Christopher Knittel

My name is Christopher, and I was born and raised in Upland, California, in the heart of the Inland Empire. My musical style blends pop and modern country with simple, uncluttered instrumentation, allowing the lyrics and storytelling to take center stage. I carefully develop and refine each song before adding it to my growing catalog. My goal is to create professional-quality music that connects with listeners and captures the attention of established recording artists and music industry professionals.

My musical journey began at age seven when an elementary school teacher encouraged me to play the trombone. It wasn’t my first choice—I preferred drums or trumpet—and practicing often felt like a chore compared with riding bikes, fishing, and building go-karts. Still, with encouragement from my teacher and mother, I stayed with it. By high school, music had become central to my life through jazz, marching, and symphonic bands, as well as orchestra pits for school productions.

After graduation, I joined the Chaffey College jazz band, where I learned the discipline and precision behind exceptional music. We sometimes spent hours perfecting only a few measures until the entire ensemble sounded like one unified voice. Our band won several competitions and was considered one of California’s finest college jazz bands in 1979. That experience shaped the way I still listen to, evaluate, and create music, teaching me that every note and detail matters.

Marriage, fatherhood, and the need to support my family eventually led me to put music aside for approximately 45 years. When I finally returned, I realized the music had never truly left me—it had only been waiting. Today, songwriting is more than revisiting an old hobby; it is reclaiming an important part of myself. I am turning a lifetime of stories and emotions into songs, striving for excellence and making up for lost time, one song at a time.

Today, I am focused on carefully developing and perfecting a growing catalog of original pop and modern country songs. Rather than rushing new material, I am committed to strengthening every lyric, melody, and arrangement with the goal of having my  work heard and recorded by professional artists. New songs are currently in development, with additional releases and opportunities on the horizon. Listen to my  music, join the mailing list for future updates, or use the contact page for songwriting, publishing, and collaboration inquiries.