Daily Inspiration: Meet Tara Shannon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Shannon. Them and their team share their story with us below:

As an artist, Tara Shannon’s music has been described as soft rock/inspirational with plenty of souls “I believe in writing and singing from your soul; you must be in touch with your soul as well as the souls of others. Tara is that; hence she is this.”​ ~ Doug Johnson, Songwriter – ACM & CMA Song of the Year – Three Wooden Crosses) with a voice to be heard. “Tara Shannon is a voice that matters, and she is a voice that deserves to be and must be heard.” ~ Alan & Georgia Morissette. Previous campaigns such as The Butterfly Child, in partnership with DEBRA Canada for her dear friend Jonathan Pitre and Be You Girl, in partnership with Morguard Investments and Big Brother Big Sisters, have showcased Shannon’s gift as a songwriter and revealed a philanthropist’s heart. Her latest project, “SAY,” in partnership with Advance Care Planning in support of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, showcases her work as a sought-after songwriter with a talent for capturing the essence of a message. Her previous single “Mutha,” a song Shannon co-wrote with Roxie Dean (Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Jamie O’Neal) about her eventful life as a mother of seven children, It garnered more than 1 million video views, debuted at #2 on most active indie downloads and reached Top 50 on the Music Row Country Breakout chart in the US. “I think anyone in a nurturing role sees and hears themselves in this song,” says Shannon in a candid interview about the inspiration for the song.

“Where The Light Comes In,” Shannon’s latest EP, was released in November 2019 with a performance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The first single, “Freedom,” released to US radio in April 2020, made the PlayMPE Top 20 Streams the first week out and featured the band WesternBoy from Nashville, TN.

As a celebrated entrepreneur and co-founder of the TIF Group of Companies, Shannon has been a guest speaker at notable events such as the G20 Summit and won awards such as the BMO for Woman Community and Charitable Giving. Shannon seeks to encourage and empower the artists on the label she founded, Willow Sound Records, and the writers at the publishing company she co-founded with Nashville’s Debbie Zavitson, Syndicut Music Publishing, with the same entrepreneurial mindset. Shannon recently completed “The BIG Tour” in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ontario, where she raised awareness and funds for the agencies, promoting the importance of mentorship in the growth and development of young people.

Notable performances include Ottawa Bluesfest (main stage), National Arts Centre, Canadian Tire Centre (Tim Horton’s Roar of the Rings), Inspire Awards (Saint-John), Amazing People Gala (Ottawa), CMA Fest (Nashville), United Way National Conference (Hamilton), Canada Without Poverty National Conference (Ottawa), Russell Arena (with Andre Philippe Gagnon), City Folk (Ottawa), Saying Goodbye (John McDermott, Alan Doyle). Shannon has been featured in media across North America for both her musical and charitable endeavors, including Etalk, Global’s The Morning Show, CBC’s All in Day, CP24 Breakfast, Sirius XM’s Ward and Al, and many more. Shannon also hosted the American hit TV show Country Fix in 2017, a CMJ Production that airs in over 100 million households worldwide on networks including Heartland, The Family Channel, and more. Shannon divides her time between Ottawa and Nashville and lives with her family in the village of Russell.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Many struggles along the way are raising a large family, balancing motherhood with my career balancing health and self-care. Finding the funding is always a challenge too!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer/songwriter from Ottawa, ON, but for the last several years, I have traveled back and forth to Nashville, and other places music and the industry take me.

Music was a big part of my life when I was young but life happened and I chose to focus on my family. Between raising 7 children and building a multi-million dollar group of companies in a different industry, I didn’t leave much room for music. Fast forward many years and I have brought music back to my life in many aspects. I am a songwriter, author, and performer who is releasing new music and running two music businesses – Willow Sound Records & Syndicut Music.

Willow Sound is a record label dedicated to the development and distribution of independent music. With a special focus on education, Willow Sound provides full A&R services to fully understand the business of music while empowering the artist in becoming the CEO of their own music enterprise. Together with its network of service providers, Willow Sound partners with the artist providing the support and guidance they need to understand what it means to be “indie” in this new music industry while strategizing the most effective ways to Create. Capture. Connect™ their music with the world and become successful Musicpreneurs.

The Syndicut is a unique and exclusive program for artists and writers looking for support in their development. With a special focus on education, The Syndicut empowers music creators to become successful entrepreneurs earning a sustainable living in music. The program acts as an incubator with continuous skill development through one-on-one personalized coaching while providing additional opportunities through the publishing company, Syndicut Music Publishing, and sister label Willow Sound Records. Choosing a career path as a music creator has its challenges, and getting the right support is essential to success. The Syndicut membership model is designed to provide individual support and a sense of belonging within a community of like-minded music creators working toward becoming successful Musicpreneurs.

I am passionate about mentorship and am proud of the community we have created for young music entrepreneurs. I love that I combine my passions of music and business every day while hopefully providing a safe, trusted, knowledgeable, supportive, and affordable sounding board for artists and songwriters that empowers and provides guidance in today’s music industry.

What am I best known for? Making people cry. It may sound funny, but it is true. I tend to write a lot of sad/emotional songs, so I have packs of tissues as part of my merchandise, and people get a kick out of it, and it does come in handy! lol

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
For me, luck is more about alignment. I believe everything is connected. There is nothing random in our human experience or the universe. I experience “luck” when I’m in alignment when my desires and vision for my life align with my expectations and feelings about it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jointara.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/join.tara/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jointarashannon
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamtarashannon
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJcM6pKvuWJaRdbSD1emoQ?view_as=subscriber