VENTURE STORY: GENRE- SPANNING PORTLAND BAND SHIVON LOOKS AHEAD

Joshua Robinson, Ethan Beck, and Michael Ray (Shivon).

There’s a common joke about artists: “What’s your day job?”

While demeaning by nature and arguably, by intent, there is a sense of truth to the putdown.

In the case of a group of Portland musicians named “Shivon,” the humor rings true. However, there is something to be said about having a day job while pursuing a musical career: Perhaps it actually speaks to the character found within the group.

Despite the ridicule that musicians face— especially in the beginning of a career – it is plausible that it takes real courage to take a chance in what is possibly one of the most competitive industries in the world. While most people would be content with working a “regular” job and leaving their aspirations behind as simple dreams, musicians could be characterized as individuals of the most persistent type who actually take steps to realize as many of those dreams as possible.

Shivon is a collective of three young musicians who grew up in Portland: Michael Ray, age 21; Joshua Robinson, 20; and Ethan Beck, 19. The group does not have a clear leader, unlike many famed bands of the past, such as The Beatles with John Lennon or Paul McCartney, or Maroon 5, with Adam Levine.

While perhaps premature to call Shivon the next Beatles or the Maroon 5, it must be said that the group has an origin similar to those of many of the world’s greatest achievers. Just like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Shivon has had a humble beginning since its founding in December 2016, with the group members currently producing music within their homes.

The name comes from when the group first met while at Centennial High School and noticed on their choir teacher’s binder a slightly erased word, “Shivon.”

“We just started making music at our friend’s house and that’s just how casually Shivon was formed,” Ray said. The group “just became part of our lives.”

Ray started producing beats as soon as he was learning music, at age 11. The first time he recalls listening to live music played by someone else, it was Robinson, and the two connected and as fellow artists began to exchange ideas.

From a young age, Ray said he would always try to curate music themes and ideas even before he learned to make music, and always actively sought to understand “honest humanity” in music.

“My perspective as a listener was always a backbone to my love as a musician,” he said. His dedication is so personal, he said, “Whether it’s part-time or my career, I have to have some sort of musical fulfillment in my life.”

Within Shivon, Ray is most adept at producing and engineering their use of electronics in their music, and reaching out to the community.

Robinson first noticed his love for music when listening to his older brother’s music, with alternative rock and Portland rock radio filling his ears. His first desire to make music stemmed from his interest in punk and rock music. From a very young age, he would look at lyrics and attempt to make his own songs even before he could comprehend musical literature.

Joshua Robinson, Ethan Beck, and Michael Ray (Shivon).

An older sister sang in choir, and Robinson found it to be an exciting environment and joined a choir group in his sophomore year of high school. That same year, he found himself eventually playing music at his friend’s house. By his senior year, he sought out friends who would be very serious in forming a group, and after meeting Ray and Beck, the three began as Shivon.

Music offers a satisfying outlet that provides retrospective moments and a sense of purpose, explained Robinson, who specializes in the group’s guitar music and produces some of their drum loops. He also pushes Shivon’s momentum forward when the group has reached a “musician’s block,” always looking for new ideas and keeping the group motivated, he said.

Beck explains that he fell in love with making music by accident. At age 14, his family was new to the Gresham-Portland area and he was living with his grandmother and uncle, where there was a piano and a guitar. While he initially never connected with making music, his interest stemmed from a feeling of loneliness, and music became a tool for him to project his emotions coherently.

Introduced to middle school choir and seeing people doing their own thing, Beck initially saw an opportunity to connect with other people and music would become a sincere passion. He fell in love with classical guitar music and also chose to learn to play on his grandmother’s piano, investing hours on it.

In his sophomore year at Centennial where he would meet his Shivon colleagues, Beck would write music for his choir. His interest has progressed through many genres, from classical orchestra and solo music, to modern, to jazz, he said. While he’s been writing music since he was 14, he only began recording music two years ago, focusing on the piano. For Shivon, he is an instrumentalist, and is known to practice his piano for “literally hours,” he said.

While Shivon is still in its infancy, members have made leaps into a music career. Beck recently released an instrumental album, called “Last December.” Shivon as a collective released a dual-single called “Missed Your Moment,” which is comprised of “Whatilose?” and “Tunnel Vision,” the latter a single for a planned album called “skibowl RADIO.”

Members say the group has not settled or tied down to a specific genre, preferring to perform anything their audience wants. They have experimented with all types of music, from hip-hop to vaporwave, and pop or rock, etc., and see no need to limit themselves. “Just keep making music” is their stated goal, for the moment.

While Shivon would like to host a live performance, the COVID-19 crisis has understandably halted their progress. When things improve, the group has said they would perform at any location, as long there is a speaker and microphone, going so far as to say, “Even at an Arby’s parking lot,” joked Robinson.

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