While driving a loop back to Salt Lake, we enter a town that has a huge playground. We stop off because Ronan wants to play. Oh! This place is great. It had discontinued playground sets that were really fun. We all got on that metal merry go round that goes way to fast. Ronan loved it. The sets were made of wood and steel and a little plastic. The swing set was extra tall so you can really fly. It was a playground where the parents can play too.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a golden eagle. I see them all the time, just not twenty yards away. Looking up, I notice thirty of them at least, nesting in the tops of huge cottonwoods. I run over, take pics, and realize these are turkey vultures. They are really awesome and slightly more daunting than goldens. Steven joked that no wonder there were no kids in the park. They don’t attack humans do they?  No, probably not. But when they started circling over head, he suggested we move on.

In the same park there was a pin for rodeo’s, and some horses. We watched some cowboys rope steer. It was a pleasure to watch these folks. They looked as comfortable with a lasso as they did with a smile, easy. They loved their small town, huge life. They have it good, fresh air, and wild-life all around. We said our goodbyes and drove off only to be met with the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. That’s what I get for seeing an idea/experience through, two big fat juicy rainbows. Oh I love metaphors, these ones bring tears to my eyes. Steven asked, “Can you cry and smile at the same time?” “Yes, Steven, I can”.

This is the core of my music—exciting, jazzy, rich sounds in wealthy scape’s of lyrical aptitude. Please attend and be prepared to be inspired by the ambiance, the art, dishes of edible delights, fantastic hosts, and fine music! Experience it.
the tin angel is located at 365 W 400 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 328-4155
Reservations are recommended for all my shows.

Stay “tuned” for my newest song and article. Subscribe to my articles and be the first to get them.

-Shannon

Extreme musical improv, and you?

I ran into Mr. Avery at Big Ed’s, a local diner; he popped his head in, sat down with his friend, commented how big my son Ronan was getting, and began to fill us in about how grad school was going. He told me that in his communication class they discussed how every human interaction was improv. I thought that’s it! That is: I converse musically in an improvisational way.

I don’t write sheet music; it’s all by ear. I read and play jazz music and I think I enjoy the essence of the unknown in music. So essentially I memorize my stuff, and it’s complex because of all the layering I do.  When I perform, I know the basic premise of the tune, but the rest I make up on the spot.  I wouldn’t have any other way. The process keeps my mind alive.

I just recorded a song called

All I Want is You

I listened to it and realized that I’m sniffing again—sniffing out rhythms. I’ve been doing it since I was a child. Using my breath as a staccato metronome, I sniff the beat. I make up rhythms using my nose by puffing my breath though it. If you listen carefully to the baseline, you can hear it.

I’ve been really inspired by Bobby McFerrin, the view from my condo, and really taking a deep look at what is important in my life.  That’s how this song was born.

All I Want is You

…sums it up.  When I comes down to it, my family, my deep loves, are what keep me going.  The view of the mountains helps my mind expand while I compose.  Mr. McFerrin’s layering voice directly inspires me; it’s like the trail head post that reads—this way, unknown music ahead.

I have an album coming out May 1, 2009 called Blooming Songs. Expect to see an article here for each song, so stay tuned by subscribing to my article feed, and leave a comment if you feel inspired.  Thanks for reading! So take a listen (click-on the big triangle after the song), I hope you love it.

The first line goes:

It’s the extraordinary that I find in the ordinary

One of the offered insights was that this song was directly correlated with the artist experience. Artists find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Essentially an artist observes life and discovers it’s nature through their own direct experience with it. For example Da Vinci watched water in a stream, trying intently to capture what the movement of liquid looks like on a static page, amist discovering the water’s nature and disposition. Art comes out of observing and experiencing life and our own interpretation of it.

I paint with sound. I use a technique called looping. And like water in a stream, I discovered the nature of looping and layering my own voice. I added sound where it needed more color and body, and I also limited sound to add variety and simplicity.

