This interview was published in 2001. The interviewer was Els Thissen, the director of the Center For Miracles Studies in Luiperstraat, in The Netherlands. Els was a longtime customer who became a friend. She asked if I would be willing to do this interview for her publication. Els and I have the kind of heart connection that made it a pleasure answering her questions.
Els: When did you first start to make music?
Shaina:
I’ve been singing and playing instruments informally all my life. I first began doing it professionally in 1991, when I recorded Songs For The Inner Child.
Els: Where do you find your songs?
Shaina:
A number of the songs I’ve recorded I learned when I was in graduate school in Transpersonal Psychology, from a Rabbi named David Zeller. He was the first person I met who was singing spiritual songs from a variety of traditions and I was deeply moved by his music. One song on Songs For The Inner Child--Peace Be With You--I wrote when my daughter was a baby. Others were brought to me by friends who knew the kind of music that I liked to sing.
Els: Where does your inspiration come from?
Shaina:
When I received the inspiration to record Songs For The Inner Child, it came as a voice in my ear, suggesting that I consider the possibility that the songs I sang to my children could be a blessing to adults who were never sung to as children. It was in following that suggestion, wherever it may have come from, that I began recording music.
In the years since, I have been deeply affected by the impact my music has had on so many people. When I first released Songs For The Inner Child, I honestly didn’t know if I would just give copies away to my friends and family and that would be all that happened with the songs. As of this writing, nearly 150,000 copies have found their way around the world. This has deepened my understanding of how powerful music can be, and in particular, the power of the human voice to heal and inspire. This has, in turn, inspired me to continue with this work.
Els: What does it bring to you to make this music?
Shaina:
Creating collections of healing/inspirational music has been a deeply fulfilling process for me. It has allowed me to share my talents, while making a significant, healing impact in the world. I have received hundreds of letters over the years from people sharing with me how the songs have been of comfort, inspiration and support in a wide variety of situations; from their use in healing childhood traumas, with those dealing with serious illness, in recovery from addictions, dealing with disability or handicaps and more. The use of the songs to comfort children who are seriously ill or dying has been particularly touching to me.
I am so grateful to all the people who have taken the time to share their experiences with me. These stories have been moving and inspiring to me, personally. Now, with my new website at www. shainanoll.com, I have been able to make some of these stories available to anyone who visits the site.
Els: What goals do you have with your music?
Shaina:
Goals have not been a big part of my process with my music. My desire for my music has always been that anyone who can benefit from the songs I’ve recorded will find their way to them easily. I’ve never done any advertising or promoting or performing. There has been, from the beginning, a beautiful phenomenon of my music finding its way because of the heart-to- heart sharing of people who are touched by the songs. I’ve had a pretty awesome experience of watching the music find its way around the world with no effort on my part.
Els: What is it you are doing right now/new music to expect?
Shaina:
In the 5 years since I released my second album, Bread For The Journey, I’ve been re-learning how to play the piano, creating a recording studio at my home, writing and arranging a new collection of songs and persuading my husband, Richard, to come into partnership with me. He had done harmony vocals and played the recorder on my first two albums. I’m delighted to have him available to work with me now in a more in-depth way.
I’m enjoying having the opportunity to have a website up, as a place to share about how people are using my music as a healing tool. The site also gives people an opportunity to write to me if they wish, or share their stories about how my music has touched them.
I’m reluctant to say too much about what’s ìn the works as I work best without pressure. I promise, though, that as soon as I have something new available, it will be announced on my website.
Els: Are you familiar with Attitudinal Healing and/or A Course Of Miracles?
Shaina:
I spent two years with the Course In Miracles in the mid-80’s. It was actually a class offered at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology when I studied there, and many people in that community were doing the Course. I consider it a significant influence in my life, and certainly feel it had impact on the energy I was working with when I was doing Songs For The Inner Child. Songs like You Can Relax Now whose lyrics include: “You are the child of God, and that will never change…” are, to me, very congruent with the messages of the Course.
I would say, too, that it is a core intention in my music to help the listener let go of fear, by offering messages that I feel can be soothing and correcting of the misunderstandings that create fear. I love the line in You Can Relax Now that says “You had a dream you misunderstood you thought we were separate, but now you hear my voice and you can relax now”. Doing the Course In Miracles helped orient me to this concept.
Els: What is it we have not asked that it is important to say?
Shaina:
One of the most profound things for me in this process has been the opportunity to deepen my trust in the spiritual forces that I believe underly everything that happens for us as humans. It was very specific guidance that led me to resist the temptation to advertise, promote, perform, do all the things that “everyone knows” you have to do to get your music out there. The guidance I received was this: You can trust that every person who can benefit from the music that you’ve created will find their way to it. Spirit will see to this.
It has not always been easy for me to follow this guidance. Some people have thought I was crazy not to go out there and push and promote my music. Resisting the pressures that came from the inside and the outside has resulted in my having this beautiful and moving experience of seeing my music find its way around the world, with, as I said earlier, no effort on my part. This has deepened my trust in the realm of spirit in all areas of my life, and truly helped me to relax now.
To learn more about Els and her work, please visit her website:
http://www.elsthissen.nl/
