Music
Q&A: Sarah Jarosz The Texan singer-songwriter is performing in Homer on Dec. 7. By Br yan VanC ampe n
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SJ: Oh, God, so many. I ’ve been a fan of mean, it was such a range of singer-songwriter and singers. multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz since hearIT: That’s what I always ing her wonderful cover hear from Austin people. of Tom Waits’ “Come On SJ: Yeah, yeah. I mean, Up to the House.” If Jake at once, some of my earliest Shimabukuro is the greatest music memories are my ukulele player in the world, parents taking me to the then David Grisman and Cactus Café in Austin. It’s Jarosz are the best mandolin delta.com aa.com united.com Georgia@ithacatimes.com 607-277-7000 x220 on the U-T campus there. players in the world. Go to That’s where I saw the maYouTube and check out her Client: jority of live shows whenNewspaper: I live rendition of Prince’s Sarah Jarosz was growing up. It probably “When Doves Cry.” She restarted with Texas singercently finished “Blue Heron songwriters: Nancy Griffith, Guy Clark, Suite,” something of a concept album. Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, that whole Jarosz will perform the work on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Center for the Arts of Homer. world. I feel like even if I wasn’t actively She spoke to the Ithaca Times about Texas, listening to it, it was just always around when I was really little. But when I started getting started and “Blue Heron Suite.” and music was my thing, around 10, I was obsessed with Tim O’Brien and Gillian Ithaca Times: Can you tell me about Welch, and Nickel Creek was just a life growing up in Texas? changing band for me. I had already been Sarah Jarosz: I was born in Austin, and getting into mandolin, and I was singing, when I was around 3, my parents moved and most of my time was spent playing down to a little town called Wimberley, folk and bluegrass with older people, and which is a very small town. It’s about an so it was this revelation to me to see this hour south of Austin. I grew up there, my family is still there. It was a very incredible younger band doing that style [laughs]. place to grow up. It’s a tiny town, so you by Betsy Schermerhorn IT: I love “Blue Heron Suite”. get that rural life, but it did have the close SJ: Thank you. proximity to Austin. I started getting into Director, Marketing and Admissions music at a really early age, and my parents IT: It has great twang, which I love, were big music fans. We were basically, like Chris Isaak. That reverb, twangy every weekend, driving into Austin to see FINANCIAL DECLINE sound is just my jam. “Morning” actually live music. Music has been in my life as Caregiving involves more than just IN SENIORS mentions the Blue Heron, but the album long as I can remember. medical problems. Helping your loved feels like it’s more about a human conOne of the challenges facing older one manage his or her finances can enIT: I know you’re proficient on a num- nection. adults is financial decline, which can in- sure that he or she will be able to pay SJ: Yeah, I’d say that’s spot-on. The ber of instruments, but where did it all clude managing their finances properly. for needed care and live more comfortwhole piece came about, I’m not sure how start? It can be an uncomfortable topic to think ably. Make sure the family knows where SJ: Well, it started with singing. I mean, much of this you know, there’s a festival in about for both seniors and their families. to find important documents. These inMassachusetts, and they commissioned me I literally came into the world practiManaging money, after all, is one of the clude bank and brokerage statements, to write this song to premiere at my show cally, [laughs] singing. It’s just, from the ways people maintain independence and wills, insurance policies, and pension reat the festival in 2017. Usually, that’s in the time that I was 2 years old, there’s home control over their lives. It can be difficult to cords. Call the marketing team at (607) classical world, so it felt unique to get that videos of me singing, so that was always acknowledge it is time to give it up. Warn- 266-5300 to schedule a tour to see our in the folk world. It’s awesome, and I think the thing. I would sing around the house, ing signs include taking longer to complete facilities and learn more about lifecare at it should happen more. That’s where the I did national choirs when I was young, everyday financial tasks, a decline in math Kendal at Ithaca. Find us on the web at idea of writing a suite that’s meant to be through my music teacher and my school, skills, decreased understanding of financial http://kai.kendal.org/ and took piano lessons. And that was cool, listened to in one sitting came. What if I concepts, and reduced attention to financial just change up the format of how I would and I’m glad I did it, but I was never, like, P.S. One viable tactic seniors can emdocument details. Seniors can take prevennormally write a set of songs for a record? obsessed with it. And then it really started tative measures to ease this decline such as ploy to help with their finances is allowwith the mandolin. I got a mandolin when In addition to that, in 2017, my mom had simplifying finances, having a power of at- ing a trusted person, whether a family been diagnosed with breast cancer, and all I was about 10 years old, and just became torney or financial planner, and setting up member or professional, to monitor their of that was really weighing heavily on me. obsessed. That sort of sent me off on my a living trust. accounts. And since I was a baby, we would travel path, and shortly thereafter, discovered down the Texas coast and see blue herons a weekly Friday night bluegrass jam in 2230 N. Triphammer Road on the shore. It just came to me, this kind Wimberley and started going to that and Ithaca, NY 14850-6513 of symbol of hope for my family. When I just fell in love with it. (607) 266-5300 Website: www.kai.kendal.org would be out in the world and see a blue Toll Free: (800) 253-6325 Email: admissions@kai.kendal.org heron, it felt like a good omen. Thankfully, IT: When you were growing up singshe’s in remission now. ing, who did you like?
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