I am working on a full length CD recording called Blooming Songs. I work daily on a body of art and sound that keeps growing and giving. Blooming.

This work is art. I sing with color, feeling and intention. I revel that I’ve caught something universal and powerful in my song and that others deeply relate to it.  I sing of the artist’s mundane magic: the extraordinary in the ordinary. I can’t ask for more! Thanks Shasta, Shawn and Tim for attending, your presents and deep artistic nature are a true gift.

Please listen to— Extraordinary

Purchase this song on Discography. Enjoy enjoy enjoy!

Harvesting Wrath

Fall harvests something in me—warrior-ship.  I trained hard for six months. And I have been training Fitness and Tai Chi for over two years, with a small community of warriors. I train with my partner and instructor Steven Smith, World Tai Chi Boxing Association Instructor.

I stood in a check-out line at Big Lots. I chatted with a lovely, yet sprightly Great-Grandma.  She carried two items to purchase. She enchanted my son Ronan with tricks of her trade, she clicked her tongue, smiled and tried to grab his hand. Ronan bashfully declined the hand grab.  She told me that she had three Great-Grandchildren.

The person ahead of her finished and before we knew it—a middle aged frizzy-haired, thin and slightly stooped guy hissed to his companion, a younger, friendly looking woman, hurry up and cut in line. She was old enough to know better. The man wedged a cart, stocked full and brimming, in front of Great-Grandma. Wow! (Wrath.)

• Hey! I said.
• You cut in front of this woman!
• Well…you two were talking.
• Yes—that’s what folks do in line.
• Well I’m SO sorry, he said with a big grin.
• You don’t look sorry.
• Well I’m not!
• Wow. Then not only are you shady by cutting the line, you’re rude, unkind, and insincere! You need to learn manners!

Grandma and I went to another lane.  I could hear him mumbling something. But I turned back to my son; he wanted to press buttons at the check-out.  I think I pressed plenty for the day. His daughter crept up and apologized for his behavior.

The Great-Grandmother told me: thank you for saying that. And I told her that I won’t let people get away with unacceptable behavior. I have never in my life fought that coolly and impeccably. Usually after a conflict of some sort, I would arrive at home drained, victimized, complaining, while revisiting the scenario of how-could-I-have-done-it-better.

This time was different! I felt energized and powerful. I was straightforward. I struck cleanly with intent. It was for justice. It was for this old woman, it was for the nasty man, it was for my son, it was for my me.

The Scabbard At My Side

I know I can defend myself well. I care for my friends, my community, and my family in a kind, yet ruthless way. And I don’t want to fight: that’s not what my discipline and principles provoke.  They enhance who I’ve always wanted to be, someone with unbending courage.

Not so long ago, I would not have had the fortitude to fight anyone. This story makes me the heroine, and I am, in my own life.  And I am attracted to people who fight the good fights—heroes for themselves, their families, their community, and in the milieu that they inhabit. Those are my friends that I have now. Inspiration for writing this article includes:

• My partner and friend Steven Smith who teaches Real Taijiquan in Salt Lake
• The Art of War by Sun Tzu: a small dense manual on the Samurai Principles of War.
• Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa—the great, huge, sweeping historical drama about Musashi Miyamoto, the greatest samurai who ever was in Japanese history. It is incredible!
• The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa. This Tibetan treatise, on the art of spiritual goodness and the warrior that exists in all people, is a beautiful, rising-sun (optimistic) philosophy on how to touch the basic-goodness we all have inside.

I play. I sing. I wander through rhyming words, making meaning in song. I sing:

You may find yourself new, and if you do, you may like it…

Ronan starts crabbing and carrying on, so I sing to him:

Please help me, all the way through, ’cause if you do, it may happen to you too.

Find yourself new.

He was receptive. Ronan is an intelligent being. I explained to him that I write and sing songs — if I do the work that is meaningful to me, I can enjoy being present and playful. We can enjoy being together a whole lot more by doing what we love. When we live in harmony and listen to each other, we can be together.

