ONE of the region\u2019s singer-songwriters has been named as one of the twenty-two finalists for Music Victoria\u2019s second annual Environmental Music Prize.<\/p>\n
Bannockburn solo artist Shannon Curry, performing under the pseudonym SheisArjuna, has been given the nod for the $20,000 prize for her song Vessel released as a single in late 2021.<\/p>\n
She said it\u2019s an honour to be going up against other Australian acts like Midnight Oil, Tash Sultana and Xavier Rudd.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful to be recognised and on the list with all the names that are on there,\u201d she said. \u201cI write all my songs in a stream-of-consciousness way without planning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Vessel I had a magazine in front of me called Dumbo Feather. It was during the time with the pandemic, bushfires and flooding and I was feeling the weight of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe words from the cover of the magazine were diving into these big issues. The issue was called Consciousness Rising and that\u2019s the first lyric of the second verse.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe song is about using my voice to encourage people to be conscious of their actions and how they treat the world around them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prize was launched in response to a UN Climate Summit in late 2021 by members of non-profit group Environmental Music, aimed at recognising songs that bring awareness to the environment.<\/p>\n
The shortlisting committee for this year\u2019s entries were made up of six music industry ambassadors and nine environmental impact representatives.<\/p>\n
Curry has been making music for more than 20 years having started out performing with her brother as a teenager before cultivating her style as SheisArjuna from about 2017 onwards.<\/p>\n
Between earning a degree in Animal Sciences, working as a wildlife carer and conservationist, and living out of her straw-bale house constructed in Bannockburn last year, she said her music is an extension of her environmentally-minded lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy eyes were opened when I was about 20 and I couldn\u2019t unsee that,\u201d she said. \u201cI try to live a life that\u2019s conscious of the mark we live.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a for a song like Vessel to be up for an award like this, I feel like it has the power to reach more people that may not think about those issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they take a moment to listen to it because it\u2019s palatable and then take a moment to absorb the lyrics, they might go \u2018hey, that\u2019s important\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Public voting can be done through the Environmental Music website with entries closing on Sunday, 4 June after which the winner will be announced later that month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ONE of the region\u2019s singer-songwriters has been named as one of the twenty-two finalists for Music Victoria\u2019s second annual Environmental Music Prize. Bannockburn solo artist Shannon Curry, performing under the pseudonym SheisArjuna, has been given the nod for the $20,000 prize for her song Vessel released as a single in late 2021. She said it\u2019s […]<\/p>\n