The ‘pay to play’ mentality, that seems to be the rule in the U.S., began to wear me down. I read once that the city of Munich’s budget for the arts was higher than that of the entire National Endowment for the Arts in America. I knew I had to get out of the U.S. Fortune smiled on me after I did a concert in Italy and got an offer to tour with a traveling Varietee Show singing opera in Switzerland. I was happy to give up waiting tables and step into my life as a full time professional singer.

My next job took me to Berlin, where I sang the leading role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and later in CATS. I wish I could say I’ve been a wreckless, mysterious, Dylan type, couch surfing, and selling my soul to play. I’m not. It’s been more practical for me. Music is like the coat I was born with that’s kept me warm in the cold, been a compass through the storm. Regardless of whether it was Bach, Cage or pop, all I’ve wanted to do was move people. So, after working in opera and musical theater for 20 years, I felt ready to explore where music could take me next. I hit the open mics of Berlin and was generously taken in by talented local musicians. I worked as a backing singer for American singer Jocelyn B. Smith, who recorded one of my first songs, Brighter Day. This platform introduced me to recording studios where I have worked regularly as a backing singer, arranger and writer. Later, I formed The Shannon Callahan Band, which won First Place in Germany in the European Songwriter’s Competition, Emergenza. And I was tickled to see one of my songs (More than This, Maike von Bremen) on MTV while on tour as guitarist and singer with Chris Norman (Smokie). Taking the chance to sing more than opera has been extremely rewarding.

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