Passion to Profession: Chris Erickson ’16
What happens when a sophomore year personal project turns into a full-time music career? Chris Erickson ’16’s journey from a CDS classroom to festival stages and recording studios across the country is a powerful reminder of what can grow when students are given the freedom to follow what lights them up.
For Chris Erickson ’16, passion was never something he stumbled into by accident. It was something he was given the space to discover, the courage to explore, and the confidence to pursue long before it became his career.
After graduating from Carrollwood Day School, Chris enrolled at the University of South Florida with no clear idea of what he wanted to do. Like many students, he knew he was capable, but the path forward was still taking shape. What he did know was that music had already begun to pull at him in a way that felt impossible to ignore. By 2017, that pull turned into action when he joined a band then known as SickHot. Over time, the band evolved, first becoming Dirty Janes and later transforming into Saints of Saturn, a name that now carries their sound across stages throughout Florida and beyond.
Building Blocks That Set the Foundation
Chris’s journey did not begin in a recording studio or on a festival stage. It started during his sophomore year at CDS through the MYP Personal Project, a cornerstone of the IB curriculum that gives students the opportunity to pursue a personal interest while demonstrating initiative, creativity, and perseverance. Chris chose to teach himself how to play the electric bass, not realizing at the time that this single decision would shape his future.
“My favorite CDS tradition was doing our personal projects sophomore year,” Chris shared. “For my project I started teaching myself to play the electric bass, which has carried my career as a musician to this day. I saw this project as a great way for kids to get a jump start on what they are passionate about, whether it just be a hobby or a career.”
That freedom to explore his interests was a hallmark of Chris’s experience at CDS. He remembers being part of a school that was constantly evolving, always trying something new, and never afraid to be different. From open lockers to one to one laptops, there was a sense that CDS was intentionally preparing students for what came next, even if their future was not yet fully defined. What made the biggest impact, though, was the environment itself.
"The most positive part about the time I spent at CDS was being in a school with such small class sizes that allowed me to have a more personalized learning experience with my teachers. As a student that occasionally struggled academically, having teachers that were able to dedicate so much time to helping me was extremely valuable."
Some of Chris’s fondest memories from CDS are rooted in connection and laughter. He still recalls middle school Shakespeare plays, moments so memorable that he and his friends quote lines to them to this day. Those shared experiences, and the closeness of his class, created a sense of belonging that stayed with him long after graduation.
Turning Passion Into a Life Built on Music
As Saints of Saturn grew, Chris and his band began playing shows all over Tampa, eventually expanding to St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando. They took the stage at well known venues like Crowbar and performed at both the Gasparilla Arts Festival and Gasparilla Music Festival. They even opened for Bullstock, the University of South Florida’s annual music festival inspired by Woodstock.
When the pandemic brought live music to a halt, Chris adapted. The band shifted to livestream performances, including one hosted during the Gasparilla Arts Festival by local meteorologist Dennis Phillips, one of their biggest supporters. When live shows returned, so did momentum. The band began working on a new album, one that would take them across the country and into rooms they once only dreamed about.
Their music caught the attention of producer David Bendeth, known for working with bands like Paramore, Breaking Benjamin, and All Time Low. Over the past year, Saints of Saturn wrote twelve new songs and traveled to Nashville to record drums and bass at Peter Frampton’s studio. Guitar and vocals were later recorded in New Jersey, weaving together a project that reflects years of growth, persistence, and belief. Now, they are hopeful that this album will lead to a record deal and open the next chapter of their story.
Today, music is not just something Chris loves. It is his career. It is the result of following an interest early, being encouraged to explore it deeply, and trusting that passion could lead somewhere meaningful. Chris’s story is a reminder that when students are given the freedom to discover who they are and what excites them, the impact can last a lifetime. At CDS, that curiosity was nurtured. For Chris Erickson ’16, it became a life built on music.
We love sharing our alumni achievements with the CDS community. If you are a CDS Alumni and would like to share your accomplishments, please contact our Alumni Engagement Coordinator, Carli (Gauthier) Mianne '16 at cmianne@cdspatriots.org and let us know what you have been up to since leaving CDS. We look forward to hearing from you!