Elias Shamoon, a keyboardist, singer and guitarist, graduated from Biola in December and is now using his music education to pursue a big career.

GETTING STUFF OUT THERE

Songwriting is a key part of being a commercial musician. That practice can be long, full of difficulty and constant changes, or it can be quick and spontaneous, often done right up to a deadline or a performance. For Shamoon, his songwriting journey has been a bit of both. At the core of this process, he is learning to trust himself. One specific example comes in the form of his first single, entitled “fool without you,” which was released in October 2022. As of today, “fool without you” has accumulated more than 4,000 listens on Spotify. What began as an idea written in a Notes app became a rousing success.

Shamoon described the positive reaction to his first single. 

“Even on Facebook a bunch of aunts and uncles were reposting my song,” Shamoon said. “The big thing that everyone says is ‘I didn’t realize your music would be this good!’ I think there’s a lot of artists nowadays who make music and it just doesn’t sound good. I think people were surprised at the level of production that actually goes into it.” 

When it comes to songwriting, it is vital to create and publish music as regularly as possible. Fortunately, it has become easier at Biola with the Artist Development program, where a student artist is paired with a producer to refine their ideas into a fully produced track. Shamoon is just one student who took advantage of this program, and his two new singles are a product of that collaboration.

BUILDING A STYLE

Shamoon, first a pianist, began studying classical piano at age 12. As he progressed, he ventured into the world of pop, jazz and R&B, which he cites as the primary influences on his songwriting style. In fact, Elias is the keyboard player on both of his new singles. Even when auditioning for Biola, he had prepared both a jazz and classical piece. When he learned that Biola wanted to hear his commercial music work, he switched his entire approach in a moment’s notice.

“I went to a Guitar Center near my hotel, and I changed my whole audition,” Shamoon said. “I mashed up a Michael Jackson song with an original, Take 5, and even some Beethoven … That’s pretty much how I got to Biola.”

Shamoon pointed out that his two new singles are especially influenced by 80s music, and even some specific genres like early-2000s Christian rock — both of which his parents exposed him to at a young age. His second new single, “coma,” continues this style, and he develops it as he writes more and more music. “coma” refers to the feeling of when, Shamoon said, “you’re in a relationship and the whole time it’s felt like your eyes have been closed and you haven’t been fully cognizant of where it’s been going.”

One of the interesting facets of this song actually has nothing to do with the audible music: it’s the unique album art.

“I always wanted to have an album cover art of me in a hospital in nurse scrubs because I love nurse scrubs,” Shamoon said. “I had a pair that I kept in my closet for two years until I realized that ‘coma’ was the perfect opportunity to use them.” 

The album art depicts two Eliases, one in bed and one checking to see if he’s awake, hence the title “coma.” That process included multiple shots, a shooting partner and a very gracious nursing department that allowed him to use their facilities to get the shot. 

NEXT STEPS

“fool without you” and “coma” are both streaming now on Spotify and Apple Music, and Shamoon hopes to have an EP or an album released by the summertime. After graduating, it is really up to the artist to self-promote and self-produce, and Shamoon is in the thick of that season. The best way to support both recent graduates and current students is to listen and listen some more.