We recently connected with Sarah Burke and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Though I have been singing ever since I could talk, it wasn’t until a few years ago I could even confidently identify as a “singer.” What is now my most treasured attribute and what I consider to be my gift or my calling, used to be something I didn’t know if I could ever be great at. I remember always loving to sing, there was something in me that couldn’t stop even if I tried, but I was much more theatrical in my performances. Growing up with a primarily musical theatre background, I was used to the dancing and acting, but I would always say I could “act my way through a song,” implying that I couldn’t sing it as well as a “real singer” could but I could still sell it.

Throughout college at University of Washington, I explored vocal training and joined a completive a cappella group that taught me a lot about the technical side of singing. I was definitely a fine singer, but something still hadn’t quite clicked. It wasn’t until I dove into a more personal, spiritual journey, that I was able to access the parts of my voice I had been missing. I began to explore what MY true voice really sounded like, when I was not mimicking the tone of somebody else, when I was not playing a character. It took allowing free expression of the voice, even if what came out wasn’t pretty. I see this as freeing your voice from its box or its cage, allowing it to be wild, and more importantly, allowing it to be vulnerable. Through this allowance is how I was able to meet and feel the voice of my soul, my true voice. It sort of felt like finding a new friend. A new friend that I could now work and grow with, and while I definitely still have my inspirations and artists I look up to, it was a sound that was uniquely mine.

This process was challenging because it took a lot of grace and compassion for myself, knowing that I had to break down old habits in order to build new ones. This compassion was certainly an essential skill that I still practice, reminding myself that there is always room to grow and that I WILL grow. I think what could have sped this process up is more practice. Simply singing more. The learning and the growing comes in the practicing and the exploration. So the more you sing and play, the faster the growth will come. The more you discover about your vocal ability and preference. The biggest obstacle to learning more has always been for me, doubt, fear and laziness. This seems common, but it’s true, knowing you could probably get better if you put in the work but worrying that you might not actually be “good enough” so you don’t put in any at all.

The laziness definitely played a role when it came to me learning the guitar. Songwriting and songwriting with an instrument are a whole different ballpark than just singing. They take a lot of their own type of practice as well. I am grateful for the community of musicians I’m surrounded by that continually inspire me and are always teaching me things, directly and indirectly. The thing I always find most beneficial and most important to growth is practice. I’ll be the first to say, sometimes it’s hard to squeeze it in when there’s a week full of busy days, juggling my day job with my passion and my community. But I do know I grow much faster as an artist when I set aside time to simply practice something. Always growing, always learning, and forever grateful!

Sarah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Sarah Burke and I am a singer-songwriter and performer! I’ve been singing my whole life and have been writing my own original music for the past 3 years. I commonly write about experiences, stories, or subjects close to my heart. I have so much fun getting to share my voice and my music in front of people. I started out my professional singing career as the lead singer of Indie-Pop band, WINEHOUSE, and continue to sing for them today! Though through my own original music, available through all streaming platforms, I’ve always wanted to uplift any heart that listens.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think what drives my creative journey is just the deep calling and knowing that this is what I am supposed to do. I’ve always been taught to follow your bliss, follow the spark, and follow what feels right! Anytime I stray away from music, I somehow get pulled right back. I don’t know what this will expand to in the future but I am open to any and all possibilities, I just know my voice is my compass. I believe music is medicine, and it has been my biggest medicine! My only hope is that my music can be that for others as well.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being a singer and artist is getting to share and connect with people. I don’t write songs to sing only to myself, and it’s not the same when I am singing alone in a room. Joining in community with music is so important to the human soul, I believe. So making it a career and a mission to share music more openly, more often, and more freely is an easy “yes”. Simply creating something from your heart and experiencing its physical presence in the world is a really rewarding feeling.Especially, when you can create something that people sing along in harmony with, it is such a beautiful experience!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahburkemusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahburkemusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahburkemusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahburkemusic

Image Credits

Laura Ogren
Ellie Kraussman
C. Elliot