“Simply put, nothing else matters when you can’t breathe”, says Chris. “You can ignore pain for awhile until it becomes unbearable, but when you can’t breathe everything else takes a back seat and you have to fix it right then!” Chris has asthma, was told he wouldn’t be able to play the saxophone because of it. “I could barely run without wheezing and my chest hurting, so the Docs said it wasn’t a good idea”. Ironically, it was the best idea and God had other plans…
Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something? Did it make you want to try harder? That’s exactly what has happened to Chris Godber. All of his life he was told what couldn’t be done, but he knew his God was greater. It started in 1990, when his sister, Sarah, was born 3 months premature and the doctors said that she probably wouldn’t make it. Praying and trusting God, Chris and his family gathered in faith knowing that God would make a way. God did just that and Sarah is now 20 years old!
Chris wanted to be a fighter pilot since he was 4 years old. Inspired by his father’s career in the United States Air Force, he wanted to follow in his footsteps. Yet again, asthma held him back from a career in any of the armed forces. Heartbroken and confused, Chris searched for another alternative. The only other thing he ever had a passion for was music. He had been studying and playing the saxophone since he was in middle school, which he was originally told he would never be able to do since asthma can also hinder someone from playing a wind instrument. By God’s grace, when he proved the doctors wrong with that, they reaffirmed that he would never be any good at it and middle school was as far as it would go. Since this was the only other interest he cared for, He continued to seek God’s guidance and attempted to prove the doctors wrong once more…
Though he studied music in college, Chris credit’s much of his saxophone skill to his 8th grade year of middle school when his band teacher, Mr. Espinosa worked with him diligently every day one on one. Ultimately, however, it is God that plays through him. “God blessed my playing and taught me far more than I could have ever learned on my own,” says Chris, “I play solely for Him, because it is He that gives me the ability to do so in the first place. And I never walk onto a stage without praying for God to play through me and let it be all about Him and not about me.” This helped him develop a good ear for music so picking up the piano keyboards and acoustic guitar a few years later came natural. It was then that he became full time worship leader at his church when he was only 17!
In 2005, Chris also entered in the GMA (Gospel Music Association) Seminar in The Rockies, Estes Park, CO. It’s the nation’s largest Christian talent search. Chris competed as an instrumentalist playing his saxophone. This was another test of his faith as the altitude of the contest was in the Rocky Mountains, over 8,500 feet and oxygen though present, was quite thin. Not the ideal place for a music competition, especially if one of the competing artists has asthma. But even with those odds, Chris placed it in God’s hands and he took home the honor of making the top 5 national finals, out of 406 people!
Music isn’t the only thing that Chris is involved with, however. He also doubles as a Registered Respiratory Therapist when he’s not on stage! “I can relate to my patients when they’re short of breath. The saxophone has helped me control my asthma and I use my knowledge and experience not only as a sax player, but as a patient and a clinician to help and inspire others one breath at a time” says Chris.
His latest album, “One Breath at a Time” is a symbol of that. The title suggests taking life day by day, not getting caught up in the little stuff. As Chris says, “We’re not guaranteed tomorrow, we can’t change the future or the past. All we have is the air we breathe right now and this moment is the only one we can do anything about. So why not “Give it All” to God and trust Him with it?” The new album is getting great reviews. According to Patrick Van de Wiele of Smooth Jazz Europe, "Sometimes he makes me think of Kenny G…you can easily situate him between those other more famous smooth jazz sax players! "
Chris Godber performs nationwide and is leaving audience’s breathless one note at a time! If you’d like to be blown away by anointed music and testimony pick up a copy of his latest album, “One Breath at a Time”. And if Chris isn’t playing near you, you can fix that by "Booking" him at your venue!
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