About Shana

Shana Aisenberg is an acoustic musician, singer, composer, songwriter and writer. She has metamorphosed many times throughout her career, both artistically and personally.

Shana first achieved national recognition for her intricate and sensitive fingerstyle guitar playing, and recorded several solo guitar albums (as Seth Austen) for Kicking Mule, Shanachie, Turquoise and other independent labels. Shana is proficient at various instruments including fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki, lap steel guitar, 5 string banjo, ukulele, fretted dulcimer, piano, harmonium, frame drums. Shana regularly performs with Beverly Woods in String Equinox, playing diverse styles including traditional Southern Appalachian, New England contra dance, bottleneck blues, Celtic, eastern European Klezmer, kirtan, Balkan, Nordic, classical and jazz.

Shana has written and contributed arrangements to guitar and mandolin books for Mel Bay Publications and has co-written a ukulele instruction series with Greg Horne, recently published by Alfred Music in 2013. Shana has composed music for film documentaries, and has produced, engineered and played on numerous recordings by other artists. In 1981, Shana was a triple winner at the prestigious Walnut Valley National Flatpicking Championships, Winfield, KS, placing in fingerstyle guitar, mandolin and fretted dulcimer categories.

Shana is a gifted music teacher with over 35 years experience and has taught at various workshops and festivals nationwide. Shana has taught hundreds of students, either individually or in groups, she is always happy to teach players of any level.

Shana has written articles, poems, blogs and letters to the editor about transgender issues, and has presented interactive workshops, services and facilitated discussions on gender for colleges, businesses, churches and community organizations.

Shana’s unique life journey greatly informs all her activities, from teaching and performing music, her writings on gender, to her spirituality and interpersonal relationships.