Episode 307
Stop Waiting for Permission | Tara Shannon
What happens when you build a successful life but abandon the one thing that makes you feel whole?
Tara Shannon did everything right. Thirty years in music and business, a thriving career, a beautiful family. But somewhere along the way she stepped away from music — and a life-changing health scare brought her back.
In this episode of Music Explored Podcast, Anthony Lewis sits down with Tara Shannon — Canadian singer-songwriter, record label founder, music coach, author of You and the Music Business, and Executive Director of the Ottawa Festival Network — for a conversation about what it really means to build a life in music on your own terms.
This is not a conversation about getting discovered. It's about stopping the wait for someone else to give you permission to live the life you want. Tara's coaching philosophy starts with one principle — to succeed in the business of music, you first have to succeed in the business of you.
They cover the Cinderella myth the music industry keeps selling, why looking for external validation keeps musicians stuck, how mindset is at the core of every successful artist she's coached, and what it means to redefine success on your own terms.
Whether you're a working musician, an independent creator, or someone who put their passion on the back burner — this one will stay with you.
🎧 Listen on all streaming platforms — link below
🎙️ Hosted by Anthony Lewis
🎧 Co-hosted by Diriki
📍 Toronto, Canada
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Music is woven into who I am
02:00 — The void of abandoning your passion
04:00 — Stop waiting for permission to live your life
06:00 — The Cinderella myth the industry keeps selling
08:00 — To succeed in music, succeed in yourself first
12:00 — Why we look for validation outside ourselves
16:00 — What Tara's coaching actually looks like
20:00 — Working with artists at every level
24:00 — You and the Music Business — what the book is really about
28:00 — Redefining success beyond money and stuff
Note — confirm exact timestamps against your edit before uploading
CONNECT WITH TARA SHANNON
Instagram: @tarashannonmusic
Book: You and the Music Business
Website: jointara.com
CONNECT WITH MUSIC EXPLORED
Instagram: @musicexploredpod
- Website: musicexplored.com
Transcript
Not because I wanted to be a rock star or, you know, my, my reasons for it were different.
Speaker A:My reasons became music is just part of who I am.
Speaker A:I just, it's like woven into me.
Speaker A:I have to be doing it in some way.
Speaker A:And so, yeah, so I started back on the music path and started the label and here I am.
Speaker B:Beautiful.
Speaker C:That is amazing.
Speaker C:Yeah, I'm so glad you shared that with us.
Speaker C:And Dee and I can both sort of attest to that fact too, that music is everything.
Speaker C:Like even, I mean, from, from my perspective as a musician, of course, but even on the other side of what, what I do, just dealing with clients that are booking events and things like that music just for like even the average listener or the average consumer is a big deal too.
Speaker C:So even more so for someone like yourself who grew up studying music, practicing, performing, learning, had a dream sort of going a different direction.
Speaker C:And it's really crazy to hear that about.
Speaker C:I mean, the music industry, their demands are going to be high, of course.
Speaker C:So having to make that sort of a choice at that stage of your life and sort of say, no, it's not going to work for me and pivot, I could see how there'd be a massive void there.
Speaker C:Even though you, you know, you're successful, you have a great family and everything else.
Speaker C:So, yeah, that's big.
Speaker C:That's.
Speaker B:And I, I also think that just the idea of, you know, trying to live your life and put.
Speaker B:Because I kind of relate to your story where I've kind of pushed music to the side.
Speaker B:No, it's okay.
Speaker B:We could talk about it.
Speaker B:And then all of a sudden you feel, I wouldn't say, like, I definitely feel happiness, but there's a lack of fulfillment when you don't get to pursue that passion.
Speaker B:And I feel almost incomplete.
Speaker B:So when you actually get a chance to express that or use that or fuel that passion or exercise that passion, it brings out a different type of fulfillment in you.
Speaker B:And so I'm sure that a lot of people that listen to this, they might be going through that exact same situation where they have, they have this passion.
Speaker B:It might not even be music, it might be something else.
