Formed in 2006, The Just Desserts was born of Lisa Shawley’s and Michael Shay’s shared passion for interpreting region-specific classical, popular, and traditional musics from around the world. This unique collaboration between an accordionist and a cellist has quickly developed into a singular and profound musical partnership that explores and celebrates the diversity and universality found in music across the globe. Soon after their meeting, Lisa and Michael realized that their mutual interest in playing for dancers was rooted in the rewarding experience of breaking boundaries between audience and performer. Before developing their workshop programs in participatory, collaborative, inclusive music-making, they explored these themes while performing for tango, swing, international folk, and Latin social dancing, as well as through theatrical collaborations with tango and modern dance performers, belly dancers, and marionette puppeteers, among others.

With a continually expanding international performance repertoire that includes western classical, tango, early 20th century American pop, Eastern European, African, North Indian classical, Klezmer, jazz, blues, Arabic, Latin, and European “bistro” music, the Just Desserts are putting their collective 25 years of experience in Music Therapy and Music Education to use sharing the joy and universality of music and music-making with individuals and groups of all ages, regardless of the participants’ previous musical experience.

In addition to their passionate, electrifying stage performances and multi-media collaborations in Texas, Ecuador, Catalunya (Spain), and the southwest United States, Michael and Lisa can be found facilitating interactive, educational, and therapeutic programs in schools, corporations, hospitals, arts organizations, community organizations, and in the global community at large. The Just Desserts’ list of stage, recording, and workshop collaborators includes percussionists Lauren Checchio (Divahn, 1001 nights Orchestra) Cyril Neville (The Neville Brothers), saxophonist/flautist Alex Coke (William Breuker Kollektief), Stanley Smith (Johnny Gimble, Floyd Tillman), Jonathan Doyle (Jim Cullum Jazz Band), Jonathan Best (David Byrne), Margaret Carter (Music for People), and others.

Please contact The Just Desserts with any opportunities, resources or ideas for potential artistic, educational, financial or logistical collaborations, anywhere in the world! The group travels, studies, collaborates, performs and teaches internationally, so please explore the rest of the site, send an e-mail, and interact with the band through their myspace page, no matter where in the world you may be.