Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Dee.
Sara, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was raised on a steady diet of Motown, classic rock, and jazz standards. When it comes to popular music, I’m generally a few years late to the party. I remember the moment I got my hands on a plastic recorder. I obsessively taught myself all the notes and scales and never looked back. Flute in elementary school, clarinet in junior high, guitar and piano in high school. Marching band, jazz band, choir, advanced choir, bell choir. Writing angsty teen songs no one would ever hear. All the things! Music was my great escape. I was offered a vocal scholarship to study Music Therapy at Chapman School of Music. That was my first foray in formal music training and theory. Those were the first years playing original songs at open mics and booking local shows. After graduating, I moved to the beach and sat in on some jam nights, which plopped me into a whole new world of world-class musicians. Which eventually led to full-time gigs and my first record. Since then, it’s been an evolving dance between the music industry and music therapy worlds, and my creative pursuits to merge them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve spent most of my career as a solo artist so that often means a rotating cast of players. And taking on most of the work, from the songwriting and production to the business and technical ends. So it can be a lot, but I think playing with so many different musicians made me a more agile performer and bandmate. Otherwise, I’m still working on delegating out some of the business matters. Including social media, I’ve been ready to share that load for a while. So if you know anyone send them my way!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My music has been described as ‘feisty folk.’ It’s got songwriter roots, with flavors of older influence. Some French and brass, some drumline style grooves. I’m truly a fan of each musician who worked on my record, so knowing I’m in their company is pretty encouraging. And my background in music therapy definitely influences my approach to live shows and interacting with the audience in general.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck is definitely a factor in landing new and bigger opportunities. That being said, it won’t get you anywhere if it strikes and your skills can’t handle that level of work yet. I’ve had some opportunities that led to more lucrative work and touring overseas. And other opportunities playing for bigger stages and artists that didn’t lead to much more afterwards. You never really know what’s gonna connect or reconnect at what point. At the end of the day, you can’t wait for luck to move you along. So if it’s not driving the bus and you’re ready to go, then you gotta move on without it.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://SaraDeeMusic.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/saradeemusic
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/saradeemusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/saradeemusic
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/saradeemusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4VSJQC3RV0Lo6RfF4ENgSz
Image Credits:
Photo Credits: Alexis Dickey, Nikki Rae, Erica Orozco, Matt Kallish, Angelica Monroy
