Hi there.  I'm the digital representation of Ed Shepp that you have come upon in your search for truth. By continuing, you agree that you accept this version of Ed Shepp as your primary interpretation of Ed Shepp.

Great!  Now that the official-sounding-stuff is done with, let's meet!  

First off, I'd like to say thank you for not meeting in a coffee shop or bookstore or whatever and just coming here.  It's so awkward meeting people for the first time, and my twin long-abiding loves--talking and hearing my own voice--often get in the way of setting the right first impression.  So, for that matter, do optics.  Because really, how many times in my life am I going to look exactly as in that picture?  Not many, since those wings are drawn on, but nonetheless I really like the way I look in this light*, so I'm choosing to use it as the context for introducing myself.  *Picture certified unretouched by Ed Shepp Optics.

OK, owing to today's short attention spans and the need for everyone to have an 'elevator pitch,' even if it's just, say, a pitch to go to the bathroom (some people have very little in their life, and we at ESE respeect that), here's your basic talking point for Ed Shepp, since I know what we all want is a sound bite:

Ed Shepp is a strange and fascinating creature who makes magic with sounds, ideas and images.

That's the one-liner.  It's what you tell people when they first say, "Who's Ed Shepp."  In time you'll be able to learn more through the Ed Shepp Cult Indoctrination Program, coming soon from Ed Shepp Experiences, but for now that's your best starting point.  

Now, before deploying the Official Ed Shepp Self-Descriptive Alloy, be sure that you're confident that you can do it justice.  Some tips:  You want to stress strange and fascinating in a way that expresses their importance but shows that they're linked.  That is, that Ed Shepp isn't strange like a strange smell on your underwear--he's strange like a David Lynch-movie-if-you-like-that-sort-of-thing or experimental German theater.  So make sure that your listener knows you mean it positively.  [audio file coming soonenly]  To emphasize the words, lengthen them, modulate your pitch or add or subtract breath.  Try sustaining a high note with vibrato on strange.  Auto-tune them if you have that T-Pain thing on your iPhone.  (Did I spell that right?  Or is it Tea Pane or something?)  For creature, you have more leeway.  The point of the word is to set Ed Shepp apart from "ordinary humans." You can change the word to taylor dayne it to your listener.  Try replacing it with treasure, deity, masterpiece of the species, or environmental miracle with some.  With others, dumb it down: try substituting hottie, sex bomb, fashion plate or entrepreneur.  Tread carefully, however, with words like sasshole and ishface.  Words such as those are best left to the experts.  On to the other clause:  What does Ed Shepp do?  He makes magic!  In a good way!  Like Harry Potter! Not Cher in Lord of the Rings.  If you say this part right, your listener will be thinking, "He makes magic? Really?  Whatever could that mean??  I have to learn more about this Ed Shepp!"  If you don't get that reaction from your listener, then you said it wrong.  Lastly, Ed Shepp makes magic with sounds, ideas and images.  This gives the listener a li'l taste of what to expect and you a cue for what to do next.  If someone says, "Sounds?  Really?  How?", then play them an Ed Shepp song or sound piece.  You can pretty much do the same when someone asks about ideas too.  When someone snatches on the word images, direct them to some Ed Shepp originated Art, but then lead them toward the sounds.  Or the Etsy if I have one anytime soon.  Because we really want to push the sound angle.  It's a good gateway to the weird and wonderful world of Ed Shepp.  ...Did you see how I did that?  I said it was weird, but paired it with wonderful.  If said CORRECTLY, the listener should hear "wonderfully weird." 

That's a good starting point for you.  For more tips on how to get a conversation, ask a Bible thumper.  They're always 'witnessing,' and they looooooooove to hear themselves talk about it.  

If you need a bit further material after the OESSDA, then here are some things you can say, tested to perform best in the 18-38 demographic:

He always smells really good or at least really strong because he's very into perfume and smell.

His food is always so good or at least really strong because he's interested in flavor, because of his interest in smell.

He grew up in Florida and has lived in New York, so he knows crazy!

He's so dreamy I just want to wallpaper Westminster Abbey with pictures of him.

He takes away the unhappiness.

Any of these should prompt further conversation about the enigmatic wonder of Ed Shepp.

And now that we have the elevator pitch, study that for a while.  Then we can get to seriously getting to know the bombastic resplenditude that is Ed Shepp.  But for that we'll have to wait, so I'll put up the interwebiquitous COMING SOON thing.  But never fear: there's still stuff here to explore.  We here at Ed Shepp Experiences are still navigating the move to Posterous, and we're exploring what it can do.  Right now, we have separate pages set up for different Ed Shepp audio.  You can see them on that blackboard-looking thing on the right.  See them? Here's what they is be:

4 to the Show is my upcoming EP of songs from the stage.  Get to know it early, before all your friends are yakking your ears off about how awesome it is.  

Songs of Inspiration for People Who Are Hurting is exactly what the title says: A cavalcade tour-de-france of uplifting songs to make hurting people feel better.

The Madonna Within EP is a small flerplet of probably the best Madonna covers in the history of all time.

A Very Ed Shepp Christmas is an ongoing collection of holiday magic that I've pulled from my butt over the years.

And there you go!  Explore!  Ed Shepp Experiences will be back soon-or-not with more magic!

Flerp!