Life Changes Show, June 30, 2014
Life Changes with Filippo with Filippo Voltaggio and guests Marsha Bartenetti and Shanna O’Brien
Guest, Marsha Bartenetti
Although no stranger to the stage, Marsha, who won the top prize for best Vocal Performance in the International American Song Festival, which included hundreds of thousands of performers from all over the world, as well as steady live shows and recording, stepped away from performing to raise her daughter, Rachael, and pursue her voice-over and acting career (a SAG/AFTRA member with hundreds of national credits).
You may not realize it, but you have probably heard her voice before.. Marsha has been dubbed by the press as the Voicemail Queen the voice for over 40 million voice mail system subscribers in this country at one time. “I’m sorry that’s not a valid password – please try your call again later.” And..” Are you Still There?” She was also the National voice for Safeway and Vons TV and radio spots, to name a few. She also started a company with her daughter 7 years ago called Just in Case, Inc. A socially conscious company with a mission to empower women to make positive choices for their personal health.(http://justincaseinc.com/)
The winds of change began a year ago when she returned to her passion - singing. ”I literally had to sing again. Music has a direct link to the heart – and when you are given the gift of song – and you don’t use it – it ends up in heartbreak. It was time.”
After reconnecting with a former band mate she hadn’t worked with in 20 years, through Social Media, Marsha recorded her CD, It's Time in Nashville with Diskeyes Productions. At the helm of production was Donny Marrow, with his esteemed group of studio musicians from all over the country. Her songs range from Billie Holiday to Bonnie Raitt. “I’ve been known to cross genres for a great lyric. And do – often,” she muses. She recently recorded her 2nd CD in Nashville which is due out later this year and is planning a live recording session in November of this year.
After successful shows at Catalina Jazz Club, and an SRO show at Vitello’s Upstairs, she has been invited to return to Catalina’s on July 10th with her “Gentlemen of Jazz”. Featuring jazz greats, Llew Matthews is Musical Director/Piano, Kenny Dennis on Drums, Rickey Woodard on Sax, and Mike Gurrola on Bass.
From the moment she steps onto the stage, Marsha captivates the audience, has it in the palm of her hand and never lets go. She is a consistent, constant joy throughout her performance. How fortunate we are that she has revived her singing career after a long absence from the music scene. Betty Hoover, Jazz at the A Frame.
Guest, Shanna OBrien
Shanna “Songbird” O’Brien has been singing since a young girl. She was a featured soloist in her church choir. Family and friends would insist that she sing at functions and gatherings. Her wonderfully rich tone has always been “music to the ears.”
Shanna’s influences are traditional folk music as well as Elvis, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Annie Lennox, Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, and many more.
The ’80′s found her living in the Bay Area playing her original songs at the Sleeping Lady Café in Fairfax, The Resh House in Mill Valley and many of Marin’s music festivals.
Eventually she recorded sessions with the “master synthesist,”Patrick Gleeson as well as Michael Cotten and Prairie Prince from The Tubes, Greg Douglass, former guitarist with the Steve Miller Band and Cory Lerios of Pablo Cruise. Greg Douglass agreed to be featured on her first album of originals entitled “Timeless” produced by Terry Cano, released in 2005.
In the ’80′s she opened for Journey at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco and went on to have her own show at the MGM Grand in Reno as well as at the Mandarin Hotel in Singapore.
During the 90′s, Shanna’s path took a turn away from music and into film distribution as well as caring for a loved one who became ill. She worked for Medallion TV Enterprises in West Hollywood for 10 years and was appointed president of the company.
Shanna went on to work for John Wayne’s film company, Batjac Productions, in Burbank.
Shanna is happy to announce that she recently left the corporate world and is now devoting herself fulltime to her music, currently performing in the LA area and working on her second album of originals produced by world renowned percussionist Steve Reid at Sonic Jungle Studios in North Hollywood.
Shanna is an example of someone who kept her dreams alive throughout all the twists and turns that life takes along the way.
Life Changes Show
Come and join the conversation about what's going on and what we can do together about it, with it, and for it. We have the choice, we have the power. We can do magic if we just believe!
A show about the changes going on in us, to us, around us, and because of us. Therefore, it's technically a show about "Everything," only with a how to make it better, see it better, be better.
In the show, there is talk about, and with, people who have either been through major changes, are helping others with major changes, or people who are changing the world for the better in a major way.
The show is a one-hour talk show format with a monologue by the host, a 30 minute interview with a guest of note, capped by a "Producer's Wrap" segment, in which Filippo and Co-Host Mark Laisure, and sometimes surprise guests, bring it all home for the listeners in a sometimes humorous and sometimes touching, but always entertaining conversation.
