Sissy Shaw: In Pursuit of Dreams

In a musical world that is filled with artists who focus more on receiving attention from the media rather than the music itself, it is nice to know that there are still upcoming artists who inspire to be something more than a media icon.

Carol Frances Shaw or better known as her nickname “Sissy Shaw” given to her by her brother writes, plays, and sings music. Her favorite thing to do is write music and lyrics. As a senior, Sissy has already recorded three of her own songs.

While listening to her track “Hometown”, I could not help but take a step back and appreciate the God given talent that this Tallahassee native was given. With singing lessons starting in 4th grade from Dr. Leigh Stevenson and receiving a guitar when she was 13 for Christmas, her music career took a huge leap forward.

Click here to listen to “Hometown” by Sissy Shaw

Sissy is not the first one in her family who has a voice. Sissy told Tallahassee Reports in an interview, “My mom is where I learned to sing! And my mom’s mom, Nana, is a great singer too. You might not think it, but my dad and brother can also carry a tune.”  She continues by telling Tallahassee Reports about her support through the years, “My family has always encouraged me. My brother encouraged me to share my music with friends and family, and my dad exposed me to lots of different types of music when I was young.”

Away from music, Sissy has a few hidden talents. She loves to joke around. She claims that if she wasn’t singing she would be making jokes somewhere with her dry sense of humor. Among other talents are painting nails and braiding hair.

So what is in Sissy’s future?

Planning on attending the University of Alabama  this fall, Sissy intends to keep pursuing her dream of being picked up by a record label company after or during school. For a girl whose music is inspired by John Mayer and Norah Jones, I would safely place Sissy’s style in the same group as these two artists, with all  three of them focusing on a natural voice and guitar based backgrounds. Though she admits she loves all music. When asked if she could dabble in another genre, she responded with “I think opera would be cool to try”.

Personally, Norah Jones is one of my favorite artists because her music sends the audience into a deep state of sleep or relaxation. When I first listened to Sissy’s song “Hometown”, I was sitting inside a cafe drinking some evening coffee as the icy rain pinged the roof and froze to whatever object it struck. Listening to this song over and over again on repeat, I continually entered into a deeper state of relaxation and embellished into the lyrics. “Life is more than a song and a dance” This line really stuck with me because it made me acknowledge that while we may follow our most passionate dreams, wherever we may chase them, there is still something about getting back to our roots that we can all relate to whether it is positive or negative. The hometown that Sissy sings about made her into the person who she is today and she cherishes the moments at home that she misses chasing her dreams. Perhaps someday, one of those dreams will become a reality like  “singing at the Grammy’s”.