"Music was always a part of my life."
Shandeen always loved to perform and started writing her own music when she was eight years old. In 1979 she was a featured performer at the Salt lake City International Year of the Child festival sponsored by UNESCO. Her song "Come Walk With Me" was chosen as the city's festival theme song. In 1982 Shandeen became a member of the American Society for Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) after the release of her album CHILD OF ERIN. She opened for Grace Slick, Tex Williams Jr., and performed at festivals. Reviewers were always stunned by the large voice from such a tiny person, and her ability to harmonize.
In 1984 her family made the move to Portland, Oregon so that Shandeen could focus on school and prepare for college. A masters/phd in astrophysics or marine biology was the goal. However, the opportunity for music was just too much of a pull and Shandeen, at age 16, joined the Portland art/alternative band DADA.
