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SubscribeWe were lucky to catch up with Sarah Spain recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I’d like to start by saying I’m still learning to do what I do! I don’t ever want to feel fully satisfied or like I’ve hit a ceiling in my craft. Adapting as a musician has been a goal I set for myself at an early age. I started out playing classical piano, but even at 7 years old I always knew that was just the starting point for me. My dream was always to be in a band. I was always drawn to the piano, and getting my hands on one was a way for me to accompany myself and practice performing. I just wanted to be on stage, it was all I thought about. For me, the most essential thing in coming into your own as a musician is to simply believe that you can do it. I know that sounds cliché and perhaps a little obvious, but really take that to heart. Music is extremely personal, and when it’s your livelihood you have no choice but to believe in your abilities. I picked up bass and guitar along the way because I wanted to push myself to become as well-rounded as possible.
When I was young, someone once told me that girls didn’t play bass. I didn’t own one at the time but I immediately went home and began learning bass lines on my guitar. I wanted to accept the challenge of proving them wrong, but also proving to myself that I could be an extremely useful musician.
I had a huge learning experience one summer during high school. I found a way to sneak into a local bar and practice performing. The owner and I had a deal that as long as I didn’t drink, they’d look the other way and I’d be allowed to play with the band inside. I got to learn from some of Memphis’s best musicians every week that whole summer. I was 15 and knew then that I really could do what I had always wanted to do. Take advantage of your community, I am so proud to have cut my teeth in mine!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Sarah Spain, I am a musician and singer-songwriter born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. I can never recall the moment I wanted to be a musician because I think I was born with it in me, like we’re all born knowing how to breathe air. I am extremely influenced by the sounds of the 60s and 70s that I grew up with. Artists like Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, Bowie, The Byrds were the soundtrack to my childhood.
So I am definitely a product of being born in the birthplace of rock and roll! I began my music career at an early age and performed in many local bands, learned from the immense local talent, and was one of the youngest performers to have a regular gig on Beale Street. Now, at 23, I’m proud to be able to call myself a full-time musician. For me, this looks like playing a lot of late nights at venues, backing up other artists, and providing studio session work on bass, keys, and vocals.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Without a doubt, the most important and rewarding aspect of being an artist is when a stranger tells me how much they were moved by a song or a performance. Music is such a powerful force and if I can let people have a little fun, or be moved emotionally I know I’m doing my job right. You wouldn’t believe the impact a performance can make on a person. One time a woman stopped me after a gig and thanked me because one of my songs inspired her to finally leave an ex. Things like that, little slices of humanity, are why we creatives do what we do.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A struggle for me personally was being taken seriously when I was first starting out. I was 15 when I began booking my first paying gigs, so I was still a kid. Beginning my career so young has paid off immensely, but definitely came with its challenges. When you’re a young girl and dealing with the business side of music, you’ll sometimes be met with questions like: “who books your gigs for you?“ and “who do I speak to about money?“. You’ll meet some people who won’t take you seriously. My advice to everyone starting out is take it with a grain of salt and have confidence. I am lucky to have come up in a music community where the seasoned musicians welcome new talent with open arms. I could write a love letter to my city for all the encouragement it has shown me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @spookyspain
- Facebook: Sarah Spain
- Youtube: Sarah Spain (@spookyspain)
Image Credits
Kayla Stanz Photography (@kayla.stanz.photography) Danny Day Photography
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