Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Shea.
Hi Megan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
From the beginning, I’ve always been drawn to music and, specifically, singing — for as long as I can remember. We had no musicians in the family; my father introduced me to many movie musicals as a child — those I loved. I sang often, though I was quite shy. As a child, I would “hide” in my bathroom or closet and sing whatever songs inspired me in those moments. In many moments, I sang to self-soothe. I recently came across an old class assignment. We were tasked to write a short story. I wrote about my cat, Duchess, named after my favorite movie at the time, “The Aristocats.” We glued our class portrait on the “About the Author” page with a blurb stating, “Megan Shea is seven years old. She wants to be a singer when she grows up.”
Many years later, I studied in Avignon, France, in 2013. I had the chance to visit with my older brother, Renaud (residing in the South), who had recently started playing music professionally — he brought me a small guitar to travel around with. I was writing and playing often during this period. I have a million MacBook “Photobooth” videos of myself playing and singing songs I’ve written or learned. In France, I started building the confidence to sing and share with more than just myself — others encouraged me to continue to write and sing. It gave me the confidence I needed to pursue. When I returned to finish my last year at Stetson University, I recorded my first song, “Rotten and Royal,” in their recording studio and posted it on Soundcloud.
At the end of 2016, I finally (and terrifyingly) posted my first Instagram video of me singing and playing “Falling” by Alicia Keys with the little guitar my brother gave me. That post started my professional career. I started singing and performing in various bands, singing back up. Then, I began singing in a jazz and swing band that I’m still a part of today called “Chief Cherry & His Red Beans & Rice”. I started performing with artists and writers I admired, and they continued encouraging me, building my confidence as an artist and performer.
I then started my project — performing and recording my music with my full band, self-titled — Megan Shea. I released my first single, “Summer Days,” last summer and am releasing more music soon.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ah, life’s road is full of ups and downs and contradictions we must manage daily. It affects how we make or don’t make art. Self-doubt has always been a motif in my musical journey, though it has shrunk more and more as I continue. I’ve had many experiences that caused me to pause or readjust. But, I always remembered that I started writing and singing for myself first, not because I wanted to make a career out of it, but because it helped soothe me throughout life’s trials and tribulations.
Namely, I had just started performing in front of an audience in my early 20s. I was asked to sing a song with a band performing in Orlando — I did horribly, (without getting into detail) my nerves got the best of me. As soon as the song finished, I power walked off the stage straight into the bathroom. I bawled my eyes out in the toilet stall, talking to myself in French to remain incognito just incase someone walked in. I was so embarrassed. I so deeply wanted to perform, and do it well, so that when I failed, I told myself, “You’re never doing that again,” among other lines of self-deprecation. I remember asking myself, “Why do I feel so hurt and pained by this experience?” I think I’m generally pretty resilient. But that one really hurt. So, I concluded that I must love it. This meant I’d have to try again and again — and if I wanted to continue to do this, I had to accept and embrace the fact that there were many more failures to come.
Dad’s recited quote always comes to mind, “Ever tried and ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a self-taught singer/songwriter, photographer, and videographer from Orlando, Florida. I went to Stetson University, gaining a bachelor’s in Digital Art —specializing in videography and minoring in French. Though my main passion is my original songwriting and performing —I enjoy the interplay that my other creative outlets provide for both my musical artistry as well as my work to help realize other artists and musicians through visual content and creation via artist portraits, music videos, live session videos, and more. About my music, I thread elements of jazz, folk, French, and psychedelic rock. Much of my inspiration derives from my cultural background, Parisian French mother, and Massachusetts-raised father (of Irish descent). My lyrical content tends to capture reflective nostalgia and observe the contradictions within the human experience. I was pleased to release my debut single last summer, titled “Summer Days,” and I will release more music soon.
About what sets me apart from others, I have a hard time answering this myself, so I asked a few others what they thought:
- “Your music and words come from your heart; it’s a genuine representation of your feelings -you are very gifted at feeling things, in tune with your feelings, you know yourself, so again, your music is an honest representation of yourself; this is cool in an era of people desperately just trying to make it. Your music pulls from your experiences because you are always a sponge in everything you do! I can feel where you were when you wrote something, which connects me to the song and you as the artist.”
- “For a creator/songwriter/performer, you don’t bring ego to the chat. I appreciate that the process with you is collaborative and supportive — you are not overprotective of your material; you are hoping to foster it, which creates a great atmosphere of togetherness! So your music is inherently warm, like when the main ingredient to Grandma’s Pie is love.”
- “Your music is skillfully played, and care is taken into how it is ultimately presented. Each song is “atmospheric,” whether an era in time, a region or country, or a feeling or mood.”
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Do what you love and love what you do. If you’re inspired and love what you do, you’ll succeed. – Love produces motivation to do hard work, research, practice and put in time and energy. No matter how much you love it, it’s never effortless, but it might feel effortless if you do. Be unapologetic about it, and surround yourself with people who love, support, and encourage you. You can’t do it alone, and those who’ve said they did are lying. Don’t be afraid to fail. It’s part of life, and you cannot avoid it. Failure means you’re trying. Failure means you have something to learn from.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/meganroxane
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganroxane
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganroxane
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meganroxane
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/14f6gev94xoBlFrRoNLLIY
- Bandcamp: https://meganshea.bandcamp.com/track/summer-days
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/summer-days-single/1691862218
Image Credits
Eliani Miranda, Megan Cahill
