Shelley Mier – An inheritance of talent.

I first met Shelley Mier at an open mic held at Parmer Lane Tavern. For me these open mics are a great opportunity to capture musicians that I would not otherwise have seen or heard. It is where I began to understand that most musicians in Austin are like interchangeable parts. Many could easily fit in with other bands as needed. This is something Shelley points out in her story.

Shelley has always greeted me with open arms at these events. During the three years that I have known her she has become a friend. We have one thing in common. Both of us believe our gift came from God and that it is our duty to share it. Shelley, it is time for you to share.

1. Who is Shelley Mier?

I am a lifelong lover of music; a daughter who is blessed to still have both parents alive and well, as well as the oldest of three, 1 sister and 1 brother. I am also an aunt to 4 nieces, but my proudest achievement is being the mother of four beautiful and talented children, all with creative musical talents of their own.  It has been an absolute blessing to have my family be so supportive of my musical endeavors over the years. I am forever grateful.

I began singing and playing piano by the time I was 4 or 5 years old.  My mother plays piano. When my dad bought her the instrument, it seemed natural for me to get up there and try and play it. Although I had some formal training along the way and participated in church and school choirs, as well as going to college with a vocal scholarship, most of my ability is by ear, I am a firm believer that my ability to play and sing is a gift from God and feel very strongly that not sharing the gift would be wrong. 

I started entering talent shows in school and won first place in my Senior year at Southwest High School in San Antonio, TX.  After that I started to get asked to play at weddings and funerals. Thus began my career in music.  I did have distractions along the way of course, I left college when I discovered I could get the job I was going to college for without the degree. I became a radio personality on a Christian Radio station in San Antonio, KSLR. I already had a couple years’ experience from my college radio station KWLD in Plainview, TX, so I thought I’d give it a try in a major market. 

After a year or so on the radio in San Antonio, I decided to go on a group interview for a flight attendant position at Continental Airlines and was hired on the spot. I put in my notice at the radio station and decided to see the world.  I was stationed initially at Dulles Airport in Fairfax, VA and although I didn’t have my own piano at the time, I would play every chance I got on layovers around the country in the hotel lobbies where the flight crews stayed. I put in 5 years of traveling only to find myself married with 4 kids!  How did that happen? 

At this point I was only playing occasionally at church. I became increasingly overwhelmed with motherhood and life in general.  Then one day my mother-in-law came to stay with us while the husband was deployed and I was caring for the 4 kids on my own. She asked if I could get a babysitter and I told her I could. She then asked where is the one place I would like to go. I answered a music store. So we went to a local music store in Montgomery, Alabama and for the next hour or so I played nearly every piano in the store. As I was finishing up my mother-in-law said well, ‘pick one.’ I thought I was in a dream or something, but that very day she bought me a Kawai electric upright piano, which I still have to this day and actually used to haul to play some of my first few gigs.  That unbelievably generous act of kindness literally saved my life in 1995.

In 1998 the military moved us to Cheyenne, Wyoming where I was able to get involved in the local music scene as well as become the pianist and worship leader for the Protestant Chapel on F.E. Warren AFB. We lived there for 6 years, during which time I started a cover band called Tapestry. There were only a few of the locals playing at all the live music venues in town at the time. But in the month of July every year, Frontier Days Rodeo would bring thousands of people to this very small capital city. If you had a gig you would likely get to meet some of the national touring artists that played on the big stage at the Rodeo. Pretty much everything I did revolved around music. I began teaching piano lessons on the side as well as taking a job as an Activities Director at one of the Nursing home facilities where I would play music daily for the residents. I got a firsthand account of the power of music and how it can reach people even with years of dementia and bring them back if only for a little while.

After leaving Cheyenne in 2004, we moved to Stuttgart, Germany. I continued to teach piano to military kids. I also played in local biergartens and Christmas parties at the EUCOM Commanders home which brought in all sorts of foreign dignitaries, Barons and Baroness’ It was an amazing experience. Our time in Germany ended in 2008 when we received orders to move to Austin, Texas!  I couldn’t believe it at first, as it’s not often you get military orders to a place that you actually want to go! My oldest daughter had already graduated high school in Germany and had left to begin her college career at the University of Texas, so these orders would reunite the family once again.

