Leah Shoshanah

I play background music as well as concerts, both solo and with a band. As a solo performer, I play guitar and sing. I have my own equipment (speakers, mic, etc) or I can use yours.

I have four ensembles that are also available for gigs: a jazz group (2-5 members), a Jewish music group, as well as a folk band. We also can provide our own equipment or use yours. I do charge extra for providing equipment.

Sets are 45 minutes to 1 hour long. We take a 15 minute break fit every two hours of playing. As an ensemble, I can coordinate music for up to a 4 hours. As a solo act, I am available for 3 hours maximum.

When I work with a client, we work together to plan out the set list, based on their interests and my experience.

I’m happy to answer any more questions that you may have.

Leah Shoshanah is a Chicago-based singer, songwriter and Spiritual musician whose deeply felt, soulful music grows from folk, pop, funk, rock and jazz.

With a background in education, music, improvisation, poetry, visual art and theater, her musical offerings take on a life of their own and inspire audiences to sit spellbound, sing together, laugh, cry and dance.

Shoshanah’s music likens to other female genre-bending artists like Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Carole King. True to the folk tradition, Shoshanah’s crafts her live performances so they are complete with storytelling and singing along. ‘Nothing is simple in her messages or in her brilliantly written songs,’ Chaz Thoughts.

Shoshanah’s has played at iconic Chicago venues and festivals; such as, the Hideout, Matryr’s, PianoForte, The Old Town School of Folk Music, Glenwood Ave Arts Fest and The Green Mill. In 2019, the German documentary, “Blown Away Movie”, introduced Shoshanah’s music to a European audience. She played to thousands as part of a 51-date tour to celebrate the movie’s release. Shoshanah returned to European stages with her second Germany tour in 2024. In 2022, her work was honored with a Department of Cultural Affairs grant for her upcoming album, “To Be Free” (Fall 2024).

Shoshanah’s work is split between the performative and the facilitated. As a Spiritual musician, Shoshanah leads community singing for healing and transformation. Her “Spirit Jam” workshops guide people from all walks of life toward improvised vocal jamming. Shoshanah is also known for her original Jewish music, which she shares around the country and as a Cantorial Soloist with Tzedek Chicago.

Shoshanah grew up as the daughter of a Cellist and a Painter. Coming of age in an artistic household, she was encouraged to study voice (starting at age 10), acting, poetry, improv comedy and visual art. In 2004, she took 8th place in Chicago’s teen poetry slam competition, Louder Than a Bomb. In college, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she founded a long-form improv troupe and continued on to teach at the Market Theater conservatory in Johannesburg, South Africa. While in South Africa, she also sang in Opera Africa’s production of Carmen and directed a play called The Children’s Monologues with youth from the townships. A colleague from the conservatory encouraged her to learn to play guitar and write songs, and she has been focusing on that ever since.

In 2017, Shoshanah released her debut album, A Child Like This. The album features an ensemble of nine musicians, and was self-produced by Leah Shoshanah. Her sophomore release, Stillness (2018), is an intimate collection of solo jazz and Brazilian guitar arrangements. Since then she has released several singles. To Be Free will be her second full length studio album.

If you are interested in learning more, visit (link hidden)

I have my own amplification or I can plug into an existing system.