Concerts that connect with the audience
When I write songs and plan my concerts, I am thinking about meeting the needs of my audience. I create my concerts so that people can meet the needs that are unmet by a fast-paced and demanding modern day world.
I started studying music at age 4 and voice at age 10. I also come from a background in education, long-form improv theater, directing, performance poetry, visual art, yoga teaching and Jewish prayer leadership. When I plan a show, I think about the arc of the experience, the journey. I think about bringing people through multiple dimensions of feeling, engagement and emotion.
At my shows, I am communicating and playing off the audience and the other musicians on stage with me at every moment. I meet you where you are at.
Through the course of a night, alongside beautiful music, I bring in the community with mediative visualizations, movement (dancing), improvised music making and direction intention. In other words, I create a container for all us to be immersed in the present moment together.
Listen
I have studied jazz and classical voice; jazz, folk and Brazilian guitar; and Jewish music. I’ve been called an “intrepid” songwriter because my songs traverse so many genres. When I play as “Leah Shoshanah”, I bring mostly folk, world, Jewish and jazz (peppered with some indie-rock flare of course).
My other project, Leah and the Lake, plays my funkier songs on electric instruments. That band has a set group of people, whereas when I play as “Leah Shoshanah”, I collaborate with a larger circle of musicians.
I need both of these modes of expression in my life to feel like a wholly expressed being.
What to expect at a concert
With an ensemble
I love the connection that happens when musicians play together. This is why I love playing with ensembles. Often, when I play my singer-songwriter, acoustic-driven sets, I will call in from a community of collaborators that I’ve connected with over the past decade. The shows are always unique, and I love that even more.
My frequent acoustic collaborators often include: Mehtab Kirtan (hand percussion, drums), Sam Hyson (violin/accordion), Lucia Thomas (violin, Oud), Ultra-Violet Archer (background vocals), Isaac Wenzel (upright bass) and my dad, David Cowen (cello).
This sets are different from when I play with Leah & the Lake. I play with my acoustic guitar and do a lot more singing along and interacting with the audience. I mix in folk covers and my original Jewish music into these sets as well!
Solo
I love the magic of music. All of the ways I play it are different — with a band, by myself. Music happens between people. When I play solo, it’s happening even more so with me and YOU, as an audience member. Solo can be very tender and powerful in it’s own right. Having solo shows continues to take me back to the core of my artistry, which grounds me for when I play with any of my ensemble projects.
Music Videos
Leah Shoshanah Official Music Video In the Garden
Skyhunter Music Video
Jah Lessons Music Video