Playing live and stimulating the crowd is what 22-year-old musician Christopher Rubio lives for. Whether it’s a jam session with his friends, his cousin, playing solo or with other people he has just barely met, music is Rubio’s driving force.

With a variety of instruments including the guitar, piano, cello and singing, Rubio makes practicing his style of mellow alternative rock unique and personal.

Listening and being familiar with a manifold of music styles is key to getting a good sound.

It would be hasty to classify the music that this artist loves to make, but some of his inspirations include bands like Sublime, Dido and Coldplay.

“It’s important to have idols so you can listen and see how well they have done. Some artists will only release several songs but have about 50 other songs that they have written but people don’t really know about,” Rubio said.

Rubio has been practicing music and progressing for six years, and has played coffee shops and small hangout spots in Long Beach, Santa Monica and locally.

Passion, the crowd’s reaction and the good vibe are what matters most to this musician. Rubio believes the emotional element that is attached to songwriting is a very important factor in creating the music.

“Without love and emotion, people wouldn’t be able to write songs,” Rubio said.

Playing along with other acoustic artists, pianists and friends at parties and small shows has allowed Rubio to elevate to the level of writing his own lyrics and music. His experience in playing with other people gave him the chance to learn more about himself.

“I played my first song, which is a big step for me. Lately I’ve been coming up with my own songs and the crowd likes it,” Rubio said.

Rubio’s newest song does not have an official title, but he calls it “Without You.”

One of the last performances at EC that Rubio has played was the “Foolish Showcase” April 1, hosted by the Cinema Arts Club. The event was planned for bands at EC and in the nearby communities to come together and show off their music.

Despite drawing a variety of other bands to perform at the show, the experience of playing and drawing the crowd’s excitement prove to be more rewarding than having the longest set.

“It’s nice to know that people are digging me and feeling the sound,” he said.

Rubio played the opening act on the show’s list, where he covered Coldplay and other artists, and premiered his first written song.

Future planned events where people may get the chance to see Rubio play live include the “Acoustic Christmas” show and possibly an upcoming banquet for the Cinema Arts Club on campus.

There are also local shops where he will play at both for and not for money, but more importantly the effort and emotional investment into the art is what fuels Rubio’s passion to do what he does.

“Music is the universal language. You fall in love with the music and it’s up to us to wield that power and ability,” Rubio said.