I could talk about my musical influences but then I would have to admit the hours I spent dancing to Duran Duran in my bedroom years ago. So insteadI'll tell you that I graduated from Cornell University, (I swear I was over them by then... but I'll always have a soft spot for John Taylor...) and currently I'm based in my hometown of New York City and touring from San Francisco to Scotland. I'm also about to release my fourth album, with Shawn Mullins as producer, due out in July, 2002 on his label, SMG Records.

My third release came out in 2000, a 5 song EP titled Sam*pler, and Femmusic.com then voted me the top Independent Female Artist of 2000, which made my day, to say the least. The '99 release, perfecT, also self-produced and released on Brown Chair Records, was voted #7 out of 1800 titles for Best Independent CD of 1999 at CD Baby.com. And recently, I was declared a finalist in the 2001 USA Songwriting Competition, and the 2000 John Lennon Songwriting Competition as well as placing in the top songs of the Billboard Songwriting Contest.

I've been touring for five years, performing in many great rooms across the US and the UK including Fez in NYC, The 12 Bar club in London, the Mint in LA, the Iron Horse in Northampton, Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, and Club Passim in Boston. There was also a fun performance with Shawn Mullins at Olympic Centennial Park in Atlanta for about 60-65,000 people. (Called Mom from backstage for that one!) I've also opened for and shared stages with Richie Havens, members of the Barenaked Ladies, John Gorka, Melissa Ferrick, and more, (including even Buckethead, who was brought on stage in a coffin by six pallbearers in Santa suits. I swear.)

I'm an impromtu music journalist as well, publishing features in Musician, Performing Songwriter, Acoustic Guitar, and Home Recording magazines, plus a chapter on writing lyrics for the recent book Songwriting and the Guitar, (Stringletter Pub.,) which also contains pieces by Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, and Paul Simon. Haven't actually met any of them but hopefully they liked my chapter...

In an ongoing effort to strengthen the community of singer-songwriters, I've organized and hosted showcases such as Makin' Waves I, II, and III, the Yanks n' Beans series, featuring two performers from New York and two from Boston, (get it?), the Uptown Songwriters Circle, and most recently the 5-artist sell-out hit, "Live From New York," also featuring Edie Carey, Andrew Kerr, Teddy Goldstein, and Anne Heaton.

Who knew that hours of singing along to "Hungry Like the Wolf" could amount to something?

"Sam Shaber leads the next generation of singer/songwriters into our collective consciousness."
- WNEW 102.7fm, New York