Shelby Adams: Embracing Everyone via the Universal Language of Music

shelby adams
Shelby Adams has been playing the guitar for less than 4 years and already has a 6-song Demo CD.
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By Tali Haller

dairy queenJust six months ago, Shelby Adams adamantly told her friends, “I am not going to college!” Now she is headed to one of America’s most prestigious music schools, the Berklee College of Music, which has a 19% acceptance rate according to data from U.S. News.

“I’ve always been inspired by music,” Shelby said. “I was that kid that was always singing,  listening to the radio, and just absorbing melodies and lyrics.” Although in her younger days Shelby dreamed of becoming a zookeeper (she loves animals), as she got older, she realized that singing was the one thing she loved to do and truly enjoyed. “I started thinking of my music as a career and now I’m pursuing it,” she explained.

shelby adams
In the fall of 2014, Shelby will attend Berklee College of Music in Boston as an incoming freshman. She hopes to double major in songwriting and vocal performance.

Surprisingly enough, the first song Shelby ever played for her parents wasn’t until sophomore year (age 15)  when she sang Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe.” She taught herself the guitar part all on her own. “To me, Shelby is a true musician. She doesn’t look as much towards what others have done and are doing, as much as she looks inside herself to see how she feels and what she wants to create – this goes both for her music and other areas of her life, such as her trendsetting fashion ways,” commented a close friend. In fact, Shelby was voted “Best Dressed” in the Olympia High School Senior Superlatives for her creative, unique outfits.

When her parents heard her sing, they saw real potential and had her start taking formal guitar lessons from local music teacher Dylan Cochran. (Cochran also teaches other young musicians, such as singer and guitarist Emma Jaques.)

However, it was when Shelby first performed in a recital, playing “Payphone” by Maroon 5 and “Fix You” by Coldplay, that the idea of being a musician really started to take shape. Then, in the following summer at camp, Shelby played for a crowd of more than 400 people at the camp talent show. “I started getting a reputation as a musician. People would see me and tell me how good at singing I was,” she remembers. At this point, it began to dawn on her that she actually did have true talent.

Following her passion, Shelby began writing some of her own songs. “I’m very, very selective about the songs I write, so I currently only have three originals: ‘There’s Something About the Rain,’ ‘We,’ and ‘Almost,’” Shelby mentions.

shelby adams
Shelby Adams has been playing the guitar for less than 4 years and already has a 6-song Demo CD.

She does have many songs that are unfinished. “My songs are extremely personal. I want to use my own experiences to make relatable music so that others will know they’re not alone in their feelings,” she emphasizes. “Music is a universal language and I want to speak to people through it.”

During her junior year, Shelby began recording a 6-track Demo CD (two originals and four covers) with Jason Suko at South Sound Sound. Through that, she made connections that would land her future gigs, such as a gig playing outside the Washington Center for the Performing Arts during the 2014 Spring Arts Walk Celebration. “I left my guitar case out for tips and that was the first time I had ever made money from performing,” recalls Shelby.

Over the years, Shelby has played for many local venues, including Cortney Kelley’s downtown studio and many performances for her high school. Shelby’s early performances were all about gaining experience and the crowd’s response was always encouraging. “People would come up and ask where they could buy my music, which always came as a surprise to me. It was crazy knowing people liked my sound enough to pay for it,” laughs Shelby.

shelby adams
Traveling to Tanzania during the summer after junior year, Shelby learned a lot about both connecting with others in diverse cultures.

Somewhat true to the musician stereotype of “go with the flow,” Shelby doesn’t know where the future will take her. “I know I want to try different things and travel,” Shelby said, her love for traveling coming from past visits to Europe and Tanzania. Her goal is to bring diversity to her music. “I love upbeat stuff. I love beats. But I also love the acoustic sound, drums, and other instruments,” Shelby explains.

“I want versatility. I want songs that will make people cry (in a good way) and then songs that will make people dance. I want music that a huge range of people can enjoy – kids, teens, and adults.” Aside from having an idea of what she wants, Shelby hasn’t been planning her future very far in advance. In the music industry, this may be a good thing – you never know what plot twists will arise and change your whole trajectory.

Shelby was never set on going to college until she received her acceptance letter from Berklee. “At first, I had my mind set on not going to college. When my mom encouraged me to apply to Berklee College of Music, I thought, ‘What do I have to lose?’” she explained.

shelby adams
Shelby’s dad, Marshall Adams, supports her as she performs outside of The Washington Center during Spring Arts Walk.

After looking into the college, Shelby found that Berklee’s modern approach to music and its prime city location really resonated with her. “I signed up for an audition on the very last day. I went in for an interview and then I had my audition, which I thought I completely failed. I came out in tears,” she recollects.

And yet, two months later, on March 31st, she received her acceptance email. “I started screaming, and crying, and I was just hugging my mom,” she says laughing. “If you don’t get in, it doesn’t say you’re not a good musician. But if you do get in, it definitely speaks of your talent.”

At college, she hopes to double major in vocal performance and songwriting. She also wants to take production classes. “A school like Berklee is so exciting because they have a never ending list of classes, most of which are music-based,” says Shelby, practically glowing.

“My success isn’t going to be measured by how many people know my name or how much money I have. I’m fine with doing small venues and seeing the world, sharing my life with others,” Shelby states confidently.

 

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