Susan performs multicolored music for kids of all ages, lullabies to hospice.
Susan Harrison’s music invites you to join her on a musical Nostalgia trip as you travel with her on a vicarious vacation. She’ll share her original songs that have been described as a blend of rootsy folk rock, jazzy pop, alt-country. Her music is more that blues and joy there are shades of purple and hues of turquoise. Sweet and sassy, Soulful, Clever and fun. A musical hybrid of Janice, Joni, Motown, Bonni and all things she allowed to enter her musical listening palate.
Harrison is a versatile performer from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She has been singing since the day her Aunt Florence's dog Buddy confirmed her ability when he joined her in song under the dining room table. Her first guitar was a ruler with rubber bands and she continues to stretch her musical elasticity. She attended her first music festival, Woodstock at a young age and continues to seek out inspirational opportunities. As Kalamazoo's regional coordinator for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) she strives to promote quality songwriting and never quit learning.
Born in Port Huron Michigan Susan got her start singing in the church and musical theatre. Once in Kalamazoo she performed solo until she met up with Tom Duffield and they performed as a Blues Duo. She moved on to the classic rock band Tumbling Dice then to Mirage and Sassafras along the way. She played in the female quartet The Recyclettes (who would recycle the lyrics from contemporary songs to make them more topical, often with an environmental edge). She performs Solo, duo trio or with her band also with Palamazoo puppets and the Skatty Cats.
Susan Harrison is a Western Michigan University graduate and a performance artist for Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. She started PALamazoo puppet and music productions in 1987 and enjoys working with puppetry because you can combine so many different arts disciplines. From script writing, set and puppet design to the music, movement and drama influences, puppetry can have it all. Susan has several award winning CD’s available along with companion teacher activity books, a coloring songbook and award winning video. Susan taught Drama in Education at WMU and has presented her educational workshops at conferences throughout the Midwest. Palamazoo performances have appeared on a variety of venues from television and radio to corporate events, schools, festivals, senior homes, libraries, theatre and concert halls.
She believes in the healing power of music and sound, understanding that we are rhythmic beings, from each breath we take, to our beating hearts and blinking eyes. Music can calm and excite, while adding another dimension to storytelling. Susan has worked with Hospice and the arts and released a EP of songs to help comfort the grieving, titled, Sunset at Meditation Point.
Striving to entertain and educate herself and others she has fostered a lifelong love and appreciation for words and music. She feels if you write a good song or script it will appeal to audiences of all ages, because it is ultimately about telling a good story. “I want my music to move people, to feel something, so I try to incorporate ideas that are universal into music that is interactive and fun. I don’t believe in talking down to audiences, verbally or musically, however, to appeal to different learning styles an age appropriate understanding needs to exist when a performance is geared to young children. My goal is to make things as simple as possible, but no simpler. I agree with Charles Mingus who once said, ‘Creativity is more that just being different. Anybody can play weird. That’s easy. What’s hard is to be simple as Bach. Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated awesomely simple, that’s creativity’ “.