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SHANNON CUTTS

LESS THAN SEVEN

BRANDON STANLEY

JANNIFER GRASSMAN

THE PILOTS

artist: Shannon Cutts - www.shannoncutts.com

Describe your music & vision: Music: uplifting acoustic pop/rock with World, Celtic and country/bluegrass influences. Vision: To share the uplifting, healing and unifying power of music with all who will hear it. To share that we are not alone in this world - we have God, and we have each other, and in this we have hope and the promise of true joy and love.

what makes you unique as an artist?: My Key To Life Ministry platform to young people with eating disorders is probably the thing that is most unique about what I do. As a recovered anorexic/bulimic who experienced a faith-based healing in which music itself played a key role, I seek to reach out to hurting young people and families who need to meet someone who has not only survived an eating disorder, but has gone on to live the life of her dreams. Young people need to hear that life is more than the body, and that there is something so precious and unique about them that is worth fighting, healing and living for. You can find more information on Key To Life Ministry: Unlocking the Door to Hope at: http://www.shannoncutts.com/KeyToLife.html Oh, and I also play mandolin - not something you find every day in a Christian pop artist.

What do you want people to come away with when they see you or listen to your music?: Joy, laughter, validation of their lives as a work-in-progress. If they can come away from time with me or with my music feeling God's support for wherever they are in their lives, and His hope for them to find the courage to trust Him completely, then I feel I've given back at least a little out of all the abundance that has been given to me. I always seek to help people express what is inside of them and what life holds in a way that is healthy, uplifting, Godly and optimistic, because I truly believe that what we focus on is what we become. Helping people focus on God and the divine nature of the Holy Spirit that indwells them is the most I can ever hope to offer to those God puts in my path.
What brought you to ITR/choosing us over other options: God orchestrated my partnership with ITR in a very beautiful way. It was clear from the start that ITR was God's choice for my music and ministry, and He is very wise - and I was very wise to trust His choice. ITR will always be my production company, my studio, and my first choice for all things musical.

How would you describe your experience w/ITR: It's amazing what can happen when we are willing to fully take advantage of what is offered to us. Finding ITR was like one of those doors that opens once in a lifetime. Like Eminem says - 'You'd better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it, you'd better never let it go....' And I would say this if I may - if you are an artist who is offered the chance to work with ITR - TAKE IT. Pray about it of course, but trust me - take it.

What has been your favorite thing about working w/ITR: Feeling like I had a ringside seat watching my dreams unfold. Yes it is hard work to complete a project at ITR, because so much goes into it on every level - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually you will be challenged to take your music to entirely new levels of excellence, feeling and expression. Working with ITR is for artists and writers who are serious about their craft, their calling and their dreams. My favorite thing about working with ITR has been seeing that my intention to pursue music has been taken as seriously by my producer as I take it myself. There is a movie called Lean on Me' where the teacher finds this group of students that other people have overlooked and even written off, and he goes in and sees diamonds where no one else could, and he polishes them until they shine brighter than anyone dreamed possible. I tell artists I talk to - if you want your music to sound like unique, precious, rare diamonds, check out ITR. But be prepared to take your own music as seriously as they do.

How have you grown as an artist?: Vocally, musically, and as a minister and a songwriter. Most of all as an artist - ITR focuses not on just one aspect or another - even if you come to them and say (as I did) 'I'm a writer who feels called to sing so people can hear the stories behind the songs', I was treated like a whole package - an artist/writer/vocalist/musician/performer/minister. I have even grown as a business and marketing person because I was so proud of and awed by Modern Day Eve when it was done that I wanted as many people as possible to hear it, so I had to find the guts to market it every way I could think of so people could hear it.

Did ITR exceed your expectations?: Well, I think I've mentioned several ways that they did in my answers to the questions above, but there's one thing I haven't mentioned yet. The way ITR has stuck with me after the completion of Modern Day Eve has been really wonderful. I've heard it said (and have since experienced it for myself) that making a CD is like having a bunch of kids (ie songs) all at the same time. Oh-my-gosh I'm pregnant! Oh-my-gosh I have 12 kids! You get the picture....in my case, a single mom with 12 screaming babies and postpartum jitters. ITR has walked with me all the way to where I am today, which trust me is a lot further than I could have walked on my own. And my producer has continued to make himself available to me to answer business, management, marketing, promotion and booking questions, and even to evaluate record label offers and determine the best personnel to hire for various career development issues. I know from talking to other artist friends that most production companies don't do this. ITR is really unique in what they offer - just as they treat every client as a 'whole package', so they provide the whole package of their services to each client. And in talking to artist peers, I've heard stories about how producers often take clients and just churn out music that is more in alignment with what the producer likes to produce than what best represents the artist. If you've heard the ITR artist sampler disc, you can hear that each ITR artist sounds totally unique and fresh, with a sound that is authentic to their voice, songs, instrumental style and musical vision. To me the mark of a good producer is one who can bring out what is hidden inside each artist and stay true to the artist's gifts and calling. ITR definitely has the market cornered on the ability to do this and achieve true excellence throughout with each project they produce.