Shania Twain Played Instruments as Early as Kindergarten
“That Don’t Impress Me Much” singer, Shania Twain, has been playing instruments, or at least noisy percussive kindergarten toys, for decades. The artist learned to play guitar and, eventually, released and recorded original songs. Here’s what we know about her early experience with music.
What instruments does Shania Twain play?
Twain began playing guitar at 8 years old, and humming a “vocal exercise” at about 3 years old. She taught herself to harmonize and, sometimes, accompanied herself on guitar while performing live.
On Instagram, the artist even revealed that in high school, her primary instrument was the trumpet, sharing a picture with some horn players. Of course, Twain is best known for her vocals — writing, recording, and singing originals throughout her country-pop career.
Shania Twain recalls playing with instruments in kindergarten
Twain still remembers some of her first musical moments. In her memoir From This Moment On, the singer detailed some of her early school experiences. Although she was uninterested in most subjects, kindergarten’s “music time” was a highlight.
“We were allowed to rummage through the music box and pull out whatever instrument we wanted to lay,” Twain wrote. The songwriter noted the options were mainly “noisy, percussive instruments” — “sticks with ridges that you could rub together to make clicks sounds, a variety of shakers, tambourines, bells.”
“I enjoyed my first music session and couldn’t wait till the next one… I wanted to play with the instruments the whole day,” she added. “It’s obvious to me now that my strong desire to create music — a true passion — was developing even then. This was my first experience of having my hands on musical instruments, and it was all I wanted to do.”
As a teenager, Twain wrote, she began experimenting with harmonies, drawing inspiration from groups like the Beach Boys, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie Brothers, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
However, classes continued to be a challenge, especially after moving over a dozen times through elementary, middle, and high school. She even changed schools while attending kindergarten.
What age did Shania Twain release her first album?
Biography reports this country star began writing and recording music at an early age — 10 years old. In 1993, she released her first studio album, the self-titled collection with the fan-favorite “What Made You Say That.” She was about 28 years old at that time.
One of her most popular albums, Come On Over, was released in 1997 — including tracks “Man! I Feel Like A Woman,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One,” “From This Moment On,” and other hits.
Twain continues to release new music, including the 2023 release Queen of Me. The album included songs co-written by the “Giddy Up” singer, all of which are available on major streaming platforms.
