Singing by Example: Shemwell finds voice as artist and coach

Aug. 30—Before LaTasha Shemwell ventured into a music career as an independent artist pursuing the likes of R&B and neo-soul, she had her eye in a different genre after seeing a performance on television in her Madisonville home.

"Growing up in high school, we didn't have cable but we had public television and I saw two African American opera singers that came on the TV which were Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman," she said. "I just was mesmerized — I could not stop watching it. I think I watched their concert over and over.

"At that point, I knew I was going to study opera."

Shemwell, 48, had experience of singing in the choir throughout her time in school and taught herself Italian arias in order to audition and secure different opportunities like the Governor's School for the Arts and the Kentucky All-State Choir.

Shemwell relocated to Owensboro after receiving a music scholarship to attend Kentucky Wesleyan College to study vocal performance with an emphasis in opera, with her initial sights set on performing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

But since graduating, Shemwell hasn't been able to check that off her bucket list just yet.

"Long story short, I went to graduate school (for) music and then I realized a lot of people were kind of like starving artists, so I think I got a little bit discouraged," she said.

She left her studies at University of Louisville as her personal life had other focuses.

"I kind of put music on the back burner because you fall in love and all that good stuff," Shemwell said. "I had a daughter that I needed to support. ...I basically put my family first."

Shemwell also became a vocal coach in order to utilize her degree and feels that she does the "most effective work" with students ages 12 to 20; one of them being recent "American Idol" contestant Dakota Hayden.

Opera is one of the choices that Shemwell gives her students to learn alongside other musical styles they are interested in.

She said that the job has been able to give her purpose.

"...We work on songwriting; we work on goals that they want to set for where they want to be at in their musical career," she said. "It's significant for me to give back to them and encourage them to not let anything distract them or get in their way.

"...I think the more that I pour into them, and encourage them and help them to succeed — it's a win-win situation."

She's also offered her services in other ways in the community as the pageant director for the Miss Pre-Teen and Miss Teen Daviess County Pageants for the Daviess County Lions Club Fair, while also serving as the Coca Cola Talent Classic talent show local chairperson.

Three of her students — twins Skye and Amber Carter and Maggie Hollis — took first and second place respectively out of 80 acts at the Kentucky State Fair this past weekend.

"I came from humble beginnings and we didn't have a lot of money and people gave (those opportunities) to me," she said. "...I want to do the same for others."

But it was when the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020 that Shemwell wanted to take a chance herself.

"I think the pandemic kind of helped me to say, 'Alright, it's time for me to put my goals to the forefront now,' " she said.

She began building her solo career before the pandemic to set more of an example for her students and started buying music equipment, writing songs and working with a group of musicians.

And while COVID caused a halt for many, Shemwell embraced the uncertainty.

"...It gave me time to really dive into putting my music out, finding a distribution company, learning the marketing piece of it and getting to network with other individuals," she said.

She describes her artistry and performances can range from being best for intimate settings such as wineries like The Wine Down in Newburgh to bringing out all the stops for a large-scale concert event such as Friday After 5 or her upcoming October performance at ParksFest Music Festival at Garvin Park in Evansville.

While some genres tend to stand out more than others in her songs and sets, Shemwell is open-minded.

"I sing a variety; I write a variety," Shemwell said. "I basically write what I'm feeling at the moment and typically I can write a song within an hour or I can write it over a couple of days."

Shemwell released her debut single "Only You" in 2020 with Evansville reggae artist Zion Albert and has since put out more songs with the most recent, "Good Trouble" with rapper BI$$LE, debuting in May.

Her upcoming single, "Free," is due for release on Sept. 18.

The neo-soul genre has been part of Shemwell's upbringing that she's enjoyed highlighting and adapting the sounds and writing from the likes of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill.

"To me, it's a lifestyle," she said. "It's a different type of vibe. It's a visual vibe that people can see."

Shemwell feels her careers as a coach and artist are growing.

"I think it's a slow progress but it's getting there," she said. "I'm finally starting to see ... the seeds that I've planted ... (seeing) the results. ...To me, that's encouraging."

Regardless of where life has taken her, Shemwell has never lost touch with what music does for her.

"Music is just who I am," she said. "Music is therapy — basically. It's what I do when I'm happy, sad; it touches lives, touches people's hearts and I just want to make people feel some special type of way. When I sing, I want people to take away something special.

"I sing from the heart and I write from the heart."

For more information, visit facebook.com/latashalu2 or youtube.com/channel/UCqTUkMQYavSAFttJN6xAfKQ/featured.