Ms. Namita Nayyar: You must have started singing at an early age. Your career has seen you play NXNE, Canadian Music Week, Winterfolk, We Are Many Festival, Brandon Folk Festival, North Country Fair, and BC’s Music on the Mountain, in addition to many live music venues across Canada and the US. You also enjoyed radio play across North America. One of the pinnacle of professional success was in August 2012 when you released “Fire Breathers” consists of 13 songs. Tell us about your journey that took you to where you are now in the world of singing?
Ms. Sarah Burton: You could say I started singing early, but I really only sang in secret, making up songs in my diary and singing them to my stuffed animals. I did join the school choir at a young age, which gave me invaluable lessons on how to sing harmonies. I was painfully shy though, as a child, and although I dreamed of performing from the beginning, I always thought of it as something that “other people do.” Eventually when I was 21, waitressing at an italian restaurant in my hometown, a musician friend persuaded me to try performing my songs at an open stage. After that my first show was booked and I never looked back. My album, Fire Breathers, isn’t so much a pinnacle of my success, but it does mark a time when I was hitting my stride. I am about to release a new album, Make Your Own Bed – and although it is my fourth studio release, it feels like my true launch – like everything I did up until now was working towards this release.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have selected a profession of being an singer, songwriter, producer, editing music that requires a lot of hard labor, technical soundness and excellence in different faculties to finally succeed, how do you achieve that?
Ms. Sarah Burton: Like any other profession, it takes hard work and some kind of training or education – be it formal or self-guided. Once I finally decided to pursue music, I took the step to seek formal education, by way of the Independent Music Program at Seneca College in Toronto. In 2006 I graduated with a new passion and confidence, as well as trusted colleagues and mentors. As I grow in this industry, I find that having mentors is very important – there is always so much to learn and it is essential to growth. In turn, I now teach part time at Seneca College, passing what information I can on to my students, and learning from their youthful spirit.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Your are a leading singer, songwriter, producer, performer, editing music and as an artist. How you manage such a remarkable multi-dimensional lifestyle?
Ms. Sarah Burton: Music is such a broad industry and there is a temptation to do everything yourself, but I believe it is best to focus on your skills, and collaborate with others who excel where you don’t. I focus on writing, arranging and performing, on the artistic side – It’s easy for me to devote time to these tasks because I am so passionate about them and it’s fun for me.
On the business side, I focus my energy on booking tours, writing marketing plans, and networking. These are admittedly not my favourite tasks, but I find enjoyment in them because they involve connecting with people – which is something I do love. Producing and Engineering I mostly leave up to professionals who focus on that side of the industry, and same goes with publicity, graphic design, and more. I am always looking to build my team so I can focus more on being an artist and making better music for my fans.
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