For Chaz Lampen, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’27, music is more than a profession — it’s a passion, lifestyle and his future. Lampen, an up-and-coming rock artist with a skyrocketing career, is also an avid performer, having debuted a mere 20 minutes after Rascal Flatts at a local Connecticut music festival.
Lampen also leads a life as a student, as he currently studies music at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus and is an active member of the Songwriting Club. All of Lampen’s endeavors, both on and off campus, are underscored by his fervent passion for music.
Growing Up in a Musical Family
Music is a form of art and expression that was written into Lampen’s story from the beginning.
“My passion for music really resounds in my parents raising me in a household where music is always playing,” Lampen said.
Having a father with his own ’80s punk band and a mother with a shared love for music, it was inevitable that Lampen would fall in love with the industry as well.
The student musician also hails from a particularly musical town in the United Kingdom: Brighton and Hove. The city is known for its eclectic mix of venues and is the hometown of the famed band, The Kooks.
According to Lampen, this environment fostered his interest in making music and diving into the industry. After moving to New Canaan, Connecticut, Lampen joined his father’s band, Mind the Gap, where he furthered his love for music.
Despite playing the cello for seven years as a kid, the beginning of Lampen’s professional music journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he decided to make a change and began learning the keyboard. Since then, it has been the instrument closest to his heart.
“I’m a keyboard player, so a lot of keys and synthesizers are in my work,” Lampen said. “I make a lot of classic and indie rock music, with my heart being in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s styles.”
Lampen’s love for the keyboard springboarded him into a professional career of classic and inspired indie rock songwriting and music-making, which serves as a foundation for his continued interest in music.
Initially, Lampen applied to Fordham in 2023 as a computer science major, but began the fall 2023 semester as a psychology major. Eventually, he realized that “I’ve been playing for so long and this is really what I want to do.” This led to him settling on a major in music, which enabled him to pursue his dreams.
Music is more than a profession — it’s a passion, lifestyle and his future.
His Professional Journey in Songwriting
After playing in his father’s band for years, Lampen’s solo journey is relatively new. His experience as a performer is extensive, having done shows in front of up to 20,000 people. He recently performed at the Norwalk Oyster Festival, playing a mere 20 minutes before Rascal Flatts. Lampen and his father’s band also participate in the Gates Battle of the Bands each year, a competition in New Canaan between a select number of bands in which the profits are donated to local charities.
Lampen shared that although he is a relatively quiet and reserved person, the stage truly allows him to open up and express himself.
“When I come on stage, it’s a transformation where it feels like someone else is playing,” he said. “I get to wear these big, black leather boots and have as much fun as possible.”
Although performing has always been a strong aspect of Lampen’s experience, songwriting is a new adventure he is embarking on. During the fall semester of his first year, Lampen wrote his debut song, “Closing Time,” in his dorm in McKeon Hall. According to Lampen, none of his relatives or friends knew of this pursuit, so the creative process was entirely private.
“I had no clue what I was doing, but I just wanted to have something to my name and put it out there,” he said.
The song was inspired by the late lead and original guitarist of Mind the Gap, Tim Pringle, who passed away in 2022. Pringle was a mentor to Lampen, and it was he who played a key role in fostering Lampen’s love for the keyboard in particular.
“Losing Tim impacted us as a band a great deal, so I wrote “Closing Time” about the band member we lost,” he said. Lampen added that he holds “Closing Time” near and dear to his heart.
“When I come on stage, it’s a transformation where it feels like someone else is playing.”Chaz Lampen, FCLC ’27
According to the student musician, writing “Closing Time” was a major accomplishment, and a project that he put a lot of hard work into. He even included a snippet of Pringle praising him at a Mind the Gap gig at the end of the song as a testament to the love and sincerity he put into it.
Striving for perfection and the best product possible, Lampen said that he rewrote this song around seven times. Reflecting on the hard work and numerous rewrites that went into the process of writing “Closing Time,” Lampen added that “it’s important to stay proud of what you’re working on and really make sure your heart is in every project.”
“Closing Time” is available for streaming on all music platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. It has performed well since its release and has been streamed live on two different international radio stations. While the debut song will always be memorable as his first song, he shared that his current projects are taking his work in a new, exciting direction.
Making Music: A Creative Process
Songwriting is a very abstract and creative process, so much so that each artist approaches it differently. For Lampen, keeping a songwriting journal by his bed in case spontaneous ideas come to mind has been a reliable method.
According to Lampen, songwriting is at its best when it’s from the heart and when it is about your own story. At the same time, Lampen emphasizes that the way to truly touch people’s hearts with music is to make your personal experiences relatable.
“There are a lot of shared experiences with humans even though everyone lives a different life,” Lampen said. “Write about something that’s happened to you, but on a universal level.”
He also added that the songwriting process is one that can take a lot of time and energy, as sometimes you have to “completely scrap a song and rewrite it again and again until you’re happy with the product.”.
“You’ve got to balance dreams and reality, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the dreams.”Chaz Lampen, FCLC ’27
Advice for Music Pursuits at Fordham
Within Fordham, Lampen is a very active member of the Songwriting Club and encourages all students to join.
“The talent in the Songwriting Club is off the charts,” he said. “We do some awesome stuff there.”
The music industry thrives on connections, so meeting people through the Songwriting Club is one of Lampen’s favorite aspects of the activity. He recently participated in their Open Mic Night where he performed for other Fordham students and shared his passion.
Aside from joining music clubs, Lampen also encourages students to embrace their dreams and try new things.
“This is the time to experiment,” he said. “You’ve got to balance dreams and reality, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the dreams.”
Lampen’s success in becoming a songwriter and making a name for himself has proven his advice to be true, as his dreams have become his reality. He has recently continued his journey by joining a band called Rushing Spring, a Connecticut-based alternative band with an EP to be released in June. As he continues to pursue a career in music and hopefully release an album by 2025, Lampen’s passion and dedication for the industry will remain unwavering.