Today we’d like to introduce you to Shani Weiss
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been doing music since I was 5 years old so this is who I am, and what I do.
I play a bunch of different instruments a.nd sing perform, compose, teach music to all ages and basically live and breathe music.
I am very lucky to be able engage in my passion on an everyday basis and make a living of it.
I released a debut album called ‘Touch of Reality’ to all the streaming platforms, a few years ago and now I am working on my EP ‘All About Life’ which hopefully will be ready by the end of the year.
It will be a Folk Indie 6 song mini album discussing femininity and relationships.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If you haven’t overcome obstacles you can’t really grow, so of course there have been struggles and hardships but I try to ‘Carpe Diem’ my way in life and always move forward.
Two years of Covid were definitely a set back for me and the entire entertainment industry, especially in Melbourne crowned ‘Longest Lock down in the World’ but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, no?
I moved to Melbourne 6 years ago and had to start from square one with no network, no job, nothing.
Today I have a muso community called RSOM (The Real Songwriters of Melbourne), a radio show I present called Indie Spotlight Melbourne, teach music which I love, perform and have just finished recording my EP.
It’s a lot of hard work but I couldn’t see myself doing anything else and I am very appreciative of that fact.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a storyteller songwriter and this EP I am working on is definitely telling my story.
There are songs about leaving all my family and loved ones behind to move to Australia, the birth of my second son, Luka, the complexity of female friendships and more. The EP explores all aspects of being the woman I am, a mum musician, passionate about life and all it has to bring, friendship, love and its complexities and where we stand in society.
I am mostly proud of the fact that although I left everything behind, I managed to build a world I love and achieved incredible goals. I have performed in venues my idols performed, I achieved the RSOM ‘Outstanding Achievement of the Year’ award and in general just the everyday juggle of kids, work, gigs, life while staying sane is an achievement, haha, I make it work.
I always say my human superpower is adaptability, I’ll get to a new place and make the most of it, so as long as I can be creative I am happy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think it’s a mixture of luck and hard work.
I believe in karma and in energy and I think that universe constantly throws opportunities at you.
I try to stay humble and keep picking up on those opportunities, keep learning and developing my skills, keep working hard and reinventing myself and try not to take anything for granted.
When these all come together, hard work and luck make a great result, but the thing about music is that it’s a journey, it’s not a goal you reach and then rest. There will always be a piece of music I have not mastered, a technique I can develop more, it never ends. So as I said before, I am lucky to have the work ethics I do, to enable me to pave my way to higher achievements.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaniweissofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaniweisss
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/shaniweiss
Image Credits
Din Aharoni
Cassandra King
Mouk Media
Chris Cobern
Talia Kirshner