PODCASTS

Funding for A Song Can Change Your Life is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and is made possible by our sponsors: The City of Alpharetta, Fulton County Arts & Culture, and Arts Alpharetta.

JP WILLIAMS

JP Williams wrote the #1 song “Best Shot” for country star Jimmie Allen. JP is an accomplished songwriter, singer, songwriting workshop leader, and public speaker. Blind since age 10, he brings a unique, seasoned perspective to every opportunity. Whether it’s one-on-one coaching, a music gig on a notable stage, a songwriting workshop on a university campus, or keynote speech at a national conference, JP has an innate gift for connecting with audiences through humor and music to share wisdom and inspiration

CINDY MORGAN

From gospel to pop to Americana, Cindy Morgan is an insightful voice across musical genres as she hasgrown to become one of Nashville’s acclaimed songwriters. An East Tennessee native, Morgan’s evocative melodies and brilliant songwriting have poetically and prolifically mined the depths of life and love both in her own recording and through songwriting for noteworthy artists around the globe.

TONY ARATA

On this episode of A SONG CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE, Grammy Award winning songwriter, Tony Amata, talks about his hit song “Here I Am” recorded by country superstar Patty Loveless. Tony Arata was born in Savannah, Georgia and grew up on nearby Tybee Island. While studying for a journalism degree from Georgia Southern University, he began performing his original songs in local bands. In 1986, he and wife, Jaymi, moved to Nashville where his unique, soulful style began to get the attention of people like Allen Reynolds and Garth Brooks. Garth to date has recorded seven of Tony’s songs, and “The Dance” won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and received both a Country Music Association and a Grammy nomination.
EMILY SHACKELTON
KYSHONA ARMSTRONG
Emily Shackelton is a songwriter from Biwabik, Minnesota. After studying at Berklee College of Music, where she won the coveted BMI John Lennon Songwriting Competition. Shackelton has penned the Carly Peace single, “Every Little Thing,” which hit No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart, as well as Lauren Alaina’s single, “Doin’ Fine.” Emily was awarded 2018 Music Row’s Breakout Songwriter of the Year. She has had several songs featured on TV shows like American Idol and ABC’s Nashville, including “Love Like Mine” sung by Hayden Panettiere and featured on the gold-selling, season one, soundtrack.
Kyshona Armstrong, a music therapist gone rogue, has a natural gift for using music to tap into emotion. She began her career as a music therapist, working in mental health hospitals and correctional facilities, writing music with her patients and using music to redirect behaviors and emotions. Kyshona soon found the need to write music independently to help her process her daily experiences with clients.

Earlier this year, Kyshona released her new LP Listen, co-produced with Andrija Tokic (St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Alabama Shakes, Hurray For The Riff Raff) and recorded mostly at his famed Nashville studio The Bomb Shelter.