by Sam Latham
Samford junior Shepherd “Shep” Skellie is no stranger to the spotlight. The commercial music major and aspiring music producer has made quite a name for himself on campus, starring in both the jazz ensemble and currently in Samford’s iconic Lakeshore band. But the road hasn’t always been simple for Shep, and his success should serve as an inspiration for any Samford student.
At birth, Skellie was diagnosed with Stargardt’s macular degeneration, a rare eye disease that has left him legally blind. However, he makes it clear that no obstacle could hinder his passions. He taught himself to learn piano by ear, became a jazz musician, and learned how to produce beats.
“It was a lot of growth and a lot of really hard, grueling work,” Skellie said. “I’m at the point of my life where I’m just enjoying the fruits of learning.”
One hallmark of his success is his rapidly growing social media presence. In the past year, he has amassed almost 100,000 followers across multiple platforms and has had viral success with his “What color does this sound like? “ series of videos, where he plays a piano melody and leaves it up to the comments to decide what color resonates with it.
“I have a very strong passion for business, right under music. And I love [social media] because I can combine them both into one thing,” said Shep.
Skellie has also developed a love for the Samford community and is incredibly appreciative of the lessons he has learned.
“I like to kind of throw myself in situations that I’m not very comfortable with,” he said. “I’m here to learn. And I embarrass myself a lot. But I love it,” he adds. “It’s a consistent choice from your freshman year to your senior year. Take the opportunity to work, especially because this place is such a blessing,” said Skellie.
Fellow commercial student Thomas Saunders, a close friend of Skellie, was complimentary of Skellie’s humility, faith, and influence.
“Never arrogant, never self-absorbed in his own image, [Skellie] is always the first to exalt someone else,” Saunders said. “He doesn’t do a thing without prayer. The videos that he posts, he posts them, and he prays over them. And he’ll say, ‘Let me touch somebody’s heart with this video.’”
When asked about influence, Thomas added that Skellie taught him that “we’re here and we’re learning, but just because we are learning doesn’t mean we can’t take steps towards our final goals.”
Skellie made his mindset clear about how he is approaching his professional career: “You have to be crazy about what you love, and you have to want it more than the next guy,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to do whatever your heart contends to.”
Here’s some powerful advice for the next generation of aspiring musicians: “You can’t let people tie you down. You can’t let people’s perceptions of you be holding you back. You just must let it go. And you must just rise to the occasion. Be what you need to be and do what you need to do.”
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