Shauna Burns
Encyclopedia
Shauna Burns is an American
singer, songwriter
, pianist
, and recording artist.
) and father (from Nevada
) settled in Miami, Florida
. Shauna Burns began on her musical path as a child watching and imitating her mother play the piano. Eventually her mother began teaching her chords, playing technique, and songs (often Broadway musical tunes). She began to find her own artistic identity in her pre-teen years,
along with a widening of her musical interests. Shauna began composing around the age of 12 and started to take music more seriously. After watching a Depeche Mode
performance, Shauna had an epiphany that she too would have a career as a performer. Her vision was strengthened by the success of other female artists such as Tori Amos
, Sinéad O'Connor
, and Sarah McLachlan
.
at the University of Utah
, Shauna Burns played in public for the first time at a local coffeehouse
, after the nudging of some of her friends. Nervous and reluctant at first, Shauna was enheartened by the warm and supportive response to her and her music by the audience. She loved the experience, and the intimacy of playing directly for people left an impression on her. Shauna began to perform on a regular basis at local coffeehouses as well as other venues.
in Anthropology from the University of Utah, Shauna Burns spent a year (from 2003 to 2004) in Europe
during which time she began preparing her debut album. Released in 2005 by Red Rock Music, Every Thought was received with critical acclaim. She embarked on a vigorous tour of the US that same year in support of the album and developed a loyal following. Sometimes compared to Dave Matthews
and Tori Amos, Shauna Burns has a sound all her own. Her ethereal vocals and piano are recorded live with the band (Shauna on piano and vocals, James Clark on drums and percussion, Ryan Tilby on bass and guitar, Steve Lemmon on guitar, Caroline Kemper on Celtic Harp and Rick Kemper on Irish Whistle) with some post-production vocals and musical fills added, resulting in an other-worldly listening experience.
, VH1
, Artist Direct, AOL Music, and Fox TV.
on the same day. "Around You" (the first single) was one of WCH Radio's "Top Songs for 2008" and reached number 1 on "Song Vault Radio". The Moon and the Fire Circle was selected "Best of 2008" by Collected Sounds and The Promise Live. Radio Crystal Blue also chose Shauna as one of the "Top Recording Artists of the Year 2008". Musicians on The Moon and the Fire Circle: Shauna on piano and vocals, James Clark on drums and percussion, Steve Lemmon on guitar, bass and programming, Ryan Tilby on guitar, mandolin, bass and upright bass, Caroline Kemper on Celtic Harp, John Minor on cello and Paul Barfuss on guitar.
, Oregon
, with over 25 shows and appearances throughout the year mostly with her band: Shauna Burns on piano and vocals, James Clark on drums, Steve Lemmon on guitar, Marc Kolodziej on bass and Ryan Tilby on guitar and mandolin. Shauna Burns hit the road again with her Wandering Planets Tour that started in Flagstaff, Arizona
on 24 April 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and recording artist.
Early life
Shauna Burns' mother (originally from UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
) and father (from Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
) settled in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Shauna Burns began on her musical path as a child watching and imitating her mother play the piano. Eventually her mother began teaching her chords, playing technique, and songs (often Broadway musical tunes). She began to find her own artistic identity in her pre-teen years,
along with a widening of her musical interests. Shauna began composing around the age of 12 and started to take music more seriously. After watching a Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
performance, Shauna had an epiphany that she too would have a career as a performer. Her vision was strengthened by the success of other female artists such as Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, and Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
.
First Stage Performance
While studying anthropologyAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, Shauna Burns played in public for the first time at a local coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
, after the nudging of some of her friends. Nervous and reluctant at first, Shauna was enheartened by the warm and supportive response to her and her music by the audience. She loved the experience, and the intimacy of playing directly for people left an impression on her. Shauna began to perform on a regular basis at local coffeehouses as well as other venues.
Debut Recording - Every Thought
After graduating with a Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Anthropology from the University of Utah, Shauna Burns spent a year (from 2003 to 2004) in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during which time she began preparing her debut album. Released in 2005 by Red Rock Music, Every Thought was received with critical acclaim. She embarked on a vigorous tour of the US that same year in support of the album and developed a loyal following. Sometimes compared to Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
and Tori Amos, Shauna Burns has a sound all her own. Her ethereal vocals and piano are recorded live with the band (Shauna on piano and vocals, James Clark on drums and percussion, Ryan Tilby on bass and guitar, Steve Lemmon on guitar, Caroline Kemper on Celtic Harp and Rick Kemper on Irish Whistle) with some post-production vocals and musical fills added, resulting in an other-worldly listening experience.
Public Reception
Every Thought was selected as one of the Top CDs of 2005 by Collected Sounds and the single, "Pink Girl," was chosen as the #1 Indie single from the MAACP show and the album was chosen as "Best of the Batch" from the Music Industry News Network, and was featured on TowerPod, Indie-Music, BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Artist Direct, AOL Music, and Fox TV.
Desert Tune
Every Thought was followed by the 2006 release entitled Desert Tune. This 5 song EP, which is an extension of Every Thought, has Shauna on vocals and piano, James Clark co-producing and on drums and percussions, Steve Lemmon on guitar, and Ryan Tilby on guitar and bass.The Moon and the Fire Circle
The Moon and the Fire Circle was released on 19 February 2008 with a record release show held at The Mint in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on the same day. "Around You" (the first single) was one of WCH Radio's "Top Songs for 2008" and reached number 1 on "Song Vault Radio". The Moon and the Fire Circle was selected "Best of 2008" by Collected Sounds and The Promise Live. Radio Crystal Blue also chose Shauna as one of the "Top Recording Artists of the Year 2008". Musicians on The Moon and the Fire Circle: Shauna on piano and vocals, James Clark on drums and percussion, Steve Lemmon on guitar, bass and programming, Ryan Tilby on guitar, mandolin, bass and upright bass, Caroline Kemper on Celtic Harp, John Minor on cello and Paul Barfuss on guitar.
Radio Success
"Around You", the first single from The Moon and the Fire Circle, hit number 7 on the FMQB AC (Adult Contemporary) Chart in April 2008. It debuted at number 38 and peaked at number 7.Anamnesis
The continuation of The Moon and the Fire Circle is the follow-up EP Anamnesis, released on 14 April 2009. Anamnesis, which means "recollection" or "remembrance", focuses on the senses that live in memories. Musicians on Anamnesis: Shauna on piano, rhodes and vocals, James Clark on drums and percussion, Steve Lemmon on guitars, bass and programming, Ryan Tilby on mandolin and dobro, Kiley Astle on violin and Steve Nelson on cello.Touring
Shauna Burns toured the United States and Europe in 2006 and 2007 in support of Every Thought and Desert Tune with over 55 shows and appearances. The Moon and the Fire Circle tour kicked-off on 6 March 2008 in PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, with over 25 shows and appearances throughout the year mostly with her band: Shauna Burns on piano and vocals, James Clark on drums, Steve Lemmon on guitar, Marc Kolodziej on bass and Ryan Tilby on guitar and mandolin. Shauna Burns hit the road again with her Wandering Planets Tour that started in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
on 24 April 2009.
Discography
- Every Thought (2005)
- Desert Tune (2006)
- The Moon and the Fire Circle (2008)
- Anamnesis (2009)