♪ MUSIC ♪♪P >> HELLO AND WELCOME TO DAKOTA LIFE.

I'M YOUR HOST, MICHELLE VAN MAANEN.

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED A MUSIC AWARDS SHOW ON TELEVISION AND WONDERED ABOUT THE MUSICIANS RUNNING UP ONTO THE STAGE TO GET THEIR AWARDS?

WONDERED IF ANY OF THEM MIGHT HAVE GROWN UP SOMEWHERE OUT HERE ON THE PLAINS?

HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO AN ART SHOW AND WONDERED IF YOU COULD PAINT AS WELL AS THE ARTISTS SHOWING OFF THEIR WORK?

THIS TIME ON DAKOTA LIFE WE ARE GOING TO VISIT WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO DID JUST THAT AND WENT ON TO WIN AWARDS AND RECOGNITION FOR THEIR WORK.

>>> IN THIS FIRST SEGMENT YOU'LL MEET ONE SOUTH DAKOTA NATIVE WHO'S BEEN PUT IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT.

THIS LAKOTA MUSICIAN HAS SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE ENTERTAINING OTHERS AND EDUCATING STUDENTS WITH HIS SELF-TAUGHT KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC.

NOW, AFTER YEARS OF TRYING, HE HAS PRODUCED AN ALBUM THAT COMBINES TRADITIONAL LAKOTA MUSIC WITH JAZZ.

IT HAS ALSO GARNERED HIM SOME PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS.

>> TPAOEUR YEARS AGO LAKOTA MUSICIAN FREDERICK WHITEFACE WAS STRUGGLING FOR HIS LIFE.

A MAN WHO ONCE LIVED FOR THE SACKS PHONE AND MUSIC, WAS THEN CREATING A CASSETTE OF THE FAVORITE SONGS TO BE PLAYED AT HIS WAKE.

>> MY HEALTH FAILED FARTHER THAN WHICH I WOULD HAVE A LITTLE DIFFICULTY AT THE TIME, AND WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE PLAYED AT A WAKE.

I WAS HOPING THAT I WOULDN'T NEED TO HAVE THEM PLAY AT A WAKE, SO I CHOSE A WAKE, AND IF IT WAS FOR AN ACTUAL WAKE, IT WOULD FIT.

BUT IF I WENT BEYOND THAT PART, WHICH, AS IT TURNED OUT GOOD, EVERYBODY WAS AWAKE WITH ME.

>> AT THE AGE OF 76, FRED IS AWAKE AND GOING STRONG.

THIS PAST MAY, FRED WON THE BEST BLUES JAZZ AWARD AT THE NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS HELD IN CONNECTICUT.

>> I'M A LITTLE HARD OF HEARING.

I SHOULDN'T SAY A LITTLE, I WEAR HEARING AIDS.

BUT ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT I WAS MORE OR LESS IN THE PROCEEDINGS, WHEN THEY SAID AND THE WINNER IS, I MAYBE DIDN'T QUITE HEAR MY NAME.

SO I LOOKED AT MY WIFE AND I SAID, DID I HEAR WHAT I THINK I HEARD?

AND IT WAS.

SO I WAS VERY, VERY HAPPY FROM THERE.

THE OUTFIT I HAVE ON IS-- THE ALBUM I HAVE OUT IS CALLED MAT OWE HAT OWE, WHICH IS GRAY BEAR.

TO GET TO THE COMPLETION OF MATOHATO I HAD BEEN AT THIS FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS, AND THAT I FELT I HEARD MORE THAN JUST A LAKOTA SONG, AND I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND OR KNOW WHAT IT WAS UNTIL I GOT OLD ENOUGH, I WAS PLAYING VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS, PICKING THEM UP AND HOPING THAT I COULD LEARN TO PLAY SOME OF IT, AND DURING THIS TIME, HOWEVER, I'D HEAR THIS TYPE OF MUSIC AND, FINALLY, IT STARTED TO COME TOGETHER WHEN I LEARNED TO IMPROVISE.

@ IMPROVISATION IS MAKING A NEW SONG BASED ON OLDER ONE OR A DIFFERENT ONE, AND THAT ALLOWED ME TO EXPRESS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD.

OF COURSE I COULDN'T EXPRESS ALL OF THEM.

