A Lopez artist and musician has just realized a long-held dream: recording a CD of her own music.

Tamara Shane’s “Traveler on the Road” features 24 tracks of her original songs on the guitar and harmonica. They are vibrant, folksy songs about global issues, the wilderness around us, and the transforming powers of travel.

She will hold a CD release party and perform select tracks on Saturday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m. at Lopez Center.

“It’s something I have wanted to accomplish for many, many years, and the music is an expression of my travels, especially to Ireland. I’ve made several journeys there and I lived there for a while. The songs are about traversing the inner and outer landscape. When you travel geographically you are experiencing an inner journey as well. The songs are about my life but they are also beyond that. People could relate their own experiences to it. My journeys haven’t been vacations, but more spiritual quests,” said Shane.

She started recording this past July, working with recording engineer and executive producer Allan Tamm, who has a studio in his home. “It was good timing to be able to do this. Allan is on the island and it is possible for people to do this here now. He worked really hard on this with me, he was incredibly supportive and went beyond the call of duty.”

It took Shane, who had only performed live, a few sessions to become accustomed to singing for several mikes in a tight space. “I was not used to being in front of equipment like that. The microphones were incredibly sensitive; they pick up every sound. That made me tense, it was kinda funny. I had to get comfortable with that. I’m sure this experience has helped me gain more confidence with my music. I never felt like Allan was judging me at all, which made me feel good. During the process we had a lot of things in common, like how we viewed music and how to share it. It felt good we were on the same wavelength,” commented Shane.

Shane is known locally for her paintings, work in wood and copper, and the popular cartoon “Mr. Bwoo,” which is featured in The Islands’ Weekly, but she has been a musician for most of her life. “I was really musical as a child, and music has been as important to my self-expression as any other medium I worked in. At nine or ten I would dance or sing to Motown and I had a band with a couple of my friends. I was always fascinated anytime I was around any instruments. At 13, I traded my Stingray bicycle for my first guitar. I taught myself to play, and I spent a lot of hours as a teenager painting, writing, and learning to play music.

“Music is a healing medium, and it really helped me through rough times in my life to have that expression, and I feel like music is one of the most powerful mediums in releasing emotion. There is something about music that gets you on a cellular level. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, and in my 50th year, I did it! It was a burning desire, but I had no idea if I could pull it off or not. It is so important to not give up on our dreams. I encourage others to do the same.”

CDs are for sale at Isabel’s Espresso, Media Cocktail, Vortex Cafe, Caffe La Boheme, Islandale, and Blossom Organic Grocery. Shane is also considering holding in-home concerts, but has not nailed the details down.