About Me

Few things are more satisfying to Christa than sifting words into phrases and pairing them with music so that ideas and emotions become common places among listeners. After years of playing piano and singing in church and school music programs, she finally attempted to write her own original music and was thrilled to discover this creative outlet.

Her method was untrained and totally her own when she arrived at Anderson University, Indiana, in the fall of 1991, where she took English literature and music classes, which contributed to a more solid understanding of the writing process.
Throughout those years, Christa wrote her own music while singing back-up for others and performing other writers’ music in a band called Same Rain, which she and some college friends had formed together.

She then married fellow Anderson alum Toby Wells and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, eventually leaving Same Rain and heading east to Raleigh, North Carolina. But under the influence of gifted writers such as Natalie Merchant, Over the Rhine, Patty Griffin, and Sheryl Crow, she was unable to resist the pull of her grandmother’s old piano in the living room and continued to build her own catalog of original songs.

In the fall of 1999, a conversation with a successful songwriter in Nashville led her to the decision to focus on songwriting rather than performance. She began co-writing with her sister, Mandy Rogers, and with Tiffany Arbuckle Lee (Plumb), hoping to expand her skills and find a publisher who would represent her in the industry. Providentially, in autumn 2001, her friend Jeremy Lee of FlatRock Management, began to talk with her about his vision for some of her songs. In Jeremy, Christa found a publisher who would champion her songs within the Nashville music community, despite her geographical distance.

With Tiffany Arbuckle Lee (Plumb), Christa co-wrote two songs ("Real" and "Go") for Plumb’s album, Beautiful Lumps of Coal, as well as “Day by Day” which was a number one single released by Point of Grace on their album “24.” “Real” was the first single released from Plumb’s album. In 2006, Christa was recognized for her song “Held,” released by Natalie Grant on her “Awakening” album, and named Songwriter of the Year by the GMA. Other songs include “Me” co-written with Plumb for her lullabies album, “Bring It All Together,” co-written with writer/producer Shaun Shankel and “Our Hope Endures,” co-written and recorded by Natalie Grant.

In addition to writing for signed artists, Christa and her sister, Mandy Rogers, independently released a full-length album of original music in 2006 entitled “A Rogers/Wells Project: so much to tell you,” which is available at www.cdbaby.com/rogerswells and iTunes. The project, which includes Christa’s recorded version of “Held,” has opened doors for the sisters to perform their own music and share the stories behind the songs. They have performed together and individually in several states, as well as other venues such as Studio B television broadcast and a sold-out round at the famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

In 2007, Christa was involved with an effort to raise funds to benefit military families through AFF (Armed Forces Foundation). Her song “Before the Tree Comes Down," a tender tribute to our servicemen and women and their families, spawned the idea for Hope Christmas Ball in Raleigh, North Carolina, and to contribute to the cause, Christa produced a Christmas EP to be given to donors of the event.

Lisa McClowry, Chicago-based singer and songwriter, also recorded “Before the Tree Comes Down” and released it worldwide online, with proceeds donated to AFF. This Christmas (2008), Christa's Christmas EP--which includes title track "Before the Tree Comes Down" as well as another original and an ethereal arrangement of "Silent Night" is available for download at www.cdbaby.com/cd/christawells and other online retailers.

She is also committed to ongoing work with Masterpiece Ministries (www.masterpieceministries.org)--based out of Lebanon, Tennessee--whose mission is to provide summer camps for young artists, encouraging them toward creative excellence and Christ-centered living.

Christa has now released her first solo project "FRAME THE CLOUDS," a full-length project which features guest performances by artists such as Sara Groves, Todd Smith, Nicole Witt, Plumb, and Fly Golden Eagle. She and Nicole Witt are currently promoting their Love Makes Music Tour.

Christa's favorite color is gold, her favorite food is Thai, and she is usually reading four books at a time.