WHEN I WAS QUITE YOUNG, I HAD ASKED MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE MUSIC FIELD AND SOME MUSIC PROFESSORS, AND THEY ALL SPRELSED THE SAME KINDS OF THOUGHTS, BUT THERE WAS ONE COMBINATION OF SCALES THAT WEREP COMPATIBLE.

AND, OF COURSE, IN MY OWN FORM, I DISAGREED, YOU KNOW, WITHIN MY HEAD.

SO, I FELT THAT THIS COULD BE ONE AND THIS ALBUM IS THE END RESULT OF THAT.

>> FRED ORIGINALLY TAUGHT HIMSELF HOW TO PLAY ON THE PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION.

HE STARTED PLAYING PROFESSIONAL GUITAR AT AGE 11, THEN SWITCHED TO SAXOPHONE.

AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HE JOINED THE NAVY AND PLAYED WITH MANY OF THE BIG NAVY BANDS.

LATER IN LIFE, HE EARNED A DEGREE IN EDUCATION WITH A MINOR IN MUSIC FROM BLACK HILLS TEACHERS COLLEGE.

SOON AFTER, FRED BEGAN SHARING HIS GIFT WITH OTHERS.

>> ACTUALLY, I WAS HIRED AS THE BAND DIRECTOR FOR THE SCHOOL I WENT TO.

AND BEING IN SMALL SCHOOLS, OF COURSE, YOU HAD TO TEACH MORE THAN JUST MUSIC.

SO, YES, WE DID A LOT OF MARCHING, WE DID A LOT OF CONCERT WORK.

IN FACT, WE DID EVEN HAVE LONG, LONG BEFORE ANY OF THE CURRENT WE HAD OUR OWN LITTLE JAZZ BAND, IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT.

IT ACTUALLY WAS A BIG BAND.

HE HAD A LOT OF SAXPHONES, SO ON.

>> I DIDN'T GO TO COLLEGE.

YET, I CAN@R ARRANGE MUSIC AND I DO-- I WORK AT THE MUSIC SCHOOL PROGRAM.

I GIVE LESSONS.

WE HAVE A LITTLE BAND, AND I CAN DO THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW@, MUSICLY.

I KNOW I GOT IT FROM HIM.

YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY THE INSTRUMENTS BUT THE KNOWLEDGE.

AT ONE TIME I MIGHT NOT HAVE REALIZED WHAT I WAS LEARNING, MOST KIDS DON'T, BUT AFTER A WHILE WHEN YOU'RE ASKED TO DO SOMETHING IN THE YOUTH AND IT'S THERE, I'VE BEEN VERY, VERY LUCKY.

I'VE ALWAYS SAID I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO BLOOM WHERE I COULDN'T FIND IT BECAUSE OF FRED.

>> AS A TEACHER, FRED SPREAD HIS SELF-TAUGHT KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC TO HIS STUDENTS.

AS A MUSICIAN, HE ENTERTAINED CLUB GOERS ALL OVER THE REGION.

>> I STARTED PLAYING WITH FRED IN 1962 AND A LITTLE BEFORE THAT, WHILE I WAS IN THE SERVICE.

AND THEN WHEN I RETIRED, ME AND FRED GOT TOGETHER AND WE HAD A QUARTET.

AND WE HAD FRED ON THE TENOR, WE HAD PIANO, BASS AND DRUMS AND WE WERE THE SHOW BAND IN THE CITY AND WE PLAYED ALL THE SHOWS THAT COME IN.

THEY HAD FOUR DIFFERENT NIGHT CLUBS THAT WOULD BATTLE EACH OTHER.

WE PLAYED ONE PLACE, WE'D PLAY IN ANOTHER, AND WE'D BRING IN TOP ENTERTAINMENT AND WE'D BACK THEM UP AND THEN WE'D PLAY DANCES.

SO I PLAYED WITH FRED FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

>> MOST OF US TOOK A CLASS, A CLASS ANY CLASS THAT FRED WHITEFACE WAS TEACHING.

I TOOK ANY CLASS-- EVERY CLASSES I COULD THAT HE WAS TEACHING.

>> IN 1995 FRED WAS INDUCTED INTO THE LAKOTA MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME.

GOVERNOR JANKLOW PROCLAIMED FREDERICK WHITEFACE DAY.

IN MAY OF 1998 FRED WAS PRESENTED WITH A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AS A NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC ASSOCIATION.

