stomp along

When I was touring through Seattle a few weeks ago,
my sis (also a songwriter, who lives in seattle) took me
to her neighborhood open mic at Conor Byrne. She has
been going to this open mic for several years now.













photo by Eratosthenes Fackenthall
The place was packed that sunday night and I swear she knew everyone
by first name. It really did feel like a neighborhood pub
should feel. This open mic is especially a hot spot because it
is run by a member of The Head & The Heart--a really cool
new band that is taking the music scene by storm. Several
members of the band met at the open mic last year and soon
after formed the band. They were just recently signed by sub-pop records.
I love stories like this. I think I read Josh Ritter met Glen Hansard
at an open mic. Synchronicites like this are rad.











Photo by Eratosthenes Fackenthall


Buy the album here:

This band loves to stomp, and clap, and shout and involve the audience.
When they got up to play, the crowd got quiet, everyone pushed in close,
then the whole audience started stomping together...it was great to be
in a room where every member of the audience was invested in what was
going on. They had a few friends who grabbed attention on the stage, one being
a cool cat named Bryan John Appleby.

On another note, I participated in an event called The Song Bomb today.
My friend Tim organizes it each year, and every day of the month a
guest songwriter is assigned a topic and they write a song in a day. Tim then
also writes a song on the same topic that day. Today was my day.
My song is posted here. Having to write a song in a day takes away some
of the preciousness that sometimes comes with the territory. It is about
writing, but also about letting go of expectations and taking fear out
of the equation. I have some dear friends involved as well,
like Chuck E. Costa, Christopher Smith, and Mai Bloomfield.
Tune into all month.

xoxo
s

In it for the Money? part 1

"There are hundreds of dollars to be made playing folk music.."
-Karen Savoca

Over the years of playing music, I've had many conversations
in, out, under, and around the topic of why choose this career?
Most friends I know who are making music for a living
are in a constant dance with debt. It is clear to me, that
anyone who wants to create music and have it be a major part
of their life, did not get lured into the business by
dreams of stock options and fancy cars.
And yet, we live in a society that shows what it
values with the currency of money. I believe that Artists
should be able to work at their skill set and make a living
doing it. So why isn't that a possibility for most in this country?
That being said, there are so many rewarding
aspects to creating music, one of them being the
currency of connection.

I love to perform and therefore touring feeds a part
of why I enjoy this career. But I realized again on
this last Northwest tour, that the gift of being on
the road is the opportunity every night to make a connection.
The connection is not just during the 2 hours on a
stage between performer and audience.
It is the conversations that fill in the gaps
from one show to the next, that is the true gift.

The thoughtful perspective on songwriting
Ryan shares while we make the 5 hour drive to Seattle.
It is the early morning conversation with Brad in
Angeline's coffeehouse about our favorite new artists.
The voices and ideas that fill the hallway in a historic
capitol hill home at 2am with a concert host who has dedicated
seven years of his life to promoting shows for independent songwriters.
The gift of meeting a music loving blogger, marilyn, who beyond
raising organic blueberries decided to start her own
concert series so she could share the live music
experience with her neighbors, other amazing bloggers, and friends.
It is meeting a woman who I felt I've known years instead of
minutes, and knowing somehow that I could trust her instantly.
It is the quiet that fills my car and the big conversations
I have in my head with myself while driving through changing landscapes.

xo
sarah

MORE to come soon on my northwest adventures like:

how hip is the seattle hipster music scene on ballard ave?
how amazing are a group of high school students in sisters?
which new songwriters blew me away?
what parking lots are safe to take a nap in your car
when the coca-cola isn't cutting it?

Aaron Copland

Do you know this man?
Do you know his music?

Meet Aaron Copland.
Although I had heard bits and pieces,
it wasn't until collage that
he became one of my favorite composers.

Why? I honestly can't really put it into words.
All I know is that when I hear certain
melodies that he has composed
there is a visceral reaction in my body.
I have on many occasions found myself in
tears because his composition
has found it's way into the
very composition of my body.

So, this last week my piano instructor
gave me the assignment to learn
the music for the
"Coda" of Appalachian Spring.
And although I am so slow,
as the melody cautiously
found a way through my fingers
my vision blurred
and my heart is full because I am
playing music I love.

Listen to what I learning to play here and maybe even treat yourself to
the beauty of Aaron Copland's music:
(it is #17 on the list)



Who is your favorite composer??

xo
sarah

ps. I'll give you a full update this week on my tour through the Northwest. What a wonderful time it was!

FANCY SMANCY

Hi friends.

Welcome to my new blog-- "Shadows of a Song"

ok. same blog, but NEW title (thank you mr. jacobsen)

and new fancy look.

and even my very own BUTTON

to share. wouldn't that look great on your

blog wall? yep, it would.

It feels refreshing to have

a new space in write in.

I didn't want to have my blog called

sarahsample.boring.blogspot.lame-o.com

and 'shadows of a song' is the title

of a song off my new record.

It is actually one of my personal favorites

on the record. Paul Jacobsen had his

hand in several drafts which is probably why

it made my favorites list.

The idea was using a song as the metaphor for love.

