Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaun Dougherty.
Hi Shaun , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Shaun Dougherty – Guitarist, Composer, Educator
Born into a musical family in Boston, MA, Shaun Dougherty seemed destined for a life in music. His father, John Dougherty, is an accomplished jazz guitarist and Berklee College of Music graduate who has recorded and performed with legends such as Kool and the Gang, Pat Martino, George Benson, Sam and Dave, and Lou Donaldson. His mother, Jean Dougherty, is a classically trained organist and graduate of St. Olaf College, while his sister Stephanie is a talented vocalist who has performed across genres including rock, jazz, blues, and country.
Shaun’s journey with the guitar began unexpectedly after seeing the video for Billy Idol’s White Wedding. “I asked my dad if he could show me how to play it, and that was that,” Shaun recalls. But rather than jumping into rock, his father started him on the jazz standard Misty, saying, “Rock and roll is easy. If you want a long-term career in music, learn the standards.” Thirty-five years later, Shaun still plays Misty—and gets paid to do it—while having mastered every Billy Idol song and performed in several rock bands.
Shaun went on to attend Berklee College of Music, where he earned a degree in Commercial Arranging with guitar as his principal instrument. He spent years performing in Boston with his original rock band Waking Ophelia (featuring his sister on vocals) and in a jazz guitar duo with his father, before relocating to Las Vegas in search of new musical opportunities.
In Vegas, he joined the rock band The Day After, recording an album and touring the Southwest for two years. He later formed his own group, Poison Polly, but as live music began giving way to pre-recorded tracks in the local scene, Shaun decided it was time for another change.
Back in Delaware, he began teaching guitar at The Grand Opera House’s Arts Academy and went on to establish the first after-school group guitar programs at Cab Calloway School of the Arts and St. Mark’s High School.
Today, Shaun teaches full-time from his home studio, offering both in-person and Zoom lessons to students of all levels. He also performs as a solo instrumental guitarist, playing jazz, pop, rock, blues, and Latin tunes using custom backing tracks he writes, arranges, and records himself. In addition to performing and teaching, Shaun continues composing original works, including his second ballet, April and After.
I’m currently playing Wednesdays at the Jupiter Supper Club, 718 Congress Ave – Austin from 6-9pm.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I was born, my fathers first thought was ‘I hope he doesn’t become a musician because this life is very hard!!! But both my parents were 100% behind me pursuing music, and happiness is THE most important thing in life and music makes me happy.
I have had stretches of years without health insurance, no 401k, not sleeping for a decade while working a 9-5 job so I could continue to play music at night in Boston making almost no $.
Every musician will tell you these same stories, its a fact. And we continue through it because the pay of is worth it. I don’t mean becoming rich and famous, that is totally out of our hands. I mean playing music and connecting with people, thats everything.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started playing the guitar at 15 which is very late by most standards but I picked it up very quickly as my dad, John Dougherty was my teacher. I then went to (and graduated from) Berklee College of Music. To stay in Boston, I had many retails jobs, then a 9-5 job for several years.
Making enough $ to pay your bills is almost impossible in the beginning and never gets easier. It took me years and eventually I worked at a music school and finally had enough guitar students to give up the retail job (which was part time at that point) and do music full time. I think I was around 35. Then moving to Delaware, I started playing solo gigs as background music in restaurants, bars, speakeasy’s and coffee shops and that money was a substantial part of my income.
I moved to Austin for many personal reasons but in regards to the music scene, I wanted to be around amazing musicians 24/7. Every time you go to hear someone play, its like a free lesson!!!
I am currently accepting new guitar students and booking solo gigs and hopefully once I’m more settled I will figure out musically what I want to do and find the right musicians to work with.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Happiness! Life is very short. I’m 55 and when I turned 50, I realized time is limited so you better enjoy as much of it as you can.!
Also a great guitar sound on stage : )
Pricing:
- My private guitar lessons are $30 per 30 minute lesson which is once a week on the same day/time.
- Solo instrumental guitar gigs start at $200 per gig.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shaundoughertymusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaun_guitar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Trolleysquareguitar
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shaun-dougherty-9709781a
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaunDoughertycomposer
- Other: https://shaundougherty.bandcamp.com
