Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shawn Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shawn , thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My most meaningful project is my current project, Stress’d the Musical. It is a stage musical written and composed by me and I have the honor of working with multiple theatre organizations and professionals that are assisting me in the development of the show. This year, 2023, the show will be introduced in concert and stage-reading forms while next year the full production will go up. Stress’d the Musical is a story about the challenges a young man faces as an artist and his journey in finding himself through these stressful situations that are constantly thrown at him. He learns that true happiness comes from within. When writing this show, I used my own life as a catalyst. Every situation (some exaggerated) within the show has happened to me. I have been through a lot, I struggled with homelessness and mental health issues, and writing this show gave me the voice to be able to process some of the emotions I needed to feel.

Shawn , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Shawn Smith and I’m 23 years old. I am a published author with my children’s poetry book Letters from the Farm and I recently released an alternative R&B project titled, Before I Begin. At my core I am a writer, whether I am writing words or music, it seems to flow like a never ending stream. More than often, I am found behind a piano or computer composing music. I have a deep connection to music that I have cultivated since I was very young. When I was young I struggled in my own confidence to make my own musical works and it wasn’t until I turned 19 years old, that I realized that I am good enough. Not only am I an artist, I am also an avid educator. I received my education from Colorado State University- Global Campus, Bachelor’s in Marketing and am pending Masters in Business Administration and Project Management (Sept. 2023). I studied Acting and received my certificate from Stella Adler Studio of Acting in partnership with New York University. I work as a freelance teaching artist in many school districts around the country, utilizing art, music, and theatre to teach literacy. My goal is to secure a theatre space where I can write and produce shows, concerts, and eventually tv/film, while also providing accredited creative entrepreneurship educational resources to underserved communities. I sit as an artistic/creative associate for Chicago’s Stage Left Theatre and Grand Rapids’ BAM Talent.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I have been in professional theatre for going on 10 years and after 10 years of telling other’s stories and singing other’s songs, I was finding myself dissatisfied. “This is my dream,” I would tell myself, “So why am I dissatisfied?” It took me some time to discover that you can not find joy in telling other’s stories when you have your own to share. I was tired of conforming to white theatre standards, being told that my singing voice was non-traditional for the theatre space and often being forced to change my sound to appease theatre traditions. I want to challenge that. I want to create works that allow for the non-traditional (non-classical techniques) singer to be able to perform. In my opinion, tradition has led to many lifeless singers, and exaggerated performances, which takes away from the nuance of what theatre is. It is an opportunity for connection, connection between audience and actor, between story and reality, between conscious and sub-conscious. Until more group are more widely accepted within the theatre community, these problems will persist. That is why I am writing, I am changing the status quo and I don’t care if I’m in it alone, I will pave the way for future generations of non-traditional performers like myself.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

On December 26, 2022, the pipes in my apartment burst and destroyed all of my music equipment, including my piano. I was distraught. I thought about giving up, everything that I had worked for for 23 years was gone. But I couldn’t let that stop me from pursuing my dream, so I swallowed my pride and began performing (other’s works) again. In doing so, I found something within myself that convinced me that I can’t give up on this dream, so even though I had no way of continuing to write and edit my show, Stress’d the Musical, I wasn’t going to give up. I sang and recorded melodies on my phone until I was able to replace my piano and then I went back and played out all those melodies I had recorded. I continued to write, compose, edit, revise, repeat, and I promised myself that I wouldn’t give up on my dream. Because if I give up on this, I am giving up on every little boy and little girl who fall into the same category of performer as me. I couldn’t do that, I kept going. I am proud to say that the first draft of the musical has been written and the show is currently being developed.

Contact Info:

• Website: shawnthecomposer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnthecomposer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativexSS/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-smith-747281207/
• Twitter: N/A
• Youtube: N/A
• Yelp: N/A
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnthecomposer?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc