Music I Am #40 – Shaun Drew, Composer and Producer
- Music I Am
- No Comments
The moment when you knew you wanted to be a musician:
When I was a very young child, I used to walk around my house humming the soundtracks from Disney’s Fantasia and from Steven Spielberg’s film, ET. I was fully enamored with the music–the way it captured my imagination. Sometimes I would also hum my own melodies. Music has always been the voice that I hear in my head when things are quiet, so following the path of a musician and composer has always been an important part of my destiny.
An important skill for a career in music that does not have anything to do with an instrument or making music:
Self-care–both mental and physical.
Two ways you stay motivated:
(1) by learning new skills often; (2) by switching up the workload and required skillsets whenever possible.
Latest Project:
Earlier this year I released Singularity, a 15-minute work I produced with the Czech national Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) and Northern Film Orchestra String Quartet. I recorded a second piece this year with CNSO string orchestra, which is currently in post-production. It is tentatively called Metamorphosis. Also, I recorded a short guitar duo before Singularity, called Trading Places, but haven’t quite figured where it will go.
What inspired it:
I composed most of Metamorphosis in early 2022, around the time that I began working on Singularity. The inspiration behind both works was exploring my inner voice, composing and producing and releasing new works, simply for the sake of creating art. I had undergone some major life changes, and had completed working for five seasons on an animated franchise for a major studio. In the aftermath of the pandemic, I needed to go inward, untethered to any outside media projects, as a means of processing my experiences.
Who’s on it:
On Metamorphosis I am featured as the primary artist, performing keys, electronics, drums. Vladimir Martinka returns to conduct the Czech National Symphony Orchestra strings section. Plus, I may feature a guest artist or two; I am still exploring things a bit in post for this one, which is unusual for me.
How do you discover new music?
Mostly through algorithmic playlists on Pandora.
One living and one dead musician that deserves more attention:
All musicians, dead and living, deserve more attention and respect in our society–especially here in the United States. It starts with awareness and education. The power of the arts to create transformative shifts in our culture needs to be embraced and more fully utilized.
Where can we find you online?
On Instagram or Facebook: @shaundrewmusic
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/shaun-drew/253900275
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5pBudYX5FrBNLDd0cuKTZZ
Youtube Video Playlist:
