MAX Shares His Songwriting Process At CHOP!

Written by Seacrest Studios Intern, Valerie Kerrigan

On Wednesday, June 26th, singer-songwriter MAX, arrived at Seacrest Studios. MAX was met with much enthusiasm from the patients of CHOP. He greeted everyone with hugs and bonded with patients over similar interests.  Many huddled around the seats in Seacrest Studios, eager to ask their questions and learn more about MAX. We quickly learned that he got his start in the entertainment industry through Broadway. In 2008, he was part of the musical production 13. After that, he landed a small part on Law and Order, then found himself starring on a show on Nickelodeon. 

Patients fired off questions repeatedly, dominating the interview. One patient asked, “Why do you go by just MAX?” MAX answered the question almost immediately by stating that he had wanted to separate his acting career from his musical one. “I don’t want people to listen to me just because I was on a show they watched. I want them to listen because they love my music, because I’m being my authentic self.”

The feeling in the studio on Tuesday was incredibly positive, as MAX continued to make patients smile along with him. Throughout the visit, he shared his interest in musicals, songs, other artists, and animals. When asked about his process while writing songs, he stated that it usually happens organically. “Something usually happens in my life and I end up writing about it, positive or negative.” MAX then shared that he wrote the song Lights Down Low for his wife, and sang it to her when he proposed. When he shared this, a collective “awe” went around the studio.