By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local
Songwriter/arranger/teacher/musician Susan Shann picked up a guitar sometime in her teens and quickly became a regular in various New Jersey clubs and coffee houses. Festival attendees will be treated to a performance by Susan and her band on the Hook Stage, next Sunday at noon. I sat down with her to discuss her first five years in Nashville, her television show, and her upcoming show in Pulaski.
Susan Shann
You moved here to Nashville a few years ago from New Jersey. How were your first five years in Music City, USA, and what do you look forward to in the next five?
The first five years (actually six as of August this year) have been an incredible adventure. I moved down alone, but my partner Gary joined me about 8 months later, and together we’ve formed so many great friendships and met so many amazing, creative and passionate people! We bought our first house in West Nashville in 2005. I’m totally looking forward to the journey ahead, continuing to perform and write music, host our environmental cable show “Earth Revolution“, complete a Master’s Degree, grow spiritually, and work to build stronger communities here through our non-profit, Fellowship of the Commons.
This festival is promoting local artists, musicians, and farmers, with an overall message of environmental sustainability, and I know that you are passionate about environmental causes. Explain for our readers your television show and its mission.
“Earth Revolution” came into being about 2 years ago. We’d been hosting monthly meetings of an environmental group, then called “New Vision“. Attendance was unpredictable ’cause everyone is so busy. I’d invite these great guest speakers, and kept thinking there had to be a way to get this information about sustainable living out to more people, to motivate, educate and inspire new thinking. That’s when I discovered local public access television. This past year we began uploading shorter versions of the show to YouTube, for those who can’t access the station. It’s been so fun and a huge learning experience for us. When we can afford to, time and money-wise, we want to do a lot more on-location work.
Earlier this year, you released a new album. Where did you get most of your inspiration for the songs that make up “Illumination“?
My friend Annie Sims is an angel, and she brought me in to the Positive Music Association. It was a natural fit, since I was already directing the choir at my spiritual center (Nashville Center for Spiritual Living) and writing / arranging lots of positive, uplifting kinds of songs based on my experience there – although a few songs on the album were older. I also included one written for the Obama campaign and the “Earth Revolution” theme song from the cable show.
How has your experience directing the Nashville Center for Spiritual Living choir been thus far?
I did it for 3 and a half years. It was absolutely one of the best things I’ve done. I taught music for several years in NJ before moving down here, so it felt good to use those skills and that knowledge once again. I formed some really wonderful friendships through that evolving group of people, and we gave some outstanding performances. I finally stepped down because I was just too busy. It was pretty time consuming and there wasn’t much room in the budget for decent pay.
I know that you play jazz, blues, and rock music. What can festival-goers expect to hear during your performance?
I’ve been writing some new stuff, but had to assemble the best of what I already have recorded, from the new CD and from the last few years in general, in the interest of getting it all out to the band. I’d say there’s some real good, energetic stuff in the mix, and some nice ballads. I leaned a little more toward the “positive” stuff, since I’m following the PMA (Positive Music Assoc.) show. The players are all good friends of mine from the spiritual center, and very talented musicians. Lance and Joel, bassist and drummer, are excellent performing artists in their own rite.
Are there any artists in particular that you are looking forward to seeing next weekend?
Oh my goodness! So many! I don’t want to single anyone out, ’cause there’s a slew of great songwriters and bands, but I’m definitely looking forward to Bonepony, for one. Saw them once before – killer! We’ll be there, camping and digging the whole scene, for the duration.
For more information on Susan Shann, visit her website. Also, to watch clips of “Earth Revolution“, check out the show’s YouTube page.
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