Meet Shannon Magrane

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Magrane.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Shannon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Singing has been my first love ever since I can remember. I started to take it seriously after I turned eight years old and joined a traveling song and dance ensemble. Ever since then, I’ve visualized myself being nothing but a performer. I was a little shy when I was younger but music was always my language of expressing myself. Even though I spent a lot of my time conditioning and training in sports, I was singing all the time because that was the most confident form of my being. During this time, I was also a part of a traveling singing/dancing group which directed me in my passion to pursue music….and then reality singing shows came to life, encouraging me even more. From that point on, any moving performance that I saw just confirmed my passion to be able to do the same thing and emotionally connect with others through my love of music and storytelling.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The life of an artist is definitely not a smooth road haha. I can relate to so many entrepreneurs out there. Music artist or not, it’s a daily struggle to constantly run a business/career and act as the CEO, music publisher, brand stylist, social media manager, booking agent, music distributor, creative director, songwriter, all while preparing for your own show.

I think another important battle has been the journey of finding my voice and my writing style. As an artist, I’m always trying to reinvent myself. With that, came a little bit of soul-searching for who I truly was. During my time on American Idol, I was 15 years old and I was singing because I just loved to sing. While at the time that was enough, I was also going through the teenage years of growing up and not really knowing the answer to the question, “Who is Shannon Magrane?” I think now that I’m 24 and I’ve experienced a little bit more of life, heartbreak, setbacks and loss, that I’ve been able to find my style, write relatable lyrics that emanate my own personal story, and come closer to discovering my own identity.

I truly commend all of the entrepreneurs/musicians/artists out there. It’s not an easy journey and it’s sometimes very lonely. The lows feel like they never equal out the highs but during those times, you have to try to remember there should NEVER be any shame in the struggle of doing what you love. The best thing to do is to keep pushing forward because a lot of times, those rock bottom moments will teach us lessons that mountain tops never will. And as my dad likes to say, “Our minds are so powerful. Everyone has a beautiful inner beast. Make sure you’re doing something every day to poke your beast, wake it up and let it ROAR.”

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a singer/songwriter performing artist. I’ve been writing music and performing for 16 years now. I remember when I was nine years old, I made a list of goals that I wrote out sitting in the middle of my closet floor at 3am. I was taught at a young age that no dream is too big and “If you can see it, you can be it.” It’s crazy to think that the first goal on my list was to be on American Idol! It was such a great stepping stone for me as an aspiring artist and I was so grateful to have met and worked with some of the industry’s best musicians and artists like Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson. The thing I remember most was the very first season of the show and watching the impressive voice that Kelly Clarkson had and thinking, “WOW! This is what I want to do when I grow up”. Being on the show gave me a great career boost and a platform of loyal “Magrane Train” fans who I am so appreciative to have. That vision ended up leading me to opening up for artists like Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, 3Doors Down, America the band, Air Supply, and to create a track with Deborah Cox in the studio for the revival of Jekyll & Hyde the musical. As of now before COVID, I am touring and living in LA, performing 4-5 times a week at venues like the legendary Viper Room, Sayers Club, Sofitel Riviera Jazz Club, Whiskey A GO-GO and more!

I think what sets me apart from the rest of the herd is my competitive edge. I was lucky to come from an athletic family with a grit for mental toughness. A lot of my success is very similar to my father. Although he had a successful career in baseball, he has been able to relate to my career in helping me realize that consistency is harder when no one clapping for you. You have to clap for yourself during those times and always be your own biggest fan.

What were you like growing up?
I’ve always grown up with a keen ear for music. I was lucky enough to know exactly what I wanted to do at a very young age and be relentless about it. When I was little, I spent a lot of my alone time listening to my parent’s record collection, studying the greats, pretending to hold my hairbrush or straightening iron in front of the mirror and envisioning myself on the biggest stage in the world.

I loved all things creative. I loved making up dances with my friends, making catchy song melodies, painting, coloring, and also by default, playing a lot of sports. I played volleyball and basketball for a while growing up until I decided to quit all of that and immerse myself into music. Luckily I have awesome parents who encouraged me to dive into what made my heart sing, literally LOL.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.youtube.com/shannonmagrane
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/shannonmagrane
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/smagraneai11
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/shannonmagrane

Image Credit:
Bryan Kasm & Susan Jeffers

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