Shannon McMahon got her first guitar at the age of nine, and wrote her first song when she was ten years old. She started performing publicly when she was 12, at church, coffeehouses and other functions. At the age of 17, Shannon auditioned for and was accepted into a vocal performance class at The New School in New York City, taught by Brown Bradley. In 1996, Shannon recorded her debut CD, Some of My Years, an independent release produced by Eric Garrison at China Moon Studios. The CD features 12 original songs in a contemporary folk style with a hint of country flavor. Shannon’s rich vocals are reminiscent of Joan Baez and Natalie Merchant. For the past year and a half, Shannon has been performing daily for worldwide audiences in Second Life, (http://www.secondlife.com) an online virtual world that offers a place to explore, socialize and participate in a host of activities, including live music. In May 2009, Shannon’s song “The Test,” was the winning song in a songwriting contest for Amnesty International. A recording of “The Test” will also appear on a benefit CD featuring New Haven, CT area musicians. In November 2009, Shannon appeared at FODfest (Friends of Daniel Pearl) (http://www.fodfest.org) at Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT.