ION INDIE MAGAZINE August 2017, Volume 39 | Page 83

CHRIS MORENO...breaking free
Standing near the loading dock of the HARD ROCK CAFÉ on a warm June night, we had the chance to catch up with CHRIS
MORENO, a Boston-based singer/songwriter. Chris was wearing a black key around his neck with the word “DREAM”
printed on it. Curious about the key, I asked the significance. Chris explained it was a “Giving Key.” The key was meant to
be worn until it was ready to be given to someone else.
The key also served as a reminder for Moreno to always follow his dreams, even if it meant going against the expectations
of others. Moreno described to ION Indie Magazine the events in his life which allowed him the courage to follow his
dreams of being an independent artist.
For a while, Chris followed a very traditional path in life. He went to community college, transferring to UMASS Amherst.
At the time, Chris was in a extended relationship. Upon graduation, Chris, began to feed into the societal expectations of
finding a job and getting married. He set aside his guitar for a job in sales, concerned with making money.
After a break up with his long-term girlfriend that he had throughout college, Chris began questioning everything about
his life. “I had become complacent...I didn’t have a sense of identity,” Moreno disclosed. He was living for the weekends
and feeling unmotivated during the week.
Moreno knew that “something” was the music he had loved and been involved with since middle school. He felt he wasn’t
a good enough singer to move forward in the industry. Rather than give up on his dream, he started studying music and
taking voice lessons.
Chris’s hard work paid off, as he released his debut album “Into The Sun” in November, 2016. The track “Finally Free”
was inspired by his feeling of finally being able to find himself through music. Moreno no longer felt “stuck”. He worried
far less about making money, focusing his energy into his passion for music. In fact, Moreno reported, “The older I get,
the less possessions I have,” valuing experiences over things.