Shawna Edwards is a composer with songs that have quickly become staples in the LDS Faith. “The Miracle” of her writing is something that anybody who attends a local primary program is grateful for. Shawna has 60 million YouTube channel views, and a YouTube Silver Play Button that she received once she reached 100K+ subscribers. Her Spotify is popping with 155K monthly listeners. Shawna has been married to her best friend, John, for 45 years. The two share five kids and 18 (almost 19) grandchildren. Shawna studied piano at BYU, and left early to be a full-time mom. Then she went back and graduated from BYU in media music at the age of 50. “I’m living proof that it’s never too late to start something new.”
Dealer’s Choice A day in the life looks like a bike ride, scriptures, and avoid getting on my phone. Then emails, Zoom calls, social media, song and video plans, and work on whatever the new song is. Most likely, the new song gets upstaged by phone calls from children, a grandchild’s tennis match or a bike ride with John. But these activities are the rhythm of my life, and the people I do them with are everything to me. The song can wait.
Shuffle the Cards I didn’t set out to be a songwriter or have a music business. I just wrote a Christmas song for my family when I was about 45, and my dad loved it. He often asked me, “Have you done anything with that song?” After he died, John encouraged me to put the song on YouTube, and it went viral. That was the beginning of an incredible journey.
The Flop The greatest surprise is writing a song in my home, then pushing a button and sending it out to the world, and within minutes, it’s been heard by a nun in a Polish convent, a teenager in Mumbai and a family in the Philippines — and I get a message about the hope someone feels from the song. To me, it’s a miracle every time.
Wild Card My first car was a puke-green, used Las Vegas taxi that I shared with my siblings. We were mortified to drive it because not only was it considered hideous in an era when orange shag carpet was in fashion, but it shook and sputtered for several minutes after turning it off.
Tomorrow’s Bets Go on tour with my music.