Artist Information Biography •Chosen as a 2009 Mountain Stage Newsong Contest Finalist that competed on the home of Mountain Stage, the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia •Winner of the West coast region of The 2009 Mountain Stage Newsong Contest people's choice award. •Chosen as one of 5 finalists in the Dave Carter Memorial Songwriter's Contest at the Sisters Folk Festival in Sisters Oregon •Chosen as a mainstage performer at the 2009 Tucson Folk Festival in Tucson, Arizona. Shaun performed Saturday evening just before co-headliners Cathy Fink/Marcy Marxer and Todd Snider. •Chosen as one of 6 finalists in the 2009 Acoustic Blues Competition at the Telluride Blues Festival in Telluride, CO •Chosen as a finalist in the 61st Original Ozark Folk Festival's Songwriting Contest. •Awarded an honorable mention in the 2009 West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest •Selected for a Premiere Showcase at the 2008 and 2009 Folk Alliance Region-West annual conferences, Shaun was chosen to perform for Folk venue representatives, Folk Radio DJs, and others in the Western States’ Folk community. •Winner of the 2008 Group Therapy Song Writing Contest, Shaun’s song “The Gristmill” was chosen by a group of songwriters in Los Angeles. This began a co-writing relationship with guest judge, Randy Sharp. Randy’s songs have been recorded by the likes of: Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Peter Paul and Mary, et al. “The Turning Of Clocks” Album Description: Recorded with one microphone, a couple of beat-up guitars and many short sessions over a period of several months, Shaun Cromwell’s first release entitled “The Turning Of Clocks” is a meditation on death and impermanence. A quote from the album’s liner notes explains, in one broad stroke, the album’s concept. “…A person who is mindful of death and impermanence progresses steadily and makes the most of every precious moment”. Lama Atisha (982-1054 CE) While this might seem a fairly pedantic approach, Shaun sees the contemplation of life’s finite nature as largely pragmatic. “All spiritual and philosophical stuff aside, recognizing and accepting that you will die is a very practical way of loving the hell out of your life and trying to fit all that you can into that life. It’s what makes it possible to even consider writing music. That’s why I wanted this to be the underlying theme of the album; it’s not to be morbid, or profound, it’s, hopefully, very simple and optimistic maybe even uplifting at times” In fact, each of the 11 tracks on the album is decidedly uplifting; Shaun’s deftly unique approach to roots-based fingerstyle guitar and his rarefied soulful voice make sure of that. Shaun’s interpretations of existing material are fresh and inspired; both his bluegrass tinged take on “John Hardy” and his vibrantly jaunting version of Mississippi John Hurt’s “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me” serve as a testament to his love and knowledge of American Roots music. His original compositions, including two instrumental guitar rags, a murder ballad, and a slide guitar narrative are flowing & memorable. The album’s sparse production and stripped down approach make for an authentic presentation of Shaun’s music. The recordings are quite literally what you would experience were you in the room with him.  -Tad Parks Instrumentation Shaun Cromwell: Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele Discography Full Length Album: "The Turning Of Clocks" Links http://shauncromwell.com