Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Shaun Moore of Stone Mountain

We recently had the chance to connect with Shaun Moore and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shaun , thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Who are you learning from right now?
As a full-time Music Producer, I am learning from ALL the collaborators and peers that I either work with, have worked with, or look to for inspiration that I admire in the music business! As a Music Producer, I am a Multi-Instrumentalist, and have been for a very long time since a young child when I first started my journey in music. Having said that, growing up I quickly learned very early that music is a collaborative endeavor which meant you had to learn from or learn off of your peers to figure out what were the best ways for us collectively to be successful. It’s no different now that I work in the music business as a Music Producer. I have to study my collaborators & peers in order learn what creative and strategic ways we can be successful together on any project! That skillset of always being a student is invaluable as a creative and appreciated by so many in the business.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Shaun Marius Moore, and I am a full-time Music Producer based in Atlanta, Ga! Currently, I work with a wide variety of creatives in the music business. Everyone from GRAMMY Award-Winning & Multi-Platinum artists, songwriters, producers to Independent artists! I started in music at a very early age. I was 8 years old when I picked up my first instrument, the bassoon, and quickly started excelling on that instrument. My parents immediately saw that and realized that I had a natural gift in music. With their support, I participated in every music program that was available as I matriculated through grade school. Along the way, I picked up a few more instruments that I learned how to play very well. By the time I got in the eleventh grade at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain Ga. from where I graduated, I earned 11 full music-scholarships to colleges across the country! It was in that moment that I knew for sure I wanted to go to college to study music in order to enter the professional music industry. So, on a full music-scholarship, I attended and graduated from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS with a 4.0 GPA and degree in music. After I graduated, I returned back to Atlanta and began my pursuit to get into the music industry by way of connections that I built while I was in college.

What makes what I do special and unique is that I am blessed enough to do what started as a childhood dream of mine! All of the hard work, sacrifices, endurance, resilience, and discipline that I utilize on a daily basis is what is allowing me to continue to progress in what I am working on right now. I am very grateful for all the relationships on various levels that I have had the opportunity to build with others in the music business. Many of which have inspired me to push for more and have reminded me of my, why. Oftentimes I take some time out to remember my why and ensure that my actions, strategies, and decisions align with that!

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that most shaped how I see myself is the one with my parents. As a child, my parents demonstrated at the highest level what hard work, determination, and perseverance was all about, Both my parents were college graduates and were extremely successful in their careers. They not only made sure I had everything to be successful as a child, but taught life skills that I utilize to this day. From them, I learned that I could do anything I put my mind to and that what ever I pursued to be the best that I could be. I think like that daily. Those life lessons I learned from my parents allowed me to build and cultivate a lot of the relationships that I have built in my career over time.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be to never forget your why. The next thing I would say would be to always protect your dream. The reality in the music business is that not everyone is going to like you, want to work with you for whatever reason, or even treat you with a good level of respect and professional courtesy. Having said that, some people will even try to manipulate you for their own benefit. It happens. I have always been a friendly outgoing person who thought good about most people. When I became a young adult right out of college, I wasn’t aware that certain people were “predatory” in their dealings. I had not learned how to identify that yet. Going through certain struggles with that in mind taught me how to better use discernment. The key to my resilience came from me going back to my why. I would continuously remind myself of why am I doing this. I would remember the 8 year old kid playing my first instrument and then the kid from the eleventh grade earning all those scholarships to college. From those moments, I would reset and strategize how I could move forward with intention. In my alone time, I reflect on how challenges have shaped me and I also reflect how far I have come in my career which I never take for granted. There is so much that goes into the business of music that if you don’t dial in why you want to do it, it could be discouraging. Thankfully, remembering my why keeps me positive and mentally equipped to handle the challenges that sometimes present themselves.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I really admire my parents for their character! I can’t remember a time growing up or even to this day that my parents didn’t find a way to support me in anything that I literally put my mind to. The teachings they were able to share and the exposure that they provided me afforded me the opportunity to learn character traits that I cherish to this day. How they conducted themselves in their lives allowed me to learn what being a good person was all about. Knowing right from wrong, and how to fairly treat people was something that they did very well. Over time, the world has changed, but, good character traits and having good character as a person is something that will last a lifetime. I am always thankful that I have had some really great examples of what that looks like.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What will you regret not doing? 
Believe it or not, I would regret not going after my dream. I mentioned that your dream is something that you have to protect, and for me, protecting it hasn’t always been easy. In my opinion, real life comes with many things that you may or may not be prepared for but have to deal with. In dealing with those things, you might get pulled in different directions which might make you loose sight of what your dream actually is. I have experienced this. Fortunately, I was able to refer back to my why and got back on track pursuing my dream. In my mind, I never think that I have achieved my dream. I think that I am in the process of achieving my dream. I’m very grateful for all of the successful moments that I have had but I actually think I am still working towards my dream. The reason I think like this is because I never want to get complacent or think what I have accomplished is it. This keeps me wanting to achieve so much more and create a long lasting career that aligns with the younger me. Yes, it still requires sacrifice, discipline, and resilience, but it has always been that way. I want to make sure I utilize my all my talents to the fullest, and staying focused on my dream is of the utmost importance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eleventhgrademusic.com
• Instagram: @11thgrademusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-m-moore/
• Other: Email: eleventhgrademusic@gmail.com