Coleen McMahon

 Coleen McMahon is a Beaverton, Oregon native; singer/songwriter recording artist with a very unique sound and style. A child prodigy of sorts, she started playing the piano by the age of 5, and was composing songs by the time she was 12.    Coleen listened to her father sing at church on Sundays, belted out Mariah Carey ballads in her room, and played the notes of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” on the piano; all of which inspired her deep love of music and desire to share her gift with others in her own unique way. Coleen feels that her upbringing inspired creative growth.    “Beaverton is a very low-key, slow paced city with a lot of ‘mom and pop’ restaurants and shops. We see all four seasons very distinctly. The beauty and laid back atmosphere really helped me tap into my creativity and inspiration. And with my family being there, all of the constant love and support really helped me to develop into the artist that I have become today.”   Whether performing at home for her friends and family, or at school assemblies and local sporting events, Coleen found many opportunities to express herself musically. The thrill of performing live moves her on many levels.   “To this day, something happens inside of me when I am on stage,” Coleen explains. “The only way to describe it, is being completely high out of my mind on nothing but the purest form of purpose; like this is where I am supposed to live and die, right here. Part of the high is knowing that you are connecting to people listening to you at that moment. Energy travels through vibrations, and it creates feelings, it inspires and it provokes heart in people.”   After graduating from high school, Coleen packed her bags and headed to Los Angeles. In 2007 she began posting videos of herself singing covers and original songs on YouTube, and was the winner of the “West Hollywood Idol” competition. In 2008 she was sought out and flown to New York to perform on the Maury Povich talk show. She also appeared on The Jeffrey Henderson radio show twice.    Strong in her stage show, Coleen has rocked venues like The Roxy and The Viper Room. When she’s not in front of the crowd, Coleen spends countless hours alone at her keyboard channeling thoughts, emotions, and memories into songs. Through her lyrics, she touches on the human themes of despair, longing and doubt. In other songs, she emphasizes new love, hope, and family.    “My songs are an expression of my deepest emotions,” says Coleen. “Music has a healing element that nothing else in this world has. I feel that the songs and melodies I compose convey a very honest outlook on myself and our world today. All we have are the gifts we are given, and I feel it is my mission to inspire others to discover what God has given them.”