Christopher was born in Vancouver, Washington and began playing saxophone at age nine. Later that year, he and his parents moved to Montana where he started up in grade school band. The Parkin family eventually returned to the Northwest, settling in Mead, Washington where Christopher spent his teenage years.
He began formal saxophone lessons at fourteen with Sylvia Baker and attended Mt. Spokane High School. He participated in the All-Northwest Concert Band as a sophomore and continued to explore the solo and quartet saxophone repertoire. By his junior year, Christopher began playing tenor saxophone and started to pursue jazz music on his own. As a senior, he was drum major for the marching band and gave his first full recital just before graduation.
In 2001, Christopher enrolled at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. Here, he started jazz lessons in both saxophone and piano. The following year, Christopher transferred to Whitworth College in Spokane where he was reunited with his former classical teacher, Sylvia. He would also study jazz with several influential saxophonists including Geof Bradfield, Dave Hagelganz, Dave Fague and piano with Brent Edstrom. During his college career, Christopher enjoyed some success at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival - winning ensemble and combo awards as well as placing first in the alto sax division two years in a row. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Saxophone Performance.
By the summer of 2005, Christopher moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi where he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi. After a brief delay from Hurricane Katrina, his pursuit of a master's degree began. A student of Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz and Larry Panella, Christopher held a teaching assistantship in the jazz department where he directed the Lab II Band and several jazz combos. He was also a member of the USM Jazz Sextet which placed first at the 2007 North Texas Jazz Festival. Upon graduating from USM a few weeks later, he began employment with Carnival Cruise Lines playing in the 'Freedom' and 'Legend' show bands for about a year.
He has played with the Spokane Jazz and Symphony Orchestras as well as the Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. He has had the privilege to perform with many great artists in Classical, Jazz and Popular music including: Patti Labelle, Dionne Warwick, Ricky Lawson, Lee Greenwood, Deana Martin, Frankie Randall, Diane Schuur, Nneena Freelon, Lee Konitz, Jimmy Heath, Nicholas Payton, Marcus Printup, Eric Reed, Todd Williams, Jeff Coffin, Brian Lynch, Bob Curnow, Eugene Rousseau and The Rascher Saxophone Quartet. Furthermore, he has played in groups which have opened for ensembles such as the Yellowjackets, USAF Airmen of Note, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Christopher has served on the faculty of Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities since 2008 and 2010 respectively where he teaches saxophone and jazz studies courses. He is an active clinician and adjudicator, working with high school and collegiate level students. In addition to his academic endeavors, Christopher enjoys time spent as a local free-lance performer and [during summers] as the assistant music director at Camp-of-the-Woods: a Christian faith-based lake resort located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.
He began formal saxophone lessons at fourteen with Sylvia Baker and attended Mt. Spokane High School. He participated in the All-Northwest Concert Band as a sophomore and continued to explore the solo and quartet saxophone repertoire. By his junior year, Christopher began playing tenor saxophone and started to pursue jazz music on his own. As a senior, he was drum major for the marching band and gave his first full recital just before graduation.
In 2001, Christopher enrolled at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. Here, he started jazz lessons in both saxophone and piano. The following year, Christopher transferred to Whitworth College in Spokane where he was reunited with his former classical teacher, Sylvia. He would also study jazz with several influential saxophonists including Geof Bradfield, Dave Hagelganz, Dave Fague and piano with Brent Edstrom. During his college career, Christopher enjoyed some success at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival - winning ensemble and combo awards as well as placing first in the alto sax division two years in a row. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Saxophone Performance.
By the summer of 2005, Christopher moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi where he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi. After a brief delay from Hurricane Katrina, his pursuit of a master's degree began. A student of Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz and Larry Panella, Christopher held a teaching assistantship in the jazz department where he directed the Lab II Band and several jazz combos. He was also a member of the USM Jazz Sextet which placed first at the 2007 North Texas Jazz Festival. Upon graduating from USM a few weeks later, he began employment with Carnival Cruise Lines playing in the 'Freedom' and 'Legend' show bands for about a year.
He has played with the Spokane Jazz and Symphony Orchestras as well as the Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. He has had the privilege to perform with many great artists in Classical, Jazz and Popular music including: Patti Labelle, Dionne Warwick, Ricky Lawson, Lee Greenwood, Deana Martin, Frankie Randall, Diane Schuur, Nneena Freelon, Lee Konitz, Jimmy Heath, Nicholas Payton, Marcus Printup, Eric Reed, Todd Williams, Jeff Coffin, Brian Lynch, Bob Curnow, Eugene Rousseau and The Rascher Saxophone Quartet. Furthermore, he has played in groups which have opened for ensembles such as the Yellowjackets, USAF Airmen of Note, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Christopher has served on the faculty of Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities since 2008 and 2010 respectively where he teaches saxophone and jazz studies courses. He is an active clinician and adjudicator, working with high school and collegiate level students. In addition to his academic endeavors, Christopher enjoys time spent as a local free-lance performer and [during summers] as the assistant music director at Camp-of-the-Woods: a Christian faith-based lake resort located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.