June Shellene, Singer/songwriter
In the mid 90's,June's songwriting talents caught the attention of Cliff Colnot, director of Chicago’s Civic Orchestra, who offered to produce her first CD. The result was The Lost Art Of Love, which went on to w [+]June Shellene, Singer/songwriter
In the mid 90's,June's songwriting talents caught the attention of Cliff Colnot, director of Chicago’s Civic Orchestra, who offered to produce her first CD. The result was The Lost Art Of Love, which went on to win two achievement awards from Billboard Magazine’s songwriting competition. The CD features an impressive list of musicians, from Howard Levy (harmonica and piano player for Bella Fleck) to Steve Rodby (bassist for Pat Matheny), and Mark Walker (drummer for Oregon).
In 2004, she won a Community Arts Assistance Grant from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs to produce Men, Women and Belonging, a live performance of songs dealing with the interplay of current cultural shifts and the man/woman relationship. In 2005 June was among the composers chosen for My Kind of Tune, a showcase of songs by Chicago writers, hosted by the Department of Cultural Affairs.
She has also served as pianist, composer, and/or Musical Director for numerous theatrical productions, including The Second City Touring Company and Steppenwolf’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, in Chicago and on Broadway. After writing songs for Dr. Rat (Organic Theatre), she co-authored (with Richard Fire) Dealing, a play about life on the Chicago Commodities Exchange, which went on to break all box office records at Northlight Theatre, then in it’s twelfth year. More recently, she adapted and arranged African songs brought to her by members of Uptown’s “Lost Boys of the Sudan” community. These songs and others penned by June were featured in Scrap Mettle Soul’s 2004 production, The Other Way, a collection of stories about immigrants and immigration in America.
June’s voice can be heard in David Mamet’s film, The House of Games, and his made-for-TV movie, The Water Engine, and she sings the lead vocal on the recently released, O Chicago, An Anthem For A Great City, penned by Chicago Shakespeare’s mult-Jeff winning composer, Alaric Jans. On the CD, she is accompanied by six members of the CSO. Her piano playing is featured on Irish singer Rose Laughlin's new release, Sounvenir, produced by Dennis Cahill.
June first started performing her own songs on the Lincoln Avenue nightclub circuit. Her style is eclectic with an over-all jazz in
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