Christian Preski
Restoring natural habitats by day and making music by night, Christian Preski is grounded by his commitment to shaping a more equitable planet for us all to call home. In the meantime, ‘home’ is a place in progress for Preski: “Seattle is now my home, and I want to call it home,” Preski reflects, “But in my phone under ‘Home’ it has my address from Taiwan where I taught for a year. It seems to fit; Taiwan is very close to my heart.” Originally from Pennsylvania, Preski feels living abroad had a significant impact on him. “Approaching life as a child with fresh eyes - new encounters, new people to come across - that childlike wonder we always seek for as adults, I think moving to a new country is where that came from.”
His time in Taiwan was also when Preski discovered a couple of his favourite artists, “I have recently been listening to a lot of Matt Davidson. I discovered him when I went to Taiwan, and I remember lying in bed and just being in a pool of shivers. A hedonic hotspot, where you’re getting all these shivers throughout your body. I’ve kept his music very close to my heart, it really inspired me [as I was] moving back home, very depressed, not sure which direction I wanted to go, I leaned on his guidance - the way he sang music and projected his voice.”
Preski first began playing music in kindergarten when his parents bought a player piano and had a karaoke machine for Preski to play and sing his heart out. Frank Sinatra, Andrea Bocelli, and Patsy Cline were just a few artists Preski enjoyed singing along to - though it took a bit more help for Preski to grow confident in his own voice. “Before college I was singing quietly, scared my roommates would hear, but then I was in Taiwan, living with my dad at the time, and I would be left by myself during the day. I was listening to Twain, [and singing along] really helped in finding my voice and taking the next step to expressing myself more clearly and truly.”
Joining Nomadic Soundsters has been part of a conscious effort on Preski’s part to start giving music more of his energy: “I was at a place where I needed to do more to intentionally bring music to the forefront of my life, and I‘ve been looking for a while to work with people committed to seeing a project through. [Oftentimes] you start building all of these relationships with other artists, but it’s hard for everyone to stay committed and finish, to do something concrete together.” The virtual platform has thrown Preski a bit of a curveball, however, and navigating this new creative mode has been somewhat difficult to juggle with finding his niche in Seattle. “I live in what’s surrounding me in the moment and I’m not a technological person, so it is a little challenging when I have all these communities I’m trying to root myself in - family, work, musicians, collaborators here ... it’s interesting with this new different dynamic of having an online presence and collaborating that way.”
Preski is working on a virtual platform debut where he hopes to share more of his work. For the time being, he would like to share with you coniferous teas. Coniferous trees, including Douglas firs, cedars, and spruces make excellent teas, “It’s healthy, it’s delicious, it’s abundant! Just grab a nice handful, add a little bit of lemon juice, and make sure to take from various trees, not just one. See what’s near you and start foraging. Get creative and in touch with the land around you!”
Written by: Sammy Gerraty
