Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shelby Lentz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shelby, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
From a young age, I had a love and appreciation for music. What began as me participating in school choirs and talent shows, became my determination to pursue music as a career. At 13, with the influence of Taylor Swift, taught myself guitar. I had been writing poetry for years but I had no way at the time, before learning guitar, to put those poems into music. Growing up, I experienced a lot of trauma at an early age. I was a child of divorce after both my parents remarried, I was subject to a lot of mental abuse. When my dad remarried, he and my stepmom had a toxic marriage that affected my siblings and me from a young age. I spent years under emotional and verbal abuse, and witnessing domestic violence within the household. For years, I experienced the police at our door, being pulled from the classroom to speak to Child Protective Services, and sitting in courtrooms. Without a way to convey my emotions properly, I turned to music even heavier as both an outlet and a form of escapism. When I was sitting on my bedroom floor writing music, nothing else around me mattered except what I was pouring out onto the piece of paper I was creating and crafting my ideas on. Songwriting was my form of diary entry. After high school, I escaped to Nashville, TN to further my music and creativity while attending Belmont University for two years. During that time, I was able to step into a recording studio for the first time and watch my music come to life, which was so fulfilling. I released two EPs in that two-year timespan. I would be faced with more adversity when my father was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, a neurological genetic disorder compared to having ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s simultaneously. He inherited it from my grandfather, who was diagnosed a year earlier, which left my siblings and me at risk. At the time, my 11-year-old sister, Breanna, had been falling behind in her mental and physical states. She received an even rarer form of Huntington’s Disease, Juvenile Huntington’s Disease, where the disease progresses much more aggressively and in children. This was detrimental to my mental health and I moved back home to be with my family, and to decide if I myself wanted to know if I had inherited the faulty gene as well. There is no cure, so finding out this information can be excruciating and something people opt out of. After moving back home, I decided to test for the disease and found out I was positive as well. One of my most personal and heart wrenching songs was written during this time period about feeling truly alone and in despair, now entitled “People Always Leave (Peyton’s Song). I took inspiration from my own life, and a character named Peyton from one of my favorite TV shows, One Tree Hill, who also experienced heavy heartbreak and loss throughout the show. I had always had a faith-based life, in that I believed in Jesus, but I didn’t go to church. I just always had this belief in many of my darkest moments someone was intervening to care for me and my wellbeing. It was during this time I began to truly grow in that faith and looking for a guide and shoulder in Jesus. One of my favorite songs I have ever written is called Champion, inspired by the Rocky films. I co-wrote it with my friend Jessica in Nashville and it became an instant favorite of mine using the message of being a fighter and getting up when you have been knocked down. After writing this, I discovered Huntington’s Disease in my family and I quickly realized how much more empowering and impactful this song was especially for me. This song alone inspired my nonprofit for Huntington’s Disease, called “Champions for HD” which I founded in 2018 to help families like mine. Every year we host a benefit concert where I and other artists perform to raise funds and awareness. Music has always been something I have been able to not only turn to in any personal crisis but to impact the world. And that has been so empowering. It has helped me to find a purpose in all of the pain I have endured, especially the eventual passing of my sister, Breanna, at only 14 years old in 2020 from Juvenile Huntington’s. Through my music and faith, I have been able to express myself, and advocate, which has given me purpose. When you look at pain and suffering through a faith-based lens, it gives you a perspective that to have a breakthrough, you have to have breakdowns. To reach your full potential, you have to reach your lowest low. To have empathy, you have to have sorrows. These are what make us human and better connected to who we were designed and destined to be. Knowing God has a greater purpose for me from all of these traumas does not by any means make them easy, I still grieve the loss of my sister, my childhood, and my life before Huntington’s daily. But, knowing the purpose behind the way my life has evolved has given me understanding and peace in that process. I still lean heavily on my music as an outlet. Recently, I released my first full album called “Teenage Diary,” all songs I wrote between the ages of 13-19, including “People Always Leave (Peyton’s Song). Even just in the creative space, and seeing these songs come to life, knowing I wouldn’t have had any of these stories to tell in music without the struggles I have faced is fulfilling. Being able to share these songs and see them resonate with others who are struggling, in similar or the same ways, is what makes it all worth it. My adversity truly brought me to both my faith and purpose.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an artist, nonprofit founder/CEO, and a public speaker.
Musically, I perform at various venues and have opened up for Warner Music artist, Frankie Ballard, former American Idol finalist, Matt Giraud, as well as international recording artist, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and country act, Montgomery Gentry. I just recently released my first full album, “Teenage Diary” of songs I wrote between the ages of 13-19. I recorded this album throughout the past two years in Nashville, TN. It is now available worldwide everywhere you stream your music.
My nonprofit, Champions for HD, was founded in 2018 after my family was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. We host many events, such as a benefit concert. We have served over 70 families and raised over $100,000.
Combining my passion for music, storytelling, and advocacy led me to public speaking. I speak on overcoming adversity, and inspiring others to discover their inner Champion, sharing my story and some of my original music.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience, Passion, and Persistence
Resilience because you will have lows, fall, and struggle. But you have to get back up.
Passion because without it, what you are doing is purposeless and meaningless. You need to be fulfilled in whatever you are pursuing and remember why you are so passionate about doing it to keep you going on days you feel low and question yourself.
Persistence because it will not always be easy or a straight route to your goal, but if you are persistent in making little steps every day toward your goal, eventually, you will find the “little steps” have gotten you a long way.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Something I continue to struggle with, that I believe many of us struggle with silently, is imposter syndrome. That voice in your head that asks “Am I good enough?” “What do I have to offer?” “Who wants to hear what I have to say?” It is easy to sit and ruminate on those thoughts. I am a very emotional and empathetic person, but these are the emotions that don’t contribute anything positive to your progression. I have learned to have a mental list of why and how those statements in my head are false, by reflecting on how far I HAVE come, even when it doesn’t feel like it. I reflect on every memory or moment interacting with someone I have touched or reached through my purpose. Whether it’s one person or 10,000 people, the impact is still worthy. In a thought process that is completely negative emotions, use practicality and evidence to prove it wrong.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shelbylentz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelby_lentz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelbylentzmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shelby_lentz?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPMoH5axwCYhZlnkmMfj8Q?view_as=subscriber
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/shelby-lentz
Image Credits
Danielle Leeanna Photo Bailee B Photography Casey Spring Photography
