About
I am a fun-loving, energetic, and motivated young woman. An artist/singer-songwriter out of the Columbus, Ohio area.
BIO
An unconditional love of music, coupled with the focus and dedication characteristic of a veteran performer, is the driving force behind SayRah, a talented young performer from Coshocton, Ohio. The eldest of 11 children, she is a natural born leader with a passion to exceed expectations; a by-product of living in a household filled with alcoholism, abuse, and neglect. These instabilities in the home had the family moving frequently all over the U.S. but an appreciation for music, art, and literature were always constants.
What started with choreographed performances at pajama parties led to participating in choir and instrumental ensembles at school and church. Outstanding academic performance at age 6 moved Sarah out of elementary and into an accelerated magnet school where she began learning music theory and to play instruments. This prompted her mother and grandmother to teach her what they knew (neither had professional training) of vocal technique and piano fundamentals. Inquisitive by nature, she began researching their Native American heritage, and found the flute to traditionally be a means of healing and focused her studies on playing the instrument. This same curiosity led Sarah to search in obscure places when she couldn't find music in the local record stores that she wanted to hear. She laughs at these adolescent adventures remarking, "I came home with a bag of cassette tapes from a consignment shop with everything from Bob Marley to Bach and my mother found Prince naked on the cover of his LoveSexy album and banned me from listening to his music."
It was from that type of protection, within an intimate and communal church environment, that rooted her faith in spirituality and kept her out of trouble to ultimately win a full scholarship to a prestigious private university in Ohio. While working on a biology degree, she participated in school renditions of Consequences and The Wiz. But an overwhelming desire to entertain and her attendance at life-changing live performances from her favorite songbirds, Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan, pulled her away from the Sciences and pushed her to look for opportunities to showcase her talent.
A strong voice and superb stage presence have helped her to win numerous singing contests, including the Coshocton Crooner, USA Karaoke Contest, and Muskingum County Fair. Appearances at Miss Ohio Pageant, The Ohio State Fair, and Zanesville Jazz N Rib Fest have helped raise Sarah's notoriety from local to regional. A soul-stirring rendition of the national anthem at a NY Yankees' farm team (Charleston Riverdogs) game impressed others further from home.
In 2008, SayRah took her career to a new level by becoming a part of NvUz, the powerhouse group from Columbus, Ohio. NvUz has been seen on national television, on MTV, and have opened for such national acts as J. Holiday. Their delivery made them an instant favorite with all who heard them, but because of personal conflicts, SayRah parted ways with the group amicably.
The need to advance and a hunger for learning has her preparing for the next stage in her musical career through a steady regimen of meditation, diet and exercise, and practice, filling the time until she can attack her next challenge.