'For Sam and Shannon is an anniversary gift to my friends: Sam Leith Taylor and Shannon-Latoyah Simon. The 3 bars of this piece represent the 3 years that they have been together. The 12 notes in each bar represent the 12 months of each year (starting in February, when they began dating each other). The two parts represent Sam and Shannon.They may choose which part they prefer to play (bear in mind the second Guitar requires to detune the low E string to Eb). The pitches are derived from the name of each month, so the first note of each bar, F is February. If the month name does not begin with a musical note, then the first letter that
belongs in the 12 note scale is used (and in most cases, flattened too, with the exception of the C for October). As July features no musical pitch, it is a rest.' - Patrick Ellis

For Sam And Shannon

Shannon-Latoyah Simon (b.1992) is a Classical Guitarist from Northamptonshire.
Shannon likes to experiment with new music and audio-visual art, thanks to her godfather Dave Lewis – MA lecturer of Photography and Anthropology at Goldsmiths University and UCL and is consistently working on a series of projects which feature her playing new solo guitar works that she has commissioned whilst controlling live electronics and film clips. 
 
As well as performing regularly as a soloist, Shannon thoroughly enjoys participating in chamber music and is part of many mixed chamber ensembles. She has started studying the Baroque Guitar with Elizabeth Pallett and has found she enjoys continuo playing in early music and contemporary performances. She has a keen interest in performing contemporary music and in 2015 she won first place in the Philip Bates Prize with her performance of Sam Leith Taylor’s piece  ‘SOP two, twice  – cool air’. A year later she won first and joint second place in the Philip Bates Prize with her performance of a selection of Sam James's songs from his debut album Sleep.
 
Shannon started playing the guitar at the age of 9 under the tuition of Nicole Alderson and John Draper and has recently completed a BMus Degree under the tuition of Mark Eden and Mark Ashford at the Birmingham Conservatoire. She has performed in many master classes with established guitarists such as Xuefei Yang, Stephen Goss, Gary Ryan and Graham Anthony Devine. In September 2017 Shannon will be starting a Masters Degree at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
 
 
Shannon’s Education is supported by the Edna Newell Trust and the Gordon Robison Memorial Foundation.