Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Shaw.
Hi Sophie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a 16-year-old singer/songwriter from Denver. I have always loved to sing. From an early age, it’s been all I’ve ever wanted to do. So I decided to build my life around it! I spent most of my life performing at local theatres and had my sights set on Broadway but when Covid hit in 2020, theatre was the first to close and the last to reopen.
During this period of quarantine, I tapped into the songwriter side of myself. Now, 3 years later, I write and release my own music. I write songs about my personal experiences, the challenges of being a 16-year-old girl, and the relationships that inspire me. I hope that my music touches other girls, inspires them to follow their passions, and also reminds them that they are not alone.
As I’ve gotten older, my music has started to evolve – which can be unsettling. The hope is that folks will grow with me- that we all mature together and ride this journey out. “Change is inevitable, growth is optional”. I always want to grow. And that’s the exciting thing about music- it’s always changing, and evolving and it’s unpredictable, and that’s why we love it! I have realized that I need to put in the work to make it and do what I want to do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Covid was a challenging time for all of us. As an artist, it made performing a lot harder, and not being able to channel my passion was difficult. I think I speak for most people my age when I say that keeping grades while managing extracurricular activities, personal lives, etc is more challenging than ever, and it’s unfortunate because this is the time when it matters most to create a future and go to college.
If I’m being honest, I am a sucker for social media, and I have fallen into Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and traps. I’ve been led to believe “likes” equal “worth”. But I am here to set the record straight- THEY DON’T! Things people post on social media can change how you look at yourself. It makes you believe you should change your so-called “flaws,” but that’s simply not true. Who even created these beauty standards? Who decides what pretty is and isn’t? Those stigmas have changed so much over the decades, and I believe that social media has impacted that more than anything.
I realize boys have their struggles, and I could never understand that, but there are things that girls go through on a daily basis that make life challenging for us. From dress code to sexism, it’s hard to thrive in this day and age when everything weighs you down. The cost of being a girl in this society is huge. But the more we can support and encourage one another the more we will thrive and succeed.
A while back, I went through a rough patch in my life and my passion for songwriting began to fade. Until that point, I lived my whole life staying dedicated to music and what I love to do. I realized that despite everything that life throws at you, giving up on something you care about is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I spent 2 months living in New York City dancing with the incomparable Ramone Owens who starred in a variety of Broadway musicals (most notably Beetlejuice and Motown the Musical). It was the best 2 months of my life!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sophieshawofficial.com
- Instagram: @sophieshawofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophie.shaw.3975
- Other: linktr.ee/sophieshawofficial
Image Credits
Jack Jaxson