>> I GUESS IT'S PRORLY A LOT MORE THAN I HAD EVER HOPED FOR AT THIS POINT, ALTHOUGH A MUSICIAN I GUESS HAS GOT A LOT OF HAM IN HIM AND HE ALWAYS WANTS TO BE IN THE LIMELIGHT.

>> AFTER LIVING FOR MORE THAN 7 DECADES, BATTLING CANCER AND BECOMING AN ACCOMPLISHED LAKOTA MUSICIAN, FRED IS HUMBLE ABOUT HIS AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

FORMER STUDENTS OFTEN ATTEND FRED'S CONCERTS.

THEY KNOW HIM NOT ONLY AS A MUSICIAN BUT AS AN INSPIRATION AND AS A MAN WHO HAS TOUCHED THE LIVES OF MANY.

>> HE REALLY IS A GREAT-- HE'S A GREAT PERSON.

HE DESERVES THIS IN MANY, MANY WAYS.

HE'S SO HUMBLE IT, THAT'S ANOTHER REASON IT MAKES IT SO SUSPECT.

>> WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR YEARS.

I REALLY LOVE THAT GUY.

HE'S GREAT.

>> I GUESS I'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED THAT THEY CARED ABOUT THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT I'VE DONE.

LET'S HOPE I LIVE TO BE 1,000 AND I CAN PLAY THAT LONG.

>> FREDERICK WHITEFA STILL PLAYS MANY GIGS AND IS A MEMBER OF THE TOMMY MATHEWS BAND.

HIS ALBUM, "MATO HOTA," IS DOING WELL AND CAN BE FOUND AT PRAIRIE EDGE IN RAPID CITY.

>>> IN OUR NEXT SEGMENT WE SWITCH FROM THE AURAL FORM OF ART TO THE VISUAL.

MANY OF US CHERISH HEIRLOOM MOMENTOS.

AT THE HOME OF AN AWARD-WINNING CHINA ARTIST, MARJORY GOODROAD, A GROUP OF WOMEN GATHER TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL KEEPSAKES CREATED FROM CHINA, KEEPSAKES THAT WILL BE TREASURED FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

>> ONCE A PIECE OF UNORDAINED WHITE PORCELAIN, THIS OR NATURE SRAEUS HAS BROUGHT RECOGNITION AND WARDS FOR ITS CREATOR.

IT ALL BEGAN A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WHEN MARJORIE GOODROAD NO LONGER CHALLENGED BY PAINTING CERAMICS WAS LOOKING FOR MORE AMBITIOUS AND TURNED TO CHINA PAINTING.

IT'S EXPERIENCING A RENAISSANCE BECAUSE OF ARTISTS LIKE HER.

>> WE'RE DOWN IN YANKTON VISITING MY DAUGHTER, THIS IS IN 1979, I BELIEVE, AND THEY HAD THE FIRST PORCELAIN ART SHOW IN SOUTH DAKOTA THERE.

AND, SO, SHE SAID, WHY DON'T YOU GO OVER AND SEE THIS.

I THINK IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.

>> AND SOMETHING IT TURNED OUT TO BE.

HAVING ENJOYED THE PORCELAIN ART SHOW, MARJORIE, ALONG WITH HER SISTER, PERSUADED A LOCAL CHINA PAINTER TO GIVE THEM LESSONS.

>> WE FOUND THIS LADY, GAYLE SMITH, IN JEFFERSON, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND THAT WAS THE ONLY TEACHER, THAT WAS THE KHROESEST ONE WE COULD FIND AND SHE DID---- SHE DID CUTE LITTLE ANIMALS AND BIRDS, JUST THE THINGS WE WERE INTERESTED IN.

SO WE TALKED HER INTO GIVING US CLASSES.

AND WE WOULD RIDE DOWN THERE ONCE A WEEK AND SPEND THE WHOLE DAY.

>> SO BEGAN HER METAPHOR PHYSICAL FROM CERAMICS TO FINE PORCELAIN AND FROM STUDENT TO TEACHER.

SHE BECAME A MASTER OF HER CRAFT AND WAS SOUGHT OUT BY OTHERS WHO SHARED THE SAME DESIRE TO TAKE UP THIS VANISHING ART.

>> I SAW WHAT FUN IT WOULD BE TO TRY TO DUPLICATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU SEE AT THE ANTIQUE SHOWS, ALL THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND ARRANGEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

I GUESS THAT'S HOW I GOT REALLY INTERESTED IN IT.

IT'S KIND OF A LOST ART.

THERE AREN'T TOO MANY CHINA PAINTERS AROUND.

AND THEN I INQUIRED AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO LOVED TO CHINA PAINT AND THAT MARGE WAS TEACHING.

>> SOME OF HER STUDENTS PAINT BECAUSE IT'S A CONNECTION TO THEIR PAST.

>> SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO.

MY MOTHER USED TO PAINT IN OILS YEARS AGO, AND SHE ALWAYS WAS A CHINA-- WANTED TO CHINA PAINT.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHY.

I THINK I WANTED TO BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO.

>> SOME COME FOR THE COMPANIONSHIP.

>> WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN.

NOT ONLY ARE WE LEARNING, WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN, TOO.

AND IT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY WEEK.

>> OH, YOU BET.

WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN.

TALKING OVER OUR INTRIGUES WITH OUR PAINTS AND SO ON.

>> I LIKE SIOUX FALLS.

I WAS RAISED IN ST. PAUL, AND I DON'T WANT TO EVER MOVE BACK.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FRIENDS HERE.

CHINA PAINTING CLUB HAS BEEN GREAT.

WE HAVE A GOOD CHURCH TO GO TO.

SO WE KEEP BUSY.

WE'RE BUSIER NOW THAN BEFORE WE WERE RETIRED.

>> MEETING ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK, SOME OF THESE WOMEN HAVE BEEN COMING TO MARJORIE'S STUDIO FOR ALMOST NINE YEARS, ALL STARTING OUT THE SAME WAY, WITH A BRUSH, SOME PAINT, AND BASIC INSTRUCTIONS.

>> THE WAY I START OUT A BEGINNER IS THE FIRST TIME THEY COME TO CLASS, THEY JUST LEARN A BRUSH STROKE, AND HOW WE DO IT A DIAMOND SHAPE, A COME ASTROKE, SO FORTH, AND THEY SIT PROBABLY THE FIRST CLASS JUST LEARNING THE BRUSH STROKES BECAUSE LATER ON AS THEY'RE GOING, IF I SAY, DO A COMMA STROKE, I EXPECT THEM TO KNOW WHICH WAY TO PUT THAT BRUSH.

AND USUALLY IF THEY MAKE A PASS THE FIRST CLASS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE A CHINA PAINTER.

>> MINUTES MELT INTO HOURS AS THESE ARTISTS PAINSTAKENLY APPLY THIN LAYERS OF PAINT WITH EACH DELICATE BRUSH STROKE.

>> WHEN YOU PAINT ON PORCELAIN, YOU'RE DOING PAINTING OVER THE GLAZE, THE PIECE ALREADY HAS THE GLAZE ON IT, SO IT JUST-- YOU JUST HAVE TO SET IT IN THE GLAZE.

THIS IS WHY WHEN WE DO PORCELAIN ART, WE LAYER IT, AND IT'S DONE IN SEVERAL FIRINGS, AND EACH TIME YOU FIRE, YOU PUT ON A VERY THIN COAT BECAUSE AS IT GOES INTO THE KILN AND IT GETS WARM, THE GLAZE OPENS UP AND RECEIVES THE PAINT.

IT HAS TO SINK BELOW THE GLAZE SURFACE.

IF YOU APPLY THE PAINT TOO HEAVILY, IT WON'T SINK INTO THE GLAZE AND IT WILL CHIP OFF.

>> PATIENCE IS KEY TO CREATING BEAUTIFUL WORK.

THIS IS ONE OF HER FAVORITE PIECES.

IT'S A PORTRAIT OF TWO VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE IN HER LIFE.

>> IT WAS MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF THE TWO GRAND SONS, ONE OF MY SON-- ONE IS MY SON'S BOY AND THE OTHER IS MY DAUGHTER'S BOY, AND I ALWAYS SAID IF I EVER LEARNED HOW TO PAINT A PORTRAIT, THIS IS MY GOAL, SO I COULD PAINT THIS PICTURE.

SO, I FINALLY DECIDED I HAD BEEN IN IT LONG ENOUGH, AFTER ABOUT TEN YEARS, AND, SO, I TOOK AND TRIED TO PAINT IT AND IT TURNED OUT PERFECT.

>> SHE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT IT TURNED OUT PERFECT.

REPRESENTING THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA, THE PORTRAIT WAS PLACED ON DISPLAY AT A NATIONAL CHINA PAINTING MUSEUM IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

THERE IT RECEIVED THE ULTIMATE RECOGNITION, IT MADE THE COVER OF THE CHINA PAINER, AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE MAGAZINE, AN HONOR THAT BOTH DELIGHTED AND SURPRISED HER.

HER WORK ALSO WINS ACCOLADES FROM HER CHILDREN, FROM HER DAUGHTER SHE HAS PAINTED A SERIES OF HOLIDAY PLACE SETTINGS.

>> SHE COLLECTS SOME SANTA SAYS AND SO AT CHRISTMAS TIME, I USUALLY PAINT HER A SANTA PLACE SETTING.

SO FAR SHE'S GOT THREE, SO EVERY YEAR SHE LOOKS FORWARD TO A NEW PLACE SETTING.

>> RECEIVING RECOGNITION FOR THEIR METICULOUS WORK IS A PLUMB FOR THESE ARTISTS, BUT THEY ARE QUICK TO PLACE CREDIT UPON THEIR UNPRETEN SHUS INSTRUCTOR.

>> LIKE I SAY, I'VE GOT A GOOD TEACHER.

SHE'LL COME ALONG AND SHE'LL SAY, NOW YOU GOT DO THIS AND THAT WITH THE BRUSH.

SEE HOW THAT IS, HOW NICE THAT MAKES IT?

IT'S GONE.

YOU GOT TO DO IT YOURSELF.

SO YOU LEARN.

>> SOONER OR LATER.

>> MARGE IS GOOD AT PORTRAITS.

SHE'S, I THINK, REALLY GOOD AT TEACHING.

SHE TAUGHT ME ALL THE BASICS, SO I COULD-- I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF HOW SHE'S TAUGHT BECAUSE SHE'S TAUGHT ME HOW TO DRY MY PAINTS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT STROKES THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO USE AND I'M JUST REALLY GRATEFUL.

>> IT MIGHT NOW BE SAID THAT ON A DAY MARJORIE VISITED A PORCELAIN ART SHOW SHE WAS DESTINED TO PAINT FINE PIECES OF CHINA, DESTINED TO SHARE HER KNOWLEDGE WITH THOSE WHO DESIRE TO LEARN THE ART OF CHINA PAINTING, AND IN RETURN, PRODUCE LONG-STANDING FRIENDSHIPS THAT ARE AS AWARDING AS THE HEIR LOOM KEEP SAKES THEY CREATE.

>> A COMMON HOBBY AFTER WORLD WAR I, CHINA PAINTING IS ONCE AGAIN BECOMING POPULAR AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT MILLENIUM.

>>> NOW BACK TO ANOTHER MUSIC SEGMENT.

IT IS A LONG WAY FROM FOREST AVENUE IN VERMILLION TO THE STAGE OF THE 1998 GRAMMY AWARDS.

SINGER/SONGWRITER SHAWN COLVIN HAS MADE THAT JOURNEY, BOTH WAYS.

SHE RECENTLY CAME BACK TO THE PLACE SHE CALLED HOME FOR HER FIRST TWELVE YEARS.

WE WERE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH SHAWN JUST MOMENTS BEFORE HER CONCERT IN VERMILLION TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER HOMECOMING AND THE CHANGES SUCCESS HAS HAD ON HER LIFE.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> FOR SHAWN COLVIN, A CONCERT IN VERMILLION COULD HAVE BEEN JUST ANOTHER SHOW ON JUST ANOTHER COLLEGE CAMPUS.

BUT VERMILLION IS DIFFERENT.

VERMILLION IS THE PLACE THAT SHAWN AND HER FAMILY CALLED HOME UNTIL SHAWN WAS 12 YEARS OLD.

SO THIS CONCERT STOP WAS A CHANCE TO LOOK AROUND THE OLD HOMETOWN.

>> THANK YOU.

THERE'S THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE-- IT WAS DARK WHEN WE GOT HERE, BUT I DID RECOGNIZE CHERRY STREET.

I BEGAN TO REMEMBER WHERE MY FATHER'S NEWSPAPER WAS AND WHERE THE BOWLING ALLEY WAS, IF THEY'D MOVED, INSISTING THAT IT WAS FURTHER DOWN THE STREET, THEY TOLD ME, NO, IT'S OVER HERE, FINALLY STRAIGHT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND OUT THAT IT HAD MOVED SO I WAS THINKING CORRECTLY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT LIFE IN VERMILLION IS LIKE NOW, BUT IT'S A SMALL TOWN STILL, AND BACK THEN EVERYBODY KIND OF DID KNOW EVERYBODY.

I MEAN, THAT'S THE WAY I EXPERIENCED IT, YOU KNOW.

AND THEN MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED HERE, AND WENT TO-- WENT TO A CONGRESS DEGREE TKPWAEUGSAL CHURCH WHICH IS HUGE.

THAT WILL BE INTERESTING TO GO BY.

AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT PART OF HOW WE LIVED AND WHO WE KNEW.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A ROUTINE LIFE.

>> SHAWN SEE LIFE IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD PERCEIVE AS ROUTINE, BETWEEN WRITING SONGS, RECORDING ALBUMS AND TOURING.

SHAWN'S LIFE IS FAR DIFFERENT FROM HER CHILDHOOD IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

ONE WONDERS, HOW MUCH DOES HER UPBRINGING IN THE MIDWEST INFLUENCE HER MUSIC TODAY?

>> WELL, I THINK IT INFLUENCES IT A GREAT DEAL.

NOT HAVING ANY COMPARISON AS FAR AS GROWING UP, IT'S HARD TO SAY, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS NOT URBAN, YOU KNOW.

AND I FELT SAFE ALL THE TIME.

I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF PRIMARY.

SO, THEREFORE, WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT AND WHAT YOU BATTLE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE WHO GROW UP IN A BIG CITY.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S ALL ENCOMPASSING, YOU KNOW.

IT'S SORT OF ABOUT MORALITY, YOU KNOW, AND-- YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

SORT OF-- SORT OF A PURTANICAL WAY, AND BUSTING OUT OF IT, TOO, IN SORT OF A REBELLION WAY, I THINK THAT'S SORT OF SAFE TO SAY.

AND GEOGRAPHICALLY IT'S THERE, TOO, KIND OF WIDE OPEN SPACES.

UNTIL THE BEATLES WERE ON ED SULLIVAN, YOU KNOW, IN '64, IT WAS CHURCH MUSIC AND A LITTLE BIT OF CLASSICAL MUSIC THAT I RECALL HEARING ON SOME RADIO STATIONS.

MY BIG BROTHER DIDN'T LISTEN TO ELVIS OR THE EVERYLY BROTHERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, SO IT WAS KIND OF CHURCH MUSIC AND MY PARENTS' RECORD COLLECTION AND MY PARENTS LIKED A LOT OF SOUND TRACKS, AND ALSO FOLK MUSIC.

AND THEN I SUPPOSE THE PEOPLE THAT I LISTENED TO LATER ON, PEOPLE LIKE JONI MITCHELL WHO REALLY HAD A RANGE IN THEIR VOICES AND STUFF, I PROBABLY TRIED TO EMULATE THEM.

>> AFTER SOME DIFFICULT YEARS, SHAWN'S CAREER STARTED TO MOVE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, WHICH LED EVENTUALLY TO A DEAL WITH COLUMBIA RECORDS.

>> WORKING THE LOCAL FOLK SCENES BUT MORE THAN THAT I THINK I WAS KIND OF WORKING CLICHE, GOING TO SOUND, I WAS WORKING ON MYSELF.

AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN NEW YORK CITY, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I BECAME REALLY, REALLY, YOU KNOW,XD OF MORE OF A SMALL PERSON.

WHEN I WAS IN A SMALL TOWN I WANTED TO GET OUT, GET TO NEW YORK CITY, KIND OF HAVE TO SHAPE UP AND MY LIFE HAS REALLY BEEN A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND SMALL GEOGRAPHICAL CIRCLE WHERE I WORKED AND THEN ULTIMATELY IT RESULTED IN I THINK ME BEING A LOT CLEARER ABOUT THE MUSIC, WHICH RESULTED IN A FOCUS THAT LED ME TO GETTING A REPUTATION.

>> THAT RECORD DEAL PAID OFF IMMEDIATELY WITH A GRAMMY FOR HER FIRST ALBUM.

WOULD INSTANT SUCCESS CHANGE SHAWN'S CAREER PATH?

>> NO, IT DIDN'T REALLY CHANGE THINGS FOR ME.

IT DID CATCH ME OFF GUARD.

I DIDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IN FACT, IT'S VERY NEARING TO ME.

AS I THINK BACK TO THAT PARTICULAR CEREMONY AND, YOU KNOW, NOW I WOULDN'T THINK OF GOING WITHOUT HAVING SOMETHING NEW TO WEAR AND I JUST KIND OF WENT ALMOST LIKE AS A LARK, YOU KNOW, HAD A FRIEND OF MINE GO WITH ME, AND I WON THE THING, YOU KNOW.

SO,-- BUT I STILL HAD TO-- YOU KNOW, I WAS STILL TERRIFIED TO MAKE MY SECOND RECORD.

SPEAR AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT WOULD BE NINE YEARS BEFORE ANOTHER GRAMMY WOULD COME SHAWN'S WAY.

YET SHE HADN'T REALLY CHANGED HER MUSIC.

>> I LIKEN THOSE NINE YEARS-- IN FACT, MY WHOLE MUSICAL CAREER WHICH I GUESS YOU COULD SAY HAS BEEN 20 YEARS LONG-- I LIKEN IT TO GETTING SMALL PROMOTIONS, YOU KNOW.

@ I NEVER WENT DOWN.

IT WASN'T REALLY LIKE THIS, IT WAS A SLOW, STEADY BUILD.

I GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE NOTE RYE AT THE AND I GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY AND-- SO, YEAH, SOMETIMES IT WAS FRUSTRATING, BUT NOT TERRIBLY SO.

IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO BE PROUD OF YOUR WORK.

THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM TO DO THAT.

>> WHEN A SONG WRITER AND PERFORMER RECEIVES A GRAMMY, THERE'S A TENDENCY TO COMPARE ALL THEIR FUTURE WORK WITH THAT ONE PARTICULAR SONG.

>> NOT FOR ME PERSONALLY, BUT IT KIND OF MESSES WITH YOUR HEAD.

BECAUSE THERE'S STILL SONGS THAT CAME UP WHERE SONNY CAME HOME THAT I THOUGHT WERE RADIO WORTHY, YOU KNOW.

ALTHOUGH I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT I HAD A HIT WITH THE SONG THAT I REALLY LIKE VERY, VERY MUCH.

SO, IT KIND OF MESSES WITH YOUR HEAD BECAUSE THAT SONG BECAME A HIT, THERE WERE OTHER SONGS THAN RECORD, THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BECOME-- THAT KIND OF OPENED THE DOOR THAT WOULD DO WELL AND THEY KIND OF DIDN'T.

YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANOTHER HIT OFF THAT RECORD.

>> WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE MORE HITS ON THE HORIZON FOR SHAWN, SHE JUST HOPES THAT HER MUSIC WILL HAVE AT LEAST TOUCHED PEOPLE.

>> IT TAUGHT ME ABOUT MUSIC IS IT MOVED ME, YOU KNOW.

IT HELPED EXPRESS THINGS FOR ME.

YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT ALL GOOD ART SHOULD DO.

IT GETS IN YOUR HEART AND IT MOVES YOU.

I MEAN, IT TAKES YOU SOMEWHERE, WHETHER YOU WANT TO GO OR NOT.

AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR THE SOUL, YOU KNOW, AND, SO, I THINK IT'S VITAL, ACTUALLY.

SO I JUST HOPE THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS DONE GOOD IN SOME SMALL WAY FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOTTEN TO HEAR IT.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> THIS WAS SHAWN'S FIRST VISIT TO THE STATE IN ALMOST THIRTY YEARS, AND SHE SAYS IT DEFINITELY WON'T BE HER LAST.

>>> WELL, THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR THIS EDITION OF DAKOTA LIFE.

WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THE PROGRAM.

IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A FUTURE DAKOTA LIFE SEGMENT, PLEASE DROP US AN E-MAIL AT: DAKOTA LIFE @ SDPB.ORG OR CALL US AT 1-877-TALK-PTV(V).

THAT'S 1-877-825-5788(V).

OR WRITE US AT: DAKOTA LIFE, BOX 5000 VERMILLION, SOUTH DAKOTA 57069-5000.

>>> JOIN US NEXT TIME AS WE TRAVEL OUR GREAT STATE IN SEARCH OF SIGNS OF DAKOTA LIFE.

FOR SOUTH DAKOTA PUBLIC TELEVISION, I'M MICHELLE VAN MAANEN.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

♪ MUSIC ♪♪ Closed-captioning performed by Paradigm Reporting & Captioning Inc.; Angie Foss, RP CRR.

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