My daughter had already gone and heard live music around town and said, ‘Mom you need to come hear this band. They are playing songs you were playing with your bands everywhere we had lived.’ So I went to Sherlocks North off Burnet Rd. and heard LC Rocks for the first time.  They had a residency every Wednesday at the time. I then started venturing out on the weekends to hear bands such as Rat Ranch, The Max, Suede, and The Sophisticates.

I knew I needed to get involved in the music scene. I looked on Craigs List and found an Eagles Tribute Band looking for a keyboard player/vocalist. I thought that would be perfect for me, so I made the contacts and set up an audition. I was selected, along with guitar player and local Austin Icon Joe Vega, who had already established himself with a residency at the Blind Pig on 6th Street.

After about 6 months of rehearsals and no gigs with the Eagles Trib, Joe and I decided to quit the band and go our own way.  I then got involved with some local Leander musicians and formed Trial by Fire which had gigs after 2 or 3 rehearsals at The Post and VFW halls. We even had a slot at the Rodeo where we found ourselves playing in a small tent in between LC Rocks and Suede!  I’ll never forget Chris Max coming over and listening to a couple of songs before they started. This started a lifelong friendship and musical collaborations that have continued to this day.

One thing that I have found in Austin, once you’ve played with a few different bands you see how things get networked. You can call on various musicians to fill in as fill-ins or replacements when there is a need. One becomes part of a musical family. The value of those relationships is immeasurable.

2. Tell me about your projects.

 I have participated in several bands that have many times have overlapping musicians, many of the musicians in town play in multiple bands on a regular basis. These would include Arrival which has become Departure ATX, Texas Players w/ James Reid and Dennis Carter, Blazin Kane, Ready Betty, and an all-female rockabilly group. Every one of the bands that I’ve played with or filled in with has provided experiences and memories that will always be a part of me.  While playing in bands, an opportunity presented itself to collaborate and be a part of the Open Mic Jam at the Water tank with the “Shoot from the Hip” band. This lead me to start another project which has become the Monday Night Open Mic Jam currently at Shenanigans Nightclub. Over time, the host band has gone through many variations of staffing. It has included the following: Chris Max, Wayne Steagall, David Scott King, Jake Sherard, David Druxman, James Reid, Lee Thompson, and Adam Brannon. Our current arrangement is: Daniel Benoit, Troy Rios, James Reid, Adam Brannon, and myself.

This has truly been a labor of love; I’ve seen how much an open stage and the opportunity to play in front of an audience can mean to musicians just starting out. It is also an opportunity for seasoned professionals to try out an original or have some fun with some old classic tunes.

We’ve had musicians from all over the world show up to play, most recently a band from Sweden heard about our jam and came out during our October Birthdays edition. It’s a weekly opportunity to connect with fellow musicians that you don’t always get to go out and support because of your own musical events. It is also an opportunity for those that come to listen to and support live music in this town. This is ultimately the reason we keep showing up week in and week out. These jams provide an outlet and a few hours of escape. For those listening to and participating in playing songs, it triggers memories. Hearing another’s interpretation is extremely gratifying and I’m proud to be part of that.

My current projects outside of the Monday Night Open Mic Jam are solo, Shelley Mier: Just Me and the Keys has been offered opportunities for residencies at Prohibition ATX and in Horseshoe Bay Resort at the Yacht Club. Of course, I’m always open to other projects as they present themselves.

3. Give me your interpretation of the Austin Music Scene of the past, present and your hope for the future.

I have only been in Austin since 2008, and what I know of the music scene from the past is vastly different than the current state-of-affairs.  The venues are still not paying a livable wage for those of us that do this as our sole income which requires either part time jobs on the side or playing every gig offered which can be extremely hard on the voice and equipment. Thankfully organizations like HAAM are here with insurance help and many other resources that musicians can take advantage of if they sign up and inquire.  My hope for the future is that we continue to support live music, build each other up in our musical family, stick together with what a band should be paid at venues that we all regularly play at and provide musical harmony with each other and the fans that come out to listen. In general Peace on Earth and good will toward men.

4. AI and music, your thoughts.

I am amazed at how technology can help create certain tones or patches to be utilized to bring about the best possible sound for a particular song. However, I will never be of the mindset that AI would take over the position of a player. The musician is the ultimate creator of the overall outcome of using technology for a performance.  You still have to have skills, talent and heart to reach the audience.

5. What is the question you are never asked?

I believe question #1 Who is Shelley Mier is the answer to this one.