Sarah Hart has used her musical
gifts in serving Jesus Christ in a variety of ways, bringing the Good News to
many people through several avenues.
* She
has been a staff songwriter for major Christian publishers, lending her songwriting
talents to others who are also in a music ministry / or has been called to be
a musician for the Lord.
* Sarah has been an
award winning record producer, creating music which has uplifted and encouraged
many people.
* She founded an all-women singing
group, Daughters of God, a Christian outreach group who has gone on tour and played
for local churches and events as well.
* Sarah Hart
has gone on tour as a solo act, and with such artists as Wes King, Scott Krippayne,
Kathy Troccoli and Phillips, Craig & Dean, and with the Daughters of God.
*
She has sung in front of thousands of young people at various National Catholic
Youth and Young Adult Conventions as well as several gatherings of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America.
* She has married
the love of her life, Kevin and together they were blessed with two little girls.
The Lord has used her family to inspire Sarah to create lyrics and songs to encourage
them in their faith walk as well as her listening audience.
Despite
her busy schedule and family life, Sarah Hart graciously took part in an interview
via e-mail with ChirstianMusic.com, which gives us and our web-site visitors a
closer look into Sarah Hart's life and her music, showing once again how the Lord
fosters faith and guides us along the path which leads to what He has planned
for us, despite the circumstances or losses of our life.
ChristianMusic.com
asked Sarah Hart about her early life and growing up years...
Despite
the pain of growing up without knowing her father, Sarah was blessed with a loving
extended family complete with grandparents and a great grandmother, to encourage
her, fill part of her emotional needs, help her grow as a human being, and planted
seeds of faith and encouragement to be a believer in Jesus Christ.
"I
grew up in Lancaster, Ohio (central Ohio). My childhood was honestly pretty charmed.
I lived with my mom, sister, grandparents and great grandmother. It was incredible.
The house was always so full of love. I went to Catholic schools 12 years, and
am a graduate of Ohio State."
ChristianMusic.com:
Did you grow up in the Christian church or did you find the Lord later?
Sarah
Hart and her sister were raised in the Catholic church, taking part in the activities
and worship services of her church family. The college
years, however, are often a time period when young people temporarily forget God,
who thankfully doesn't forget them (John 10: 27-30), and offers ways for these
believers who are temporarily off the reservation to find their way back to Himself.
Our Lord is patient, merciful and loving, and uses his Holy Spirit to lead people
back to faith and a church family which supports their spiritual walk with Himself.
Sarah
shares, "I grew up loving Jesus and church, in that very childlike and honest
way. I left church and all things religious when I went to college. I came back
about 5 years later. The best way I can describe that experience was that I finally
found "Father God" and a faith that was my own."
Sarah
is a graduate of Ohio State where she earned her music degree in music theory,
which explains the high quality of her musical compositions, as she effectively
knows how to express her musical thoughts in her songs and also knows what musical
voice would sound better playing each part in a song's composition.
After
graduating from college, Sarah heard the Lord's call to be a musician.
Sarah
explains about her calling in an article written by Karly Randolph, in CCM Magazine.
"A lot of people expect you to minister. God has not
called me to be a preacher. I know that, and I can say with my whole heart. God
has called me to be a musician. My music is about life, and its about God in life
and the day-to-day things we have to deal with."
Sarah
moved to Nashville to strive and work for a career in Christian music, with no
job, no money, no place to live, and no contacts. No wonder her mother wasn't a
happy camper about Sarah's decision.
However,
Sarah Hart did have the most important contact and source of support; the Lord,
who had called her down this path in the first place. Acting on her faith in the
Lord and the strength and development of her musical gifts, she did find a place
to live, jobs as a studio musician, a songwriter, and singer, which led to more
opportunities to perform, money to live on, and the all important human contacts,
which led to her making her first CD, GOODBYE JANE, released by a New York label,
Sovereignty International.
Early training?
Sarah's musical gifts surfaced early in
her life, and she was given opportunities and encouragement to develop them. Both
her mother and father were professional musicians, and musical training was made
available.
"Musically, I started out singing
from the time I can remember. I played piano and organ for fun, and then started
flute lessons in the fourth grade. I tried piano lessons...with several different
teachers...but was a lousy student!"
Sometime
along the way she also picked up the guitar, which she plays beautifully, though
on this album, INTO THESE ROOMS, she provided the lead vocals and some backup
vocals, played the piano and the flute, while having other musicians play the
guitar parts.
ChristianMusic.com
asked Sarah about her current family life, as her family is close to her heart
and an inspiration to her music and lyrics which bless the listener in special
ways.
Sarah shares, "I've been married
for almost 12 years and have two little girls ages 5 and 2. They are the sweetest!
There's not a morning that I wake up when I don't wonder about how blessed I am
to have my family."
Three of the songs
on INTO THESE ROOMS were inspired and written for her husband and two daughters,
Celia and Evie, as a legacy, something to remember as they grow in their faith,
as Sarah confesses that she is a "lousy scrapbooker."
ChristianMusic.com: About Your Influences
- Both Spiritual and Musical....
Influences
in a Christian music artist's life journey help to mold and develop the musical
gifts that the Lord has blessed them with. Sarah Hart has been blessed with people
in her life who helped her grow spiritually and influenced her musical abilities
and has been exposed to other poets, writers and artists which also influenced
her song writing skills.
Spiritual Influences:
Sarah reflects, "Spiritually, my
grandparents - a Protestant and Catholic who had eloped because their parents
would not let them marry "outside the faith", who proceeded to have five children,
prayed together every day, attended different churches for over 50 years while
consistently respecting each others faiths, and were the most amazing example
of ecumenism and 'walls-down Christianity' I have ever had the privilege to know."
Other Spiritual Influences:
Sarah continues,
"Thomas Merton, Flannery O'Connor, Kathleen Norris, and more poets than I
can mention."
Musical Influences:
Sarah has been exposed to a variety of musical artists
which have influenced her musical style.
"Musically,
I've had a lot of influences. My Mom, James Taylor, Shawn Colvin, David Wilcox,
Sting, Jonatha Brooke, and The Beatles. I'm also a fan of musicals so Rogers/Hart/Hammerstein,
Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim , and the Gershwins, especially Ira and his
unbelievable (and to date unmatched) turn-of-phrase genius. This is a list I'd
never be able to complete!"
ChristianMusic.com:
How were you led by the Lord to use your musical gifts to write and sing songs?
Sarah shares, "When I started writing
and singing I knew that I loved music, and I knew that I loved God. The two always
seemed so naturally married to me. I couldn't help but want to write about faith.
I really didn't have to think about that one too much, it just came naturally.
In a way, I am guessing maybe that's even more how God wanted it. I didn't try
too hard, or think too much about it. Perhaps I've been a little more open about
my life and faith because I've never felt pressured by what I assumed I had to
say. God has more room to work that way!"
ChristianMusic.com:
Any life-molding experiences you would like to share with us, which were pleasant
or were difficult, but molded your thinking, your music, etc.
Sarah's
Reflections....
"Growing up without
knowing my father has really shaped me in so many ways both good and bad. A lot
of the things I went through as a child and teenager originated from that experience.
Now, as a grown woman, I still deal with some of the same wounds. Being married
and having girls of my own who are so attached to their daddy (and he's such a
great daddy!) has healed me a lot. It seems that I've come full circle."
Important
Truth that Sarah shares: "The trick is to love God and know that much
of life is tough. The only real answer is in trusting."
In all things God works for the good of those who love him - Romans 8:28.
Julie Carr / ChristianMusic.com
