Tolan Shaw CD Release Concert

Benefitting the San Dieguito Academy Music Program

Award-winning San Diego singer-songwriter Tolan Shaw (an alumnus of San Dieguito Academy) releases a new EP, Chin Up, with his band on April 3, at the San Dieguito Academy Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 7pm, and the show begins at 8pm with opening act Cordelia Degher, a current student of San Dieguito Academy. Tickets are $15 online at www.seatyourself.biz/sdamusic, and the first 50 tickets sold receive a free copy of the new CD at the show.

All proceeds for this event will be donated to the San Dieguito Academy Music Program. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase between 7pm and 8pm. The event will feature the Tolan Shaw Band (5 piece band including other alumni of SDA), playing an eclectic mixture of pop, rock, soul, and funk music.

“I am extremely excited to put on a show that both showcases this new Chin Up EP and gives back to the SDA Music Program,” says Shaw. “This program and school are one of the primary reasons why I am pursuing a career in songwriting and performing, and I am thrilled to bring the music and the community together to support a cause that is dear to my heart. Not to mention we are combining a current and a former SDA student on the bill; what a better way to bring the Encinitas community together!”

After winning 1st place at the 2011 and 2013 San Diego County Fair Singer-Songwriter Contests, and 1st place at the 2012 San Diego Songwriters Guild Contest, Shaw took 8 months to travel Central and South America, writing many of the songs on his San Diego Music Award nominated debut album, Tolan Shaw, released in June 2013.

In 2014 and 2015, Shaw has focused heavily on songwriting and performing locally, releasing single songs and quality music videos that have gained the attention of radio and industry eyes and ears. Highlights include performing to 1,500 people opening for international act 2Cellos, being involved in multiple co-writes with Jason Mraz and The Natters (co-writers of Mraz’s hit “I Won’t Give Up”), receiving regular radio play nationally and internationally for his single “Eyes,” being included on the list of 91X San Diego’s top 91 songs of 2014, and reaching #6 on the alternative radio charts in Lima, Peru. He was nominated for “Best Singer-Songwriter” at the 2014 San Diego Music Awards, and had multiple songwriting placements with various TV networks, including ABC Family, TLC, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. With “Chin Up” due out April 3rd, 2015, Shaw is gearing up for an exciting year of touring and sharing new music.

The SDA Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports quality programs and innovative classroom practices. Its mission is to support the unique culture and quality programs of the San Dieguito Academy by generating financial resources and promoting active parental and community involvement. (760.753.1121, ext. 5085, www.tolanshaw.com, www.sdafoundation.com)