Facing The Music
A Sac State student finds time for passion projects between life’s responsibilities
The life of a college student is often busy and filled to the brim with assignments, work, and extracurricular activities but throw being a musician into the mix and it gets even more hectic.
Between his part-time job and attending Sac State, first-year student Christian Burnett drums for Sacramento emo/rock group Ease and records music under the moniker Fake It. Ease released a debut EP in 2016, defined by grungy guitar riffs, heavy drums, and angst-driven screams. Fake It’s sound is calmer, with hints of indie rock groove. Burnett has goals for all his endeavors, though his musical vision differs from that of his academics.
“For Ease we want to branch out of Sacramento and play gigs in new places. We’re also working on getting new songs out and trying to expand our sound.”
Turning attention to his project Fake It, Burnett added, “Fake It came from my need to release songs that didn’t fit into any other project, It’s my domain to experiment in. I’d like Fake It to become a platform for something great in Sacramento, being art and community driven.” Fake It’s two-track EP carries a softer delivery than Ease and features Burnett singing his own heartfelt lyrics through gentle melodies and performing every instrument on the release.
Like most musicians, Burnett strives to play more shows and release music as much as he can. Unlike many musicians, his end goal isn’t fame or fortune. Burnett wants to keep his future career university related.
“I’m working on my Bachelor’s in English and I want to get my Master’s too. I’m hoping to become a professor at a university and show students the importance and beauty of language.”
Burnett’s experience in the music scene has allowed him to share the stage with many up-and-coming bands such as Demon In Me, Across The Atlantic, and Average League (winner of the 2015 Sac State Battle of the Bands). Having toured as far as Washington and Portland in the past, Christian isn’t letting anything get in the way of him sharing his music with the world and getting a college education at the same time. For him this is only the beginning.
Cameron Leng is a Journalism student at Sacramento State planning to graduate in the spring. He has a passion for music and entertainment and hopes to pursue a career covering such subjects.
