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by Brigitte Petersen Writing Songs from the Heart Because I'm willing to breathe in all that I can gain, Because / believe that I can be free now. Freed from this disease. --Shawna Grohn S o n g w r i t i n g is a healthy n e w a d d i c t i o n for Shawna G r o h n . T h e 21 year o l d shared h e r n e w - f o u n d talent w i t h the w o r l d r e c e n t l y w h e n she placed first in the N o r t h S h o r e S o n g Search. G r o h n ' s song Willing is a b o u t healing f r o m m o r e damaging a d d i c tions, such as a l c o h o l i s m -- a disease w i t h w h i c h the N o r t h V a n c o u v e r based s o n g w r i t e r has struggled, a l o n g with o t h e r addictions. W h i l e G r o h n has w r i t t e n songs b e f o r e , this was the first o n e she has m a d e public. G r o h n , w h o also plays guitar and p i a n o , says listening t o h e r h e a r t a l l o w e d h e r t o o p e n up and heal through song. "I w r o t e it in 15 minutes," she says. "It's a b o u t a l c o h o l i s m . I finally b r o k e free, and I w r o t e it f o r anyone with problems with addictions." G r o h n reflects that t h e r e are m o r e positive beliefs in life than t h o s e that a d h e r e t o a d d i c t i o n s -- i n c l u d i n g the belief in o n e s e l f and in one's talents. S h e is c u r r e n t l y w o r k i n g * o n a n o t h e r s o n g and plans t o p u r s u e a music career, w i t h the help of a s t u d i o r e c o r d i n g s e s s i o n she w o n the c o n t e s t " I ' m n o w starting t o achieve t h i n g s . . . ! was a b o u t t o give up f o r a t i m e . W i n n i n g this c o n t e s t has c e r tainly m a d e m e feel b e t t e r about through S w i t l o . o w n e r of e.space e n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d C B O , says G r o h n ' s song was s e l e c t e d b e c a u s e o f its ability t o deeply affect o t h e r s . " G o o d songs rise t o the t o p like c r e a m , a n d this is a g o o d song," S w i t l o explains. " T h e v o i c e i m p r e s s e d us. T h e w o r d s s e e m e d s o real t o e v e r y b o d y . Every o n e of us c o u l d feel s o m e disease within ourselves." T h r e e runners-up received hono u r a b l e m e n t i o n f o r their s u b m i s s i o n s . T e r r y B r e n n a n , a prolific s i n g e r - s o n g w r i t e r and guitarist based in K i t s i l a n o w h o often p e r f o r m s o n the N o r t h S h o r e placed w i t h his s o n g The Beat of a Drum, a b o u t the Battle of W o u n d e d K n e e . T h e battle, o f t e n r e f e r r e d t o as a m a s s a c r e , resulted in the slaughter of a b o u t 300 S i o u x First N a t i o n s p e o p l e by the U.S. army in 1890. Twenty-five U.S. s o l d i e r s also J u r o r s listened t o 24 entries f o r the c o n t e s t , w h i c h was s p o n s o r e d by the N o r t h V a n c o u v e r A r t s C o m m i s s i o n . T h e tunes that r o s e t o the t o p c a m e f r o m the s o n g w r i t e r s ' hearts, a c c o r d i n g t o c o n t e s t o r g a n i z e r and N o r t h S h o r e arts c o m m i s s i o n e r U m e e d a S w i t l o , w h o was also a j u r o r T h e s t a r t of the n e w m i l l e n n i u m m a r k e d the first year for the c o m m i s sion's s o n g w r i t i n g c o n t e s t . lost their lives.The s o n g is also a b o u t the S i o u x g h o s t dance that was practised in an effort t o chase Europeans away before the battle. W h i l e the song has not yet been r e c o r d e d , B r e n n a n released his c o u n t r y - f o l k blues C D Storms and Dreams last year. Shawna Crohn (I), winner of Shore Song and William Blunderfield Terry Anna Grohn, sister the song and Brennan. North Search, c runners-up " I ' m just t r y i n g t o c o n j u r e a m o m e n t o r a place as p o t e n t l y as p o s s i b l e , " says B r e n n a n a b o u t his c o n t e s t entry. "It's a call f o r t r u t h , a l m o s t like a battle cry." B r e n n a n , 4 5 , has b e e n w r i t i n g songs for a b o u t 2 0 years and has w o n o t h e r c o n t e s t s , including the D e m o Listen D e r b y ' s b e s t - s o n g w r i t ing c o m p e t i t i o n in 1991 a n d 1992, a n d C K W X Radio's s o n g w r i t i n g c o n t e s t in 1992. H e can be s e e n p e r f o r m i n g at v a r i o u s l o c a t i o n s in the V a n c o u v e r area w i t h his band T e r r y Brennan and C o . W i l l i a m Blunder-field, a G r a d e 9 W e s t Vancouver Secondary School student, was a w a r d e d f o r his s o n g You are More. Fourteen-year-old Shawna's performed winning myself. It's m a d e m e c h o o s e w h a t I w a n t t o do." F o r the c o n t e s t , G r o h n ' s 27-yearo l d sister. A n n a G r o h n , sang the s o n g , played piano, and did the musical a r r a n g e m e n t s t o help G r o h n ' s s o n g c a r r y a w i n n i n g tune. A n n a ' s v o i c e has b e e n c o m p a r e d t o that o f singers Sarah M c L a c h l a n and Jewel B l u n d e r f i e l d s t a r t e d w r i t i n g songs t w o years ago and has been playing piano since he was five. B l u n d e r f i e l d also sings, acts, plays the k e y b o a r d , and recently t o o k up the s a x o p h o n e . H e has p e r f o r m e d several t i m e s in coffee s h o p s a r o u n d V a n c o u v e r . "I'd