Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Hagood.
Shawn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My musical journey started out in the church. My mother was a pastor so my brothers and I grew up attending services at least 3x a week. I fell in love with the church band and asked my mom if I could learn how to play the piano. I was about 10 or 11 when my mom and dad bought me my first keyboard for Christmas. I dove right in and played my first concert for my dad’s birthday four months later. Music gave me happiness, a sense of purpose, acceptance, and confidence. I never looked away from having a successful music career from that point forward.
I eventually put keyboarding aside in high school and decided to study drums and percussion. I earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL). I wanted to have full control over my drum gigs when I graduated so I took on a lot of keyboard gigs, drumline instruction, composing, and private lessons to keep the money coming in. During the day, I worked for blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa’s management company, which turned into a long career with Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation – his music charity.
These days, I am a touring keyboardist for Dirty Heads (Huntington Beach) and Funding Director for a 501c3 music charity called Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation (Deerfield Beach, FL). The charity funds music education projects and scholarships while upholding the artform of the Blues. We have partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to host a floating blues festival called Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea that raises thousands of dollars for music instruments, supplies, and scholarships. To date, we have funded almost 400 different projects across the country, affecting over 80,000 students. Our new COVID-19 relief fund (Fueling Musicians Program) has helped 200+ musicians by sending financial aid and gas cards to help them finish their music projects, take care of living expenses, and get back on the road when it is safe.
I also recently accepted an internship at Color of Law Center, which fights ableism and bigotry while seeking justice for marginalized communities across America.
If it weren’t for my musical upbringing, I don’t know that I would have had the confidence and tenacity to take on these endeavors. These days, I feel happy and fulfilled.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, I wouldn’t say that it has been smooth. It took me a while to realize that music
really is a business and the industry can be harsh at times. With all the goodwill and empathy that I experience from my work with nonprofits, it’s a reminder when I put on the musician hat and I have to be on defense all the time. If you’re in the entertainment business, you know what I’m talking about. However, I embrace knowing that each year, I am truly better than I was the previous year – whether it’s in how I have found a better use of technology in my live shows, made progress with my financial health, progress with my mental wellness, physical health, or in other ways. I try to avoid making the same mistakes and I seek ways to deconstruct and compartmentalize major tasks so I don’t feel too stressed out. At the end of the day, I know that even if I fall short of my ultimate goals, more “good” came out of the situation than “bad.” It makes me feel like I’m never losing and always moving forward.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
As a musician-for-hire, my job is to take the artist’s music and make the music come alive on stage! With Dirty Heads, I’m playing parts of the album verbatim but there is a lot of room for tasteful creativity and embellishment. A successful musician will know when to take liberties and when to stick to the parts.
I take pride in my preparation and always being ready to adapt to new arrangements or musical styles. Learning to play instruments in a black church, you learn many different styles, time signatures, and skills that you wouldn’t normally be taught in westernized schools. By remaining singularly focused and present in church services and curating the mood of the congregation, you learn how to be sensitive to many different stimuli that can dictate how the service will go. Bringing that sensitivity to the big stages helps tremendously.
I do aspire to produce more music in the future. I have a few opportunities in the works and I’m excited to see where production takes me.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I don’t think I would change my path. I ended up exactly where I wanted to be.
However, I would have gotten into investing at an earlier age and learning more about contractual agreements and tools to safeguard my career. It’s all good though; I can take it from here!
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. I always enjoy fostering new relationships and making the world a better place through music. – SH
Contact Info:
- Website: shawnhagood.com
- Phone: (657) 845-1192
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/shawnhagood
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnhagoodmusic
- Other: https://linkedin.com/in/shawnhagood
Image Credit:
Will Byington Photography
Gentle Giant Digital
Al Noelle Walter
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