Sarah Grella
My path to music has been quite long, and at some points very uncertain.
I don’t remember a time when I was ever not singing. Oft quoted lore in my family is that my twin sister and I would try to sing along to songs we heard before we could talk. Growing up I fell in love listening to powerful voices on our kitchen CD player. Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, and Pavarotti were much played favorites.
After graduating with a degree in classical vocal performance in 2011, I felt a little lost, and feared I would never be worthy enough to be a “real” musical artist. I ignored those fears, joined a local Folk/Americana band and fell in love. We toured the country singing our songs for many years. During this time I was focused on fitting myself into what I thought a good musician, band-member, partner, and woman should be.
We recorded a couple EPs and one studio album together. Then in 2018 the band broke up, and my relationship fell apart. This was without a doubt one of the most painful times of my life. My fears had come true. I felt unmoored, ashamed, and alone.
The songs on my upcoming album were all written either during or about this time. I didn’t know it then, but the songs were like seeds; seeds being planted by tooling over their melodies and meaning. By tending to these songs, I was able to process my trauma and grief, and see that the healing process for me began by recognizing and accepting all the parts of myself – the sure and the struggling.
I am not one thing. I am not defined by the bad or the good things that have happened to me. My triumphs will not always yield abundance, and my failings will not always spell blight. I can be resolute, and still sometimes have to weed out the doubt. I am whole; and I am learning, and growing. I am cultivating who I am. My debut album The Garden, will be released into the world in 2023