The first verse--

"once my love was a band, and you were the kickdrum

jumpstart my heart and we start to run

didn't care we were so young

we tried so hard

to play all the right parts

with our hands full of false starts

till the downbeat dragged us apart"

Each verse is a different relationship

and the singer is chasing

the idea of a perfect song or perfect love

and can only get glimpses of it with each relationship.

the chorus sings

"I hear it, then it's gone

melodies haunt me

shakes it's chains and leads me

on an endless marathon

I lose my breath, chasing

shadows of a song"

I think part of, if not the main purpose we

are on this earth is to learn to love.

We get chances everyday to do this

with our families

strangers

neighbors

and maybe the hardest relationship

to learn to love

is with ourselves.

Let's celebrate my new blog together.

My gift to you for dropping by...

a FREE download of

SHADOWS OF A SONG

plus, if you download this song...you will get your

heart broken by the harmonies provided by

Dustin Christensen.

Have a lovely week friends.

I am off to the Northwest, come

and join me at a show, or send your friends out.

Shows are selling out fast, so get your tickets soon!

1/12- spokane

1/13-portland

1/14-eugene

1/15-seattle

1/18-tri-cites

(get your tickets here)

1/20 sisters

xox

s

Piano

The ability that every human has to CREATE astounds me.
The fact that with our words, or melodies, with our hands,
or instruments, or imaginations
we can create something that did not exist before.
That just blows my mind.

I love a project. I love to make something beautiful.
I love the idea of learning a new skill.
If you ever were fooled into believing that I was
somewhat hip--this lie would be dispersed immediately
by learning that one of my favorite gifts this Christmas was
Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts.

I have already spent time pouring over new ideas and made
the mental checklists of what I am going to create next.
Guilding looked cool. I want to make candles. I want to buy yards
of pretty velvet and silk ribbon.I want to learn the art of Calligraphy
just so I could write you a letter, and when you opened it,
you would feel treasured just from the script covering the page.
I feel a real thrill about the newness surrounding a new year.
2011 will be lovely I think.

My grandma has inspired my latest ambition.
She is near the end of her life. She is completely
bed-ridden at this point and although she is unfailingly
positive and sweet, I hate to see her day in and out..unable to walk
or move, unable to sew her baby quilts or play Reader's
Digest Christmas Hymns.
She said she learned to play the piano as child.
Her mother would allow her to skip washing
dishes at night if she practiced. And so she did.
I am pretty sure she played the piano at her stone church
every sunday for 20 years.
There is an ache threatening to spread at the
thought of her leaving this life.

Because of her. Sweet Carol Price. I have decided to take
Piano Lessons this year.
My goal being that someday I will be able to sit
at a piano with my family circled round
and they will be able to pick any Christmas
song of their liking, and we will be able to sing
together and think of grandma.
How long do you think it will take me to
learn to sight-read? 2 years? 20 years?

My first lesson is in an hour. Wish me luck!

have yourself a merry little christmas...

happy christmas.

today james was on call so we

woke up way too early to open presents

with the little bug before he had to go into work.

she loved her art easel, but more

she loved that Santa had eaten

the cookies she left out for him.

there is something very magical

about watching a child, especially

on christmas morning.

tonight we drove to the hospital to

bring James dinner. as we traveled home we

drove down Harrison Ave. which is a lovely

street with old historical homes

that all sport the most beautiful

christmas lights.

I nearly cried as I drove past

window after window of

people gathering around a table

or tree...sharing laughter, stories,

and good food.

I know that not everyone has a loving family

that enjoys board games and cider...

but my wish for all that I know

is that they spent this evening with

someone they love...

someone who loves them.

my sister flew in from Seattle

this afternoon. I love her

and I am fairly certain she loves me too.

and my little one today said over and over

"Merry Christmas! I love you mommy"

I loved it. even the 20th time.

xo

s

time to be still

I've been thinking about the concept of slowing down and being still lately.

After a few months on the road singing songs off the new album,

I am home for a WHOLE MONTH! I know that doesn't sound like

much, but it feels like a huge amount of time to me.

While I was touring through California a few weeks ago

I played a show in the town I grew up in---Santa Barbara.

When you are driving from LA, right after you pass Ventura,

the 101 starts to follow the curve of shoreline

till you glide through Carpenteria, Montecito, then into Santa Barbara.

Every time I think--"I can't believe I grew up here."

I made an effort to go to Butterfly Beach 3 different times.

Each time I collected sea glass and pieces of pottery that the

ocean had rolled over and over till it they were sanded and smooth and wonderful.

I walked for hours and I have no idea what I thought about,

all I know is that I felt happy and everything around me seemed very simple.

Sky and sand and a setting sun and me.

I had a funny moment in CA where I realized that I was spending

a stupid amount of time trying to come up with a good 'tweet' or

update to my facebook. It is really lame. No one really needs to know

what kind of sandwich I am eating for lunch. Unless it is unforgettable.

So now that I am home I am trying to detach a little from that frantic energy

of feeling like I need to do and be a million things all in one moment.

I am trying to be a really present mother and make this holiday season as

memorable and meaningful as I can. It takes a conscious effort to not be

'plugged in' at every moment, but I am really loving reconnecting to simple things

like the sound of my daughter laughing and smell of cookies baking

and lights twinkling on my christmas tree.

I wish you a very happy holiday season.

xo

s

ps: what are ways that you make the most of the holiday season? any great traditions my family should adopt?