Welcome to the Board!

We are pleased to welcome Stacy Shaw to the Joy of Music Board of Directors. Her passion for music and deep connection to our community make her a wonderful addition to our leadership team.

What drew you to join JOMP’s board?

JOMP has been such a positive experience for me as a student, and when I realized I could help give back to the organization I’ve gotten so much from, it was an easy decision to join!

Can you share a bit about your own musical journey?

I have always loved music, but no one in my family was a musician or really into music besides my Uncle Nelson. When I became more interested in music in middle school and high school, he would give me guitar lessons, and even gifted me my first few guitars. While I never dedicated the practice needed to truly master the guitar, it never stopped me from learning a few riffs of my favorite rock and nu metal bands! It also taught me something important about myself – I liked singing more than anything involving coordination of my hands, hah!

Do you have any memorable performance experiences?

I remember last year, I was working late and was half asleep, singing along to a favorite song. At that point I had been working with Jane Shivick to learn how to sing for about a year at JOMP. Suddenly, I noticed that at that moment, my singing had totally changed. The higher notes were so easy to reach, my sound had brightened significantly, and the things that normally felt tough felt effortless-- everything seemed so magically aligned for a brief song. I was actually quite shocked. It felt like a different voice, and I couldn’t believe I was making the sound, or that I could produce something that sounded like that. It was like experiencing a brief glimpse of what is possible!

At my next lesson, I was so excited to tell Jane about what happened. She looked as excited as I was, and she told me that one day I could always sound like that if I kept up my training. She was absolutely right (those experiences are becoming more frequent!), and I feel excited each lesson to learn something new, find a different way of thinking about something, or try a new approach. The experience really solidified for me how it is never too late to master a skill, that we can always surprise ourselves, and the importance of working with a skilled instructor and investing in the process.

What are some of your key goals or priorities as you begin your time on the board? Any unique ideas or initiatives?

One thing I’d love to see come to life is the ability to get some recording equipment up and running at JOMP. There are so many talented students here, and the ability to have even a small recording studio to capture and share their talent would be great.

What does “community” mean to you, especially in the context of a music school like this?

For me, community means people who are connected by a common goal or meaning with a shared interest in helping one another. I think an important part of a good community is feeling like everyone supports you and is cheering you on, whether you’re an expert or a novice, whether you had a good lesson or performance or a not so good lesson and performance. At JOMP, I feel a wonderful sense of community from the teachers, staff, students, and parents.

If you could perform a duet with any musician (living or from history), who would it be and what would you play?

It would absolutely be Floor Jansen of Nightwish. She is the greatest vocalist you’ve probably never heard of. Floor is a classically trained dramatic soprano who can deliver heavy dark opera, but also lighter and brighter modern singing, and has even done growls and other forms of metal vocals during concerts, just to pop right back into full opera mode.

What’s your favorite concert or music event you’ve ever attended and why?

I think the best concert I ever went to was Projekt Revolution in 2004. I was 16 and I really wanted to go see Linkin Park who was headlining the tour, but the only problem was my parents wouldn’t let me go without a trusted adult to go with me (and they were definitely not interested in going). But in a stroke of luck, my best friend and her mom were going to the concert with their youth group organization and so my parents agreed I could go with them! The only catch was they weren’t going to the concert to see the bands, they were going to work the kitchens and donate their earnings to the youth group to help raise funds. So if I wanted to go, I’d also have to work and forfeit my earnings, but I could take my break to see Linkin Park when they came on stage.

It was an easy yes.

The day of the concert, my best friend and I made philly cheesesteaks in the back of a concert kitchen for 9 hours straight. We took no breaks until Linkin Park was set to play, then headed out to the concert to see the most amazing show I have ever seen. Linkin Park was INCREDIBLE live. My best friend and I sang every song and had the absolute time of our lives. By the time we came back to meet up with her mom, we were told three hours had passed and we were supposed to have returned to do the dishes hours ago. Oops.

What message would you like to share with our community of students, parents, and supporters?

I am very grateful to be a part of the JOMP community and I am excited to help continue the momentum of this wonderful organization!

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Thank you Stacy for taking the time for this interview and letting us learn more about you! We're thrilled to have you join our Board.