Wandering inside worked for both of us. He lifted me with inspiration and understanding, and I helped him settle down. I feel uplifted and supported with my family in on my wanderings.

Listen to Find Yourself New

Find Yourself New

Download Find Yourself New!

My environments offer such simple pleasures. I must be relaxed enough to enjoy them. Wandering without an agenda is a key to relaxing enough. With no destination, only the journey or the wander matters, as they say. It rejuvenates me to move my body because my mind follows my body’s lead. Movement relaxes my mind because it relaxes my body.

Anything can happen while wandering. What struck me last night?! On a walk with my men — Steven and Ronan — the sunset’s light grazed the tops of the trees. Trees bathed in rosey-oranges and ruby-pinks…my eyes could not soak in enough.

I felt so content to be part of that moment with my family (who enjoyed it too). Many extraordinary moments in life are free: sunsets, walks, and a sample of…

summertime.

My name is…..I was born…..and then I discovered……my influences are…..

I know that people want to know this stuff, hell, I want to know this stuff about others. Alas my name and where I am from is not the real meat. It is only my title. So I thought I would introduce myself story by story.

Besides, this will give me an impetus to write and compose a bit more. And hopefully you can learn more about me. And I can uncover more about myself.

I will write small chapters written at different times.

The book by Rebecca Wells, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood influenced me to dig deep into my psyche and tell some of my own stories. She is the best fiction writer I have ever come across in terms of character development and tracking the changeable nature of people and their emotions.

The story is about a daughter stalking and delving into her mother’s past to figure out her present that will influence her future. Last night after reading her book for hours, I was dumbfounded how anyone could write that well — how fiction could be so real and rich .

In the book Sidda Lee Walker is at her birthday party/celebration for directing her first play. She is 24. Her mother gets drunk and says, “Who gave you permission to direct a play?” Basically, her mother shames her like a child in front of all her contemporaries. She was very much hurt by her mother.

After the party, Sidda is talking to her friend. He tells her to “use it” — to use all those experiences in her work, the good, the bad, and the ugly . It is what we have experienced.

Experience makes us the artists we are today, the beautiful, unkempt, ruthless, wounded, strong, courageous, messy humans we are. So I’m going to “use it” right here.

Thanks for reading and if you are inspired, please write me.

They remind me of the Triplets of Bellvue score. Ideas for music kept welling up in me as I heard these ladies, who I later found out to be the Puppini Sisters, like a literal modern translation of the Andrew Sisters. They did some covers like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Mister Sandman and also, I think their original Jilted Again. Wow.

So I got home, put Ronan down for a nap and started recording some three part harmonies with myself. I thought this would be so awesome to do with my sisters, but alas we are everywhere in different cities. I even thought I could call myself the Shannon Sisters , which would be fun cause I’m just one. Maybe I’ll make the Shannon Sisters a project. I wanted to share what I recorded.

Take a listen…

Bellville Rendez-vous (sample)

Macro-ly the world needs it and micro-ly our communities need it.

What happens to society when one single person gives up on their dreams?

I guess we are flexible humans and we can find other paths, right?

My thought on this is that if we let go on what we truly want out of life and choose something else, what’s to stop that something else from morphing into some other dream and on and on. Spinning out of control into an abyss of lamented dreams.

I have a song I wrote about this .

Jump in the River

The elusive instigator wants me to put my dreams off ’til later

Promising comfort and solitude, wrestling me with her restless attitude

I’m not going to take any more, I’m walking out that door,

Down to the river, down to the water.

Jump in the river, take a chance on the supreme,

Jump in the water, don’t dam a moving dream.

So this is where I start, my art, my life; they have never been separate . Though they’ve been separated, by me, when I thought my art-life was too tough. Then I found that not living my art was way weirder and harder.

So here I am, living.