West Kentucky Community & Technical College

« Back to Recent News

WKCTC's Clemens Fine Arts Center presents Featured Artist of the Season October 11

Paducah, KY (10/04/2019) — Imagine songs that juxtapose ideas and images and inhabit characters - vividly evoking entire worlds along the way and expanding the listener's sense of what a song should be. That is exactly what Richard Shindell will bring to West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Clemens Fine Arts Center October 11. The Featured Artist of the Season for the Clemens Center, Shindell, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m.

Originally from New York, now dividing his time between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and New York's Hudson Valley, Shindell is a writer whose songs paint pictures and tell stories that flood audiences with emotion and appreciation. From his first record, Sparrow's Point (1992) to his current release, Careless (2016), Shindell has explored the possibilities offered by this most elastic and variable of cultural confections: the song.

The path that led him to songwriting was both winding and direct. Taking up the guitar at the age of eight, he listened but imagined that composing a song was out of the question.

After college and a nine-month stint in a Zen Buddhist community in Upstate New York, he headed to Europe with his guitar, finding something not approaching a livelihood performing in the Paris Metro, where he discovered, "I loved the acoustics in those tunnels, but only when they were empty."

Upon running out of money he entered Union Theological Seminary, where the celestial acoustics of the chapel inspired his first "keeper" composition: "On a Sea of Fleur de Lis." Seemingly a paean to the Virgin Mary, the song marked his rupture from the church and the beginning of his creative life.

Joining the songwriter scene in New York City led to a deal with Shanachie Records for Shindell's first three albums: Sparrows Point, Blue Divide (1994), and Reunion Hill (1997). The latter, produced by multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, won the American Association of Independent Music award for "Best Contemporary Folk Album" in 1998. The title track was covered by Joan Baez on her 1997 release, Gone From Danger. In 1998, Shindell joined forces with his friends Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky to make CryCryCry (Razor and Tie), a collection of covers.

Shindell's career has continued to flourish with the release of seven more successful albums and song collections. He also continues to tour nationally in the United States, with the occasional forays into Canada, the UK, and Europe. Although known primarily as songwriter, Shindell takes a more holistic view of his career. Producer, writer, singer, guitarist, interpreter: it all adds up to a life in music.

"I can remember the first song I heard of Richard's." said Todd Birdsong, Clemens Fine Arts Center director. "A close friend made me a mix CD of new artist they thought I would like. The song was "Are You Happy Now?" and is about the breakup of a couple on Halloween day. The imagery his lyrics create is so detailed and humorous, which made it hard to forget. I have been a huge fan ever since! We also look alike, which is sorta cool."

For tickets to Richard Shindell's concert at the Clemens Center visit artsinfocus.org. or call 270-534-3212.

Media Attachments

Copyright © 2025 Merit Pages, Inc. • All Rights Reserved. • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Opt Out