About Me
Innovative. Energetic. Fresh. Classic. These are all adjectives that have been used to describe vocalist and songwriter, Christen Satchelle.  Whether it’s putting a new spin on a familiar tune, or bringing down the house with original compositions, the sound of Christen Satchelle is unparalleled. Her music combines elements of opera with the smooth sound and styling of R&B, Funk, Rock, and Jazz. A classically trained vocalist, Christen’s voice is reminiscent of a time when incredible voices like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin ruled the airways. The quality of her tone takes you back to a time when the voice was the most important element in music. With a vocal range spanning three octaves, Christen is what the industry has been looking for.
Born and raised in New York City, Christen started singing before she could speak—her first words were sung. Her Grandmother, Alice Satchelle Walker was a talented organist, director and vocalist who was a graduate of The Juilliard School.  It was her grandmother’s craft that inspired Christen to perfect her talent. As child, starting at age 5, Christen began studying music in private lessons and playing instruments.
In addition to her musical aspirations, Christen has always a passion for service and giving back to her community.  At the age of 10, she began actively participating in activities at The Riverside Church in New York City. The Riverside Church, an interdenominational church has made a commitment to social justice. Nelson Mandela, Dr. Miriam Wright Edelman, and The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are among the dignitaries who have spoken at Riverside’s pulpit. This was the perfect training ground for Christen to learn how to be a leader.
It wasn’t long before her volunteer efforts were recognized. At age 12, Christen was highlighted in The New York Times for her volunteer work. As an elected lay leader at The Riverside Church, Christen served on various committees including the Education and Worship Commissions. She is currently the Co-chairperson of The Youth Outreach Jubilee Committee, which is examining how to distribute its 2.5 million dollar budget to organizations that benefit youth throughout the Harlem community. In 2002, Christen was awarded the Carl A. Fields Jr. Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $25,000 from The Riverside Church.
At age 14, Christen was featured in Essence magazine for her leadership and volunteer efforts. The same year, she was accepted to New York’s prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music, Art, and Performing Arts as a vocal music major. During her time in high school, she started studying classical vocal music, jazz improvisation, and piano. As a young teenager, Christen’s tremendous talent caught the attention of many. At 15, Christen was asked to join the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble, performing as a frequent soloist with the 50+ member classically trained choral group. In addition, she was also a member of the All City High School Chorus. Christen was able to put her composition skills to work after being asked to serve as the lead vocalist, vocal composer, and vocal producer of The Purple Flowers, an American Cancer Society Film.
Throughout this entire time, Christen continued her commitment to social justice and change within her community. She frequently made public addresses to student and community groups, as well as using writing as a creative outlet. At 16, Christen was approached by Harlem Moon, an imprint of Doubleday/Random House to create an anthology of writings from African American girls between the ages of 12 and 19 modeled after The New York Times bestseller Ophelia Speaks by Sara Shandler (Harper Collins). Christen’s book, What I Know Is Me: Black Girls Write About Their World will be published by Doubleday.
At 17, Christen served as a panel expert for a roundtable discussion, “The War on Our Girls,†a special report which appears in the January 2002 issue of Essence magazine, along with various media events addressing this issue. In February of 2003, she was the Keynote speaker for the 11th annual Woman to Woman empowerment conference, sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. at Howard University. Christen was also the Power of One leadership award recipient, an honor given by the U.S. Army. Her work within the community and What I Know Is Me was featured on Channel One News. Christen has served as a commentator on FOX and CBS.
Now, at just 23, Christen has become an accomplished musician. Her repertoire includes pieces performed in German, French, and Italian. She has sung numerous works from the Jazz, Pop, R&B, Rock, and Gospel genres. Christen has performed before various dignitaries including President and Senator Clinton, and vocal performances with KRS-One, Ashford and Simpson, Maya Angelou, Three Mo’ Tenors, Stephanie Mills, BeBe Winans, Phylicia Rashad, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Liz Wright, Aaron Neville, Usher, and Joseph Joubert. She has performed at New York’s Lincoln Center, Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall, The United Nations, and with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, Christen has performed at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and abroad in Korea, South America, and Japan.
A proud graduate of Seton Hall University, Christen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and Applied Musical Performance. She is currently a graduate student at Seton Hall and will graduate with her Master's Degree in Theology in May 2008. Â As a result of her continued commitment to service, Christen was awarded the Seton Hall University Servant Leader Scholarship in 2005. After serving as a board member for the National Youth Rights Association and Project People Foundation, Christen is fulfilling her philanthropic goals through her company, On Your Radar Productions, LLC which is a division of Christen Universal, Inc. OYR will produce fully staged theatrical shows and film material that will raise money for worthy causes. The company's current production will happen in Sping 2009 in a one night only Broadway event.
