Scott Claassen | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 23, 1979 Monterey, California |
| Genres | Americana|Indie Rock||Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Episcopal Priest, Musician |
| Years active | 1997-present |
| Formerly of | The Lost Trailers, The Broken West |
| Spouse | Maribeth Claassen (Married 2013-Present) |
| Website | amovingstillness |
The Rev. Scott Claassen is an Episcopal priest and musician currently serving as chaplain and vicar of St. Michael's University Church in Santa Barbara, California. Following studies at Yale Divinity School, Claassen embarked on a yearlong Carbon Sabbath during which he refrained from driving or flying while bicycling over 11,500 miles around the United States engaging Christian communities in dialogue about climate change.
A lifelong multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, Claassen has penned hundreds of songs and appeared on dozens of records. Throughout his solo career he has released 8 studio albums and 3 EP's.[1] His songs have been featured in Grey’s Anatomy and in several films.[2][3][4] His primary instruments are guitar, mandolin, and piano, but he also plays harmonica, banjo, charango, and a variety of other strings and keyboard instruments.
Spiritual Life
editCarbon Sabbath
editIn 2011, Claassen completed his Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. Having investigated the relationship between faith and the environment at Yale’s Forum for Religion and Ecology during his graduate studies, he was inspired to take a Carbon Sabbath. He would spend one year without flying or driving as well as eating a primarily plant-based diet and refraining from consumer demands like online shopping. During that period, Claassen bicycled over 11,500 miles around the United States in order to engage Christian communities of a variety of traditions in dialogue about climate change. The journey started and ended at his home church Thad’s in Santa Monica, California. From there, he cycled north to Seattle, East to Washington, D.C., south to Jacksonville, and back to California. He also kept a blog of the journey.[5][6][7]
Laundry Love Ordination
editIn April 2014, Claassen was ordained to the Episcopal diaconate in a laundromat as part of Thad’s monthly Laundry Love ministry. Laundry Love is a nationwide phenomenon in which communities of faith and other organizations offer free laundry services to anyone in need. The ordination drew national attention to Laundry Love. Later that year, Claassen was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood at Thad’s, an Episcopal church located in Santa Monica, California. [8]
Surfing and Spirituality
editWhile serving as the Episcopal chaplain to the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Claassen started the Surfing & Spirituality program. This weekly group brings students together to surf and explore surfing as a spiritual practice. It meets Wednesday mornings, and it is open to all university students regardless of religious affiliation. The group has been featured in the Santa Barbara Independent, Living Lutheran magazine, and several publications in the Episcopal Church.[9][10][11]
Music Career
editCollaborations
editDuring undergraduate in Nashville, Claassen played harmonica, mandolin, and keyboards in the jam band On the 8’s. He also played mandolin and harmonica with The Lost Trailers and had songwriting credit on their album Welcome to the Woods. [12]
While working as an outdoor guide in Austin, Texas, he played Fender Rhodes and trumpet with The Glass Family[13]
While living in Los Angeles, he played keyboards and vocals in The Broken West.[14]
Solo Career
editAs a solo artist, Claassen has released 8 LP’s, 3 EP’s, and a variety of singles. His 2007 album Shiny Car in the Night includes soundbites from interviews conducted in 2006 with people across the country about the American Dream. His 2019 Big Sur Suite is a live recording of primary piano quintets and other instrumental music. In 2020, Claassen released the single “The Day John Prine Died” in honor John Prine, the critically acclaimed songwriter who passed and in reflection upon the pandemic experience. Claassen’s 2022 record Alpine is an investigation into life in and around the mountains.[15]
Discography
editAlbums
editMonterey (2005)
Shiny Car in the Night (2007)
Indio Sun (2010)
Temas en Blue (2014)
Camino Real (2018)
Lost Valentines (2018)
Carbon Cycle EP (2018)
Big Sur Suite (2019)
Alpine (2022)
Singles
editThe Day John Prine Died (2020)
I Have Been to the Mountaintop (2022)
All Along (2018)
References
edit- ^ "Scott Claassen". Spotify. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ The Lost Trailers - Welcome To The Woods, retrieved 2022-10-17
- ^ Grey's Anatomy Season 3 Episode 22: "The Other Side of This Life" Music, 2007-05-04, retrieved 2022-10-17
- ^ Spread (2009) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-10-17
- ^ "Criss-cross country carbon sabbath". Geez Magazine. Detroit, Michigan: Geez Press. Winter 2011. p. 62.
- ^ Radio, Southern California Public (2013-04-19). "God is in the garden: a conversation with Scott Claassen". Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ "2020 03 08 Scott Claassen". Trinity Episcopal Church. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ "This Deacon Was Ordained In The Most Amazing Way". HuffPost. 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Jul 05, James N. Powell Thu; 2018 | 8:22am (2018-07-05). "Imagine Inventing Waves: Scott Claassen and His Ministry of Surfing and Spirit". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Helland, Bruce (2018-04-11). "Waves of faith". Living Lutheran. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Claassen, Scott. "Episcopal Church Foundation Vital Practices - Vestry Papers - Beyond the Red Doors - Surfing and Spirituality". www.ecfvp.org. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ "Welcome to the Woods", Wikipedia, 2021-01-27, retrieved 2022-10-17
- ^ The Glass Family - The Glass Family | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2022-10-17
- ^ "The Broken West", Wikipedia, 2022-01-11, retrieved 2022-10-17
- ^ "Scott Claassen". Spotify. Retrieved 2022-10-17.