Bringing Gospel Music to Life By Cheston Green

Rising gospel artist Cheston Green is using his voice and musical talents to share the messages god has placed in his heart with the world. The North Carolina native recently released his lyric video for his latest single “Identity RMX, that is destined to provide a positive and godly vibes from beginning to finish. I caught up with Green to discuss his new music, journey to christ and his plans for the future in regards to music. Check it out below.

Cheston Green Interview

Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? What was your
childhood like?

I grew up in a small county in North Carolina, called Granville County. We moved around a bit within the county but stayed there until I went off to college. I grew up with a big family. My mom is the eldest of 6 children. I have 16 first cousins on my mother’s side, alone. We are close knit and even the extended family feels close. We grew up singing together. Our family had several groups within it,and we took pride in singing about Jesus. I was a country kid with a big city dream. I had a strained relationship with my father and found solace in church. I would watch my cousin direct the adult choir and mimic her. I would sing. One day, while the choir sang, I was carried away to another land for a few minutes where I sang and performed without fear. But then my mom yelled across the church for me to “sit down, running around this church”. And what did I do? Dropped down Indian style right where I stood. Angel was not someone to play with.

As I grew up, I joined the band but wasn’t good. We lived with my grandparents, and I lacked discipline to rehearse. My grandfather worked swing shifts, so there were times I couldn’t practice because he was asleep to go to work at midnight. I got the opportunity to audition for the chorus in school and then it was all over. I fell in love with the stage. It grew from playing an instrument on the stage to singing and acting in front of hundreds. I later went to singing on bigger stages, but they all evolved around church. My church as a teen sat 2000 people. The bigger the audience, the less I became more nervous. They could see me, but I couldn’t see all those people. I began writing songs over beats I heard on the radio. I would study the bible and then find a way to fit ideas into the music. That grew to writing theme songs for church conferences and leading praise and worship. I directed the choir. There were some Sundays where I would sing for a 9am youth service, sing on the praise team, direct the choir selection and then go to the choir room to sing praise and worship for the children. I think I got my 10,000 hours pretty quickly at that point.

I moved to the DMV in 2012 and have been building relationships both professionally and musically. I sang in a group where I begin to hone in on creating my own lane and writing more. I began recording in 2013 and have been going every since. I have traveled to the Caribbean to sing for gospel tours and weddings. I have been a part of shows to honor the greats, such as Donny Hathaway. I have won local singing competitions.

How do you define success?

Success is when intent meets effort and causes impact. Sometimes that is when people share
their story with you because you shared yours in song. Other times, it’s the moment that a listen
emotes in an uncontrollable way that tells the artist that their song echoes the sentiments of the
listener’s heart. When I can go to a venue in a place I have never been and perform in front of a
room full of people who aren’t my friends and family, that’s when I will know that I have become
successful.

What was the inspiration behind becoming a musician?

I have always loved music. I would sit in church as a kid and just cry listening to the harmonies
of the choir and chords of the organ. When I heard the Williams Brothers sing “I’m Just a
Nobody”, I knew I wanted to sing. But it was when I heard the Clark Sister’s version of “Jesus Is
The Best Thing” that I knew I wanted to write about life and Jesus.

What sets yourself apart from others in your industry?

I have a unique sound that doesn’t mimic anyone. I tell my story or the stories of others from my
perspective. I incorporate lessons and techniques I have learned in therapy and my career in
mental health to the music. For example, I have a song called “I Worship” which is really a song
of affirmations.

What are your key secrets to an effective marketing strategy to promote your music?

Taking people with me on the journey. Being transparent and sharing my highs and lows. Asking my friends for feedback creates buy in. That later turns into an advertisement to those who may not even know my name.

What is your best piece of advice for aspiring and new musicians?

Know the difference between passion and business. Once you have that covered, read all you can about the business. The creativity should already be inside of you. It is the business acumen and knowledge that you must ingest.

When you are not creating music, what else do you enjoy in your spare time?

In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, hosting game nights and traveling.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Kandi Burress Tucker has made a great living of learning how to pivot and maximize opportunities. She taps into various interests and finds ways to monetize them. And she always talks about living below your means to live the real dream.

Musically, name 3 artists that inspire you within gospel?

Bebe Winans, Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond inspire me when ot comes to gospel music.

If you had to choose 1 artist out of the three to collaborate with, who would you choose and
why?

Kirk Franklin because I would ask him to write and produce the song and feature wise i would have to say BeBe Winans and Fred Hammond because those are my music heroes!

Musically, what do you have coming up in the near future? Can fans look forward to a full-
length album from you in 2022 or 2023?

We have an EP that is being mixed and mastered. There will be more content, both visually and
auditorily. I have already started recording the second EP and am making small changes. I am
about 75% complete and am planning to release that the top of 2023.

Where can we follow you on social media?

Stream Cheston Green’s “Identity RMX” below.