Shawn Kingsberry

About Shawn Kingsberry

“I bridge the gap between the virtual and physical worlds of music with the goal of setting my listeners free to experience what is real.” - Shawn Kingsberry

In today’s technological world, genuine, analog instruments always collide with their virtual, and computer-generated counterparts. We’re all living amidst the “Digital Music Revolution.” It's a virtual place that is not always “real.” Most artists only master one of these realms, not both. However, one musical maestro stands out; his name is Shawn Kingsberry. Shawn is akin to “Morpheus” in the movie The Matrix. With ease, he can move in and out of the today’s musical matrix. Kingsberry has an uncanny ability to merge digital and analog instrumentation to create his inimitable blend of smooth jazz, neo-soul, and R&B.

However, Shawn's artistry isn't simply a choice between taking the Red Pill or the Blue Pill. Think instead of his music as taking the Purple Pill; it will let you "chillax" and simultaneously experience the best of both worlds. Over the years, Kingsberry has harnessed his technical knowledge and combined it flawlessly with his varied musical skill set. Over the decades of hard work within this complex matrix, he has morphed into a musical “Morpheus.”

Shawn Kingsberry is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, and producer from Kensington, Maryland. He aims to compose purposely uncomplicated musical scores. He explains, “I bridge the gap between the virtual and physical worlds of music with the goal of setting my listeners free to experience what is real.” He chases perfection, yet knows it is unattainable, realizing at some point, the song is ready to be heard, and a lesson is to be learned.

Shawn’s love of music surfaced early in his youth and acted as a guiding rhythm to his life. His mother, Ida Kingsberry was a central and vital influence on him. She introduced all of her children to music and modeling at an early age. Shawn began learning various instruments starting with the drums in elementary school. Ida instilled the mantra, “Always have total and complete confidence in yourself!” Using his mother’s wisdom, Shawn began his musical journey in high school, playing in an R&B band with his brother Michael. Shawn’s mother had instilled the traits within him which would soon make his talents pay off.

In the early 1980s, Shawn and his brother went to work at the studio of platinum producer link. Thompson,(Immature.) Combining their talents and resources, Shawn and Michael created a production company called KP Entertainment. They developed into a commercial recording studio where they wrote music for major record labels and corporations during the 1980s. Kingsberry explains, “We had to write in all genres including rock, country and pop ... it forced me to learn a lot, all while under creative pressure.” However, KP Entertainment opened doors for Shawn to work with music industry professionals, such as Harvey Alston, (Keith Sweat, Teddy Riley, Wreck & Effect,) and Tony Dumas, the vocalist with the platinum male group, Me-2-You.

In the early 1990s, Shawn decided to take a break from the music industry. He started a family and pursued a job in technology, something he had always studied. He attained significant accomplishments and many awards in the link. field, but always knew he would return to his muses. In 2011, Kingsberry began to write, produce, and compose once again. His musical passion returned, and he had to prove something he’d discovered working in information technology field; that music and technology go hand in hand. He explains, “I realized that I could harness my technological knowledge to generate smooth jazz grooves and add meaningful sexy vocals.” Using his in-home studio, which he named Man Cave Studio, he began working on new singles.

In 2011, he released “Never Too Late,” a smooth jazz track that featured performances from Bryce Finnerty, as well as Shawn’s wife and children. In 2013, he released eleven separate singles in a set he titled Chill & Lounge Vibrations. Shawn explains, “My goal in these singles was to combine live musical instrumentation, electronic sounds together with meaningful lyrics.” In 2015, Shawn released his debut, full-length recording, the Shawn Kingsberry EP. The project was a full-bore fusion of jazz, neo-soul, and R&B, which put a modern day spin on the 1980s, “old-school” sound. He explains, “The EP was the apex of what I had learned in both music and technology, that music is life, and if you write music - you must set it free.” The four tunes on the offering set out to create soothing soundscapes to help his listeners “chillax.”

Shawn isn’t boxed in by genre, nor bogged down by the typical artist mentality of total perfection. As he says, “If it isn’t perfect, that’s part of the art. Pull the trigger, get it done, and let the world hear it.” Kingsberry has learned that the opportunities for creating music in today’s world are limitless. As a multi-faceted artist, he writes for an audience of one. “I realized a long time ago that music is a language and protocol used to communicate with all ages and races,” he offers. As 2017 approaches, he is working on his next EP, as well as a full-length album. The album will focus on the social tensions in the world today, yet be filled with groovy music, meaningful lyrical lessons. After years of experience in both technology and music, there isn’t anything Shawn Kingsberry can’t do. If you can think of something, don’t tell him he can’t - because he will. That is the mindset of someone with total creative confidence. That is the persona of someone who can pull from an unlimited set of talents in both the digital and analog realms. Shawn has spent decades in the musical matrix – learning, listening, and morphing into a musical “Morpheus.”