In this episode of brave space, I spoke with Sara Emmitt, a self-titled songstress, in Boulder, CO. I was first introduced to her music at Etown Hall where I saw her perform at a Boulder In The Round event this summer. Sara grew up in the mountains outside of Boulder and comes from a long line of musicians. She says her she's highly influenced by her dