Song Pitch to reach indie songwriters on a much bigger scale to help them get their music placed in top shows, films, and ads. He’s now known as the “go-to guy” for musicians looking to break into the world of sync licensing. Chris not only teaches his 5-step program for pitching songs to TV and film, but also connects songwriters face-to-face with key music supervisors in the industry.

WEBSITES:Sync Songwriter:https://syncsongwriter.com/Sundown Sessions Studio:https://sundownsessionsstudio.com