Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Wilk
Hi Shannon, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m Shannon Wilk, I’m an 18 year old bassist based out of Nashville, TN. At 11 years old, I began playing guitar after being inspired by the likes of Nita Strauss, Mick Mars, Slash, Joe Perry, etc. I quit playing guitar after only a few days from frustration of not picking up fast enough for my liking. But a few months later I picked it up again as I signed up for a guitar clinic with Tesla guitarist Dave Rude. I attended the clinic he put on on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, which also included my first 20-or-so concerts. From there on I knew I needed to pursue music as a career.
Being only 11 years old at the time, I knew it would be a couple years before I would be good enough at the instrument to perform live and be in bands, so I got to thinking. I turned 12 years old and decided the best course of action for myself would be to interview and photograph bands as a way to network and connect with bigger musicians, who would otherwise be untouchable, so that way when I was good enough at playing music, those connections would come in handy. From there I spent 2-3 years interviewing and photographing bands constantly while working on improving myself musically behind the scenes.
It wasn’t until I was 14 years old that I joined my first band and started really playing gigs. From 14 – 17, I honed my live performance skills, playing with 6 different bands in the CT / NY / MA / NJ region where I’m from. I turned 18 back in July of 2024, moved to Nashville a month later and immediately was picked up for my first tour at the end of August. Since then I’ve been performing full time through Broadway, road gigs and artist gigs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For me, it really has not been smooth. But my struggles were always internal, as most people’s are. I struggled with severe anxiety for years, as well as depression and self doubt and imposter syndrome etc. It took a lot of self-work to come to the realization that oftentimes the only thing between you and achieving what you want is your mindset and mental state. I’m the type of person where I had to just throw myself into the fire and do things that were outside my comfort zone in order to grow and move past my internal struggles. My ‘guiding light’ philosophy is ‘the comfort zone is where your dreams die’ and that has really changed the game for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a full-time bassist, with a heavy focus on rock, metal and country genres. I’m mainly known for my unique stage presence, pulling inspiration from the likes of Rudy Sarzo of Quiet Riot and other high energy performers. There are a handful of things that I’m most proud of, specifically that I’ve achieved in the past year. I’ve successfully made the move to Nashville right after I turned 18, 3 days later I left on my first tour, and within the first month I was making a living exclusively playing music. Ever since I started playing, my ultimate dream was twofold; make a living playing music and tour as a hired gun player. And since moving to Nashville I’ve been able to do both and I’m so beyond grateful and proud.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shannonwilk.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonwilkmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannonwilkmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shannonwilkmusic
