Shani Shousterman - Warm Rain

Shani Shousterman is a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles. She grew up in the valley of L.A., and has been immersed in music from an early age. After starting her musical journey as a classical pianist, she joined her high school jazz band and went on to receive Most Outstanding Soloist Award from Wynton Marsalis at the Essentially Ellington national high school competition in May 2006. Soon after, she was accepted to the USC Thornton School of Music as one of four pianists in the competitive Bachelor of Music Jazz Studies major. Now a Bachelor of Arts in Music, Shani decided to use her bluesy/jazz influences to focus on her passion for creating original music. As a result, she has dedicated much of her time to writing countless songs filled with heartfelt passion and inspired by life, people, and experiences. Shani has recorded a demo CD, and recently released her debut EP "Warm Rain" on May 8th. She has performed at various venues in Los Angeles and around California including Safari Sams, The Knitting Factory, Genghis Cohen, Ground Zero Coffeehouse, and Humphrey's by the Bay to name a few. In June 2008, She and fellow singer/songwriter Amanda Holmes independently embarked on a tour California. They plan to do a second tour this May, adding Oregon into their route. Shani's audience deems her music "a twist on but similar to the styles of Sara Barreilles, Colbie Callait, and Norah Jones". But when people ask her what style music she plays, she simply says 'a little bit of everything that makes one a singer/songwriter. You'll know it when you hear it; and I think you'll like it.'