We recently connected with Shaun Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shaun thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents often danced after dinner in the kitchen. And though I might’ve rolled my eyes or feigned embarrassment, I look back fondly on the action, the physical manifestation of art and its importance to them. And if I think about it, my parents showed up for show choir performances, and never missed a madrigal dinner or even my bit part in a spring musical.

It was never what my parents said. I don’t ever remember them telling me “You should be a singer.” But my dad woke me up by singing “Oklahoma” at the foot of the stairs and my mom would patiently listen to my latest karaoke singalong with 90’s pop hits. When I came home from college and said that I’d decided not to go to law school, but that instead I was going to join an a cappella group and tour the country, my parents replied with “Wow! Can’t wait to come to your first show.”

Looking back, I realize the support rested on active encouragement and in the face of naysayers, that was all I needed.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I helped start an a cappella group – Tonic Sol-fa – that focuses on original arrangements and songs, and this has been my only full-time job since college. We’ve worked with agents and promoters, record labels and publicity companies, but we’ve also done each of these jobs on our own. We’ve toured the world, won an Emmy and performed nearly 5000 shows to date.

At the same time, I searched for musicians in jazz clubs, universities and online to start a small big band. I realized that what I tended to listen to and what I was drawn towards – horn arrangements, passionate lyrics, crooners, et al – arose from the big band era. In combination with my desire to give back, I started the Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience in 2015 to raise money for charities in each community we performed. Our first album went Top 5 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I had read a book describing the ups and downs of the Rolling Stones. And oddly enough, my journey mirrored this book in nearly complete parallel (Albeit in a much tinier way). We’d been through tax problems, life threatening fan interactions, substance abuse, group counseling, highs and lows of a constantly changing landscape and so much more. And yep, we are an a cappella group?!? Specifically, in the recent pandemic past, we were going through one member’s embezzlement and another member’s departure while losing 150 dates in a week. The embezzlement resulted in two felonies after 3 years of legal wrangling. The member’s departure turned into a desire to stay and work on communication skills. The loss of 150 dates turned into a virtual tour in coordination with various theaters and charities that surpassed our regular touring expectations. And we now embark on our largest and best selling holiday tour to date.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn that at times, when people say they are making a choice that is best for them or best for their family, it literally means that the decision may well hurt everyone else involved. It happens – thankfully rarely – that a musician will agree to a show but then get a “better offer” or leave a message that they can no longer perform as they had a different opportunity. It’s inferred that I’ll understand. And I do to an extent. But I look around at the client, the fans, the other musicians, their families and the extra work now created and believe the damage may outweigh the personal choice. And for me as a small business owner, I now specifically search for people who can make a choice for themselves or their family while ALSO considering others in the room.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shaunjohnsonmusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/shaunjohnsonmusic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/shaunjohnsonmusic
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/shaunjohnsonmusic
• Other: tik tok – @shaunjohnsonmusic www.tonicsolfa.com

Image Credits
Mary Johnson