Who is Sara?
Sara Hamman was welcomed into the world in 1979 at Brackenridge Hospital in our beloved town of Austin, Texas. As many kids do, she first found her voice in church choir when she was seven years old. A great amount of encouragement from family and friends inspired her to delve further into this passion and calling. A couple of years later, Sara fell in love with writing poetry. At twelve, she decided that she wanted to learn guitar so she could more seriously begin developing her craft of singing and songwriting. After taking a couple of lessons, Sara had 3 or 4 songs together and started performing at talent shows, festivals, and open mics around town. In high school, she started playing some gigs, at venues such as Ruta Maya, Rio Grande Coffeehouse, Cactus Café, as well as at weddings and parties.
After high school, Sara began studying on partial music scholarship at South West Texas University. Although accepted into Berklee College of Music, she opted to stay in Austin with the hopes of building on the musical connections she'd made in her youth. She also desired to become a part of the Austin music scene...she wanted to contribute musically to the city that had so inspired and nurtured her, and put the love-spell of music on her soul. Finally graduating from UT in May 2002, Sara feels she's really gotten her craft together through songwriting, recording, and playing gigs in town over the years. She is always striving to grow and learn, but now feels ready to send her authentic and soulful sounds across the distance- to whoever will receive them.
Some of Sara's musical influences have been Joni Mitchell, David Wilcox, Patty Griffin, Sarah McLachlan, Jimmy LaFave, Nirvana, Shawn Colvin, the Clash, Radiohead, and as of late, Beth Orton. Sara says that her style has been shaped to a degree by all of these artists, "One thing I've connected with from these artists' music is the aim to write from an honest place, even if it means expressing things that feel incredibly revealing and vulnerable. Listening to these artists has definitely given me courage to write from the heart..." Although there is a shyness in Sara's demeanor, it does not carry over into her songwriting or her way with a microphone. She always sings from the deepest place inside her, giving everything she has. She is open to the experience of life, learning, and loving as much as she can. Her voice and music absolutely embody this drive and openness.
Notable Credits:
- 1998 United Way commercial with David Murray, Marcia Ball, Jimmy LaFave, Toni Price, Jerry Jeff Walker, and others. Aired on network T.V. and local radio stations.
- Backup vocals on JP Allen's record, Slow Burn, 1998
- Top Ten Finalist in UT's Kerrville Folk Festival Contest, 2001
Venues and events Sara has played:
- Momo's, Saxon Pub, Ruta Maya, Iron Cactus, Fat Tuesday, Babe's, Dave Prewitt's CapEyeZ, 2 live appearances on AMN and videos airing currently, Mozart's, Sky Lounge, Gingerman, Acoustic Café, KLBJ morning show, KOOP radio, Tres Hombres Songwriter Showcase, Flipnotics.
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