Haley Sheeler

Hey . . . thanks for stopping by. My name is Haley Sheeler. Perhaps you’ve seen me in and around Berks County, Pennsylvania, doing what I love to do . . . singing with my babies, Jackson 'n Sully (the coolest Martin guitars a girl could ever wrap her arms around). So, just who is original singer/songwriter Haley Sheeler? . . . Well, I’ve had a love affair with music all of my life. While my parents had no musical training (or as they readily admit, no musical talent, for that matter), our home was never quiet. Music was always there, all genres, always floating through the house from the radio or stereo or my Dad’s collection of old phonographs. Some of my earliest memories are of James Taylor’s music, a favorite of my Mom’s, and dancing to scratchy old, turn-of-the century records played on one of Dad’s antique Victrolas. With so much melody around me, I guess it wasn’t surprising when I asked to take piano lessons, which I began at the age of 6 and continued for 12 years. During that time, I also added flute, baritone, guitar and banjo to my repertoire. While my love for piano and classical compositions still lingers, my ultimate musical high came when, at the age of 13, I picked up the guitar and began to write music, finding my voice, both literally and figuratively. Soon thereafter, another pivotal moment occurred in my life when I joined my parents at a Jackson Browne concert. As I watched Browne on the stage, alone, with only his guitar collection and piano, putting together an impromptu set list with requests literally shouted from the audience, it was one of those moments. Everyone knew his music. I thought how cool it would be for everyone to know my music. It was an experience that confirmed what I had known in my heart all along . . . I wanted to perform. At the age of 15, I started making the rounds in the coffeehouse circuit and performing throughout southeastern Pennsylvania with a local showcase group, the Acoustic Roadshow. Inspired greatly by notable singer/songwriters of the 1960’s and 70’s, such as Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley, as well as current greats, Sarah McLachlan, Ani DiFranco, Joan Osbourne, Natalie Merchant, Ben Harper, and Damien Rice, my sets featured retro covers as well as my own original music. In 2005, deciding that it was time to transform my life-long love affair with music into something tangible, I headed for the recording studio. In August of that year, at the age of 17, I released my debut CD, entitled “Closer to the Ground” With the release of “Closer to the Ground,” my fan base grew, as did the demand for my performances. Showcasing with the Acoustic Roadshow remained an ongoing staple in my schedule as well. While giving me an opportunity to perform at a wide variety of venues, the Roadshow also afforded me a chance to meet countless other local musicians, some of whom would inspire me further and help define my musical direction. Three such musicians were Kellen Wenrich, Jordan Capizzi and Andrew Killough, who together formed a local group known as “Share the Bread.” We started sharing some shows and jamming together, and I found myself drawn to their acoustic folk rock style and their unique interpretation of some standard folk ballads. Slowly, I was discovering a new passion . . . that of the pure and simple sound of classic folk and the down-home flavor of country music. The result was a change in the direction of my performance, one now speckled with new and used country tunes, as well as my own brand of folk reminiscent of the Woodstock era. Determined to move forward with this new-found love, upon graduation from high school in June, 2006, I formed my own production company, “Red Boot Productions,” went back into the studio, and in December, 2006, released my second CD titled “Walkin’ West.” Unlike my acoustic guitar-based debut CD, this second CD features fuller, very befitting folk/country instrumentation by a number guest musicians, including my talented “Share the Bread” friends, and my percussionist brother, Evan, to name a few. I also teamed up with my Mom for three of the songs, adding melody to lyrics penned by her. With my fan base asking for more, I hit the studio once again in the summer of 2009 to record my third full-length CD, “The Springs of Colorado” With the intention of showcasing my love for country music, I recorded five of my favorite covers from my set list. For the remaining tunes included on the disc, I turned, once again, to Mom, and this mother/daughter songwriting team crafted five new country originals that blend seamlessly with the storytelling covers on the album. Whew...so, that’s my story so far . . . to be continued, for sure.