Performing on the main stage as one of the RootsTech 2025 keynotes, Mat and Savanna Shaw shared incredible vocal harmony and touched the hearts of all virtual and in-person attendees. "Refreshing" is a word that came to mind after the performance of this very talented father and daughter duo, who shared their unique story of success.
Every Parent’s Dream
Mat and Savanna Shaw started out their keynote with an upbeat performance of "Just How Strong You Are," one of their original songs. After the song, the daddy-daughter duo shared a bit of family history with the RootsTech audience, describing the lullabies that were sung to Savanna and her siblings when they were younger.
"Homeward Bound" was Savanna's lullaby that Mat would sing to her. Mat commented, "It’s a song about . . . how every parent's dream is to see their children go out into the world and spread their wings and experience life and celebrate their successes and learn from the mistakes."
Mat held back tears as he continued that it was also "to remember that wherever they go and no matter what they do in life, to remember that they will always have a place to call home in the hearts of their parents." What followed was a tender performance by the Shaws of "Homeward Bound," their voices blending in perfect harmony and touching the hearts of the entire audience.
The Music That Began It All
After their keynote on the Main Stage, Mat and Savanna participated in an interview to share more about the start of their musical performance careers.
Their story can be traced to the beginning of the 2020 COVID pandemic, when Savanna’s choir practices were canceled. Eager to remain connected with her friends, she created her first social media account.
As a shy teen, Savanna was too nervous to sing by herself, so she begged her dad to join with her in singing "The Prayer." Dressed with a simple ball cap and a family reunion T-shirt, Mat had no idea their casual video would go viral.
After posting that first music video, "we never stopped," Savanna remembered. It gave them the needed boost to continue releasing duets on social media and other streaming platforms. The Shaws quickly garnered a worldwide audience, now resulting in over 640,000 YouTube subscribers.
Discovering a Stronger Relationship
On their journey together, Mat and Savanna have delved deeply into each other’s personalities. Having a father-daughter relationship is one thing, but having a father-daughter relationship that became a business partner relationship is quite another!
With all the time they have spent with one another, the Shaws have discovered a lot about each other. "Of course, there’s going to be some difficult learning curves with that," Savanna admitted. "But I feel like in the end, it has just made us closer, and we can really appreciate what both of us have to offer."
Mat commented that it’s a "cool thing" for him to have a front row seat to watch his daughter grow and find her voice. In the music industry, that can be tricky. Mat praised Savanna, saying "she has been able to stay true to herself, push back when she feels like she needs to push back, and learned a lot of confidence through this."
It’s All About Family
Both Mat and Savanna enjoyed their time at RootsTech. It’s not often that you get to perform for an audience who shares a common love for family. "Family is a big part of everything we do," Savanna said.
When asked whether music was a part of their broader family tree, the Shaws answered that there are not a lot of musicians in their family—with the exception of Savanna’s great grandmother who apparently had perfect pitch! Mat even jokingly claimed that most of the people on his side of the family are tone deaf.
Using Music for Good
Mat and Savanna have a passion for using music for good and choose to sing only uplifting songs. In fact, they turned down a record label so they could maintain control of the music they offer to the public. An unpretentious aura surrounds Mat and Savanna as they shared their approach to creating deeply engaging arrangements.
A big thank you to the Shaws for presenting us with incredible talent and a beautiful image of inspiration!
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