Speaker B:Might be golf or Frisbee throwing or woodworking, whatever that is, you know, so it never letting go of that passion.
Speaker B:And you know, it might take till you're 30, 40, 50 to get there.
Speaker B:But I think that if you get a chance to use that, hopefully it doesn't take what it took you, which is, you know, a life changing sickness or, you know, something that was you know, really, really bad to happen for someone to actually decide I need to pursue this passion.
Speaker B:I need to at least try.
Speaker B:And, you know, every time I've tried, I've had an incredible response to it.
Speaker B:So it's beautiful to know that you had that excitement, that similar experience.
Speaker B:And I would encourage others, if you have that moment to try, you'll be surprised at the results you get if you, you know, really go down towards the path that you feel passionate.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Don't give up on your dreams.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker B:Don't give up.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And what's another reason for the book?
Speaker A:Because, you know, it looks at.
Speaker A:It's not like this is how you make it in the music business, because I can't.
Speaker A:I can't really get behind any of that language and actually keep feeling.
Speaker A:Feeding the.
Speaker A:We're kind of, you know, sold this Cinderella story that, you know, you gotta slug it out until somebody with power discovers you and plucks you from the masses and elevates you to stardom, and then you're rich and famous and all your problems are gone.
Speaker A:And that messaging is perpetuated through, you know, these big sort of talent discovery shows that we have.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker B:Yeah, you know, great point.
Speaker A:And so it's a very disempowering type of messaging.
Speaker A:And so, you know, when you say interweaving your passion and.
Speaker A:And going for it, part of the success of that is realigning your own vision for success and kind of stepping away from what you're told is success and waiting for somebody else to give you permission to live the life that you want for yourself.
Speaker A:And that's true of music, golf, Frisbee, whatever it may be.
Speaker A:Woodworking, you know, we can't wait for others to tell us it's okay to.
Speaker A:To live the way we want to live.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:That's powerful.
Speaker C:That's huge.
Speaker B:Very powerful.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So how much of this comes into play like this sort of thinking, teaching comes into play in your coaching?
Speaker C:Is there a lot to do with mindset?
Speaker C:What does that look like?
Speaker C:All of it.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's all my.
Speaker A:I mean, it's.
Speaker A:It's a combination of understanding the core principles of how any business works, because when you understand the core principles of business, you can be successful in any business.
Speaker A:And, you know, my experience tells me that business is really just about people.
Speaker A:No matter what it is that you're selling, what product or service, it's always about people.
Speaker A:And the best way to understand people is to understand yourself.
Speaker A:So if you, if you like.
Speaker A:Basically the.
Speaker A:The book sums up as.
Speaker A:To be successful in the business of music, you first need to be successful in the business of you.
Speaker A:So it's like, who are you?
Speaker A:What motivates you?
Speaker A:What's your why?
Speaker A:Why do you want to be in the music business?
Speaker A:Like, it's not like this is how you make it in the music business.
Speaker A:It's why do you want to be in the music business?
Speaker A:Like, what is it you're chasing?
Speaker A:And a lot of my coaching, and the book is really a total extension of my coaching is, is looking for, like, finding patterns in yourself where you're looking for validation.
Speaker A:So when we're looking for validation outside of ourselves, we're always at the mercy of.
Speaker A:Of other people to feel good about ourselves.
Speaker A:But it should be the opposite.
Speaker A:Look inside for validation.
Speaker A:And so, yeah, and what I find, what I have found, because I work with artists at all levels, like successful signed unsigned hobbyists, and they all like the feedback I get from the type of coaching we do is that it's purposeful no matter where you're at, because it's about connection with self and it's about understanding the power of your mind and what you.
Speaker A:What you see.
Speaker A:You know, if you can see it, then you can get there.
Speaker A:So clarity and also just valuing what you create.
Speaker A:Because we live in a culture that, that values things based on money and how much money it makes.
Speaker A:And success is defined by money and things and stuff, but it's temporary, it's not fulfilling.
