Singer Chris Baggett, Celina Record

Singer-songwriter Baggett to headline first Celina farmers marke tof the season Lisa Ferguson, lferguson@starlocalmedia.com Apr 1, 2016 Chris Baggett cannot sell you a CD of his music. He doesn’t have one. “Frankly, the days of me selling albums, that’s kind of behind me now,” he said. These days, 42-year-old Baggett said he is focused strictly on performing original music and cover tunes for live audiences, which he will do tonight when he takes the stage during the first Celina’s Farmer Market Friday Nights on the Square event of the year. “I just care about playing music that people will enjoy. That’s really what makes me tick,” he said. Baggett said he grew up listening to bands like Pearl Jam, Green Day and Matchbox Twenty. He began playing guitar while studying American literature at Texas Tech, and would gather with buddies on the front porches of their homes for jam sessions. “That’s how I learned to play,” he recalled. For about a decade, Baggett was a member in several Texas-based bands including The Misters, the Raleigh Morris Band and penuel, whose gigs included festivals and small stage shows. When he wasn’t writing songs, Baggett played rhythm guitar and alternated with his bandmates on lead vocals. Fast forward to today: Baggett, who moved from McKinney to Celina a few years ago, works as a creative director for a nonprofit organization. He performs occasional shows as a solo artist at area restaurants including Zin Zen Wine & Bistro in McKinney. He also played a set last year during a Celina famer’s market event. (His wife, Michelle, is an active member of Celina Ladies & Friends, the organization that produces the markets.) At the farmers market, he said, “There’s a good number of people who sit and bring their families with them. They’ll bring lawn chairs and park around the square downtown and just hang out.” However, “I wouldn’t say for me it’s really about the performance,” he explained. Rather, what Baggett said he most appreciates is the opportunity “to play music for people to facilitate their conversations, and it gives them an excuse to spend time with their friends and family. That’s what brings me the most amount of joy.” Baggett said the content of his set lists depends on the show – some gigs feature entirely original music, while others include cover tunes. “In Celina I do a little bit of everything, both original and a little bit of cover music,” he said. “You can expect (to hear) anything from Bob Dylan to Coldplay to U2 to maybe some Goo Goo Dolls or some Ed Sheeran.” Baggett said when penning music, he is often inspired by life. “Just the joys and the pains and the struggles; what sort of makes your heart beat and your lip curl into a smile. Those are the things that really influence the way I write.” While he categorizes his sound as “progressive folk,” he hesitates to compare it to that of any popular artists. “I sound like Chris Baggett, who is doing the best he can do to play good music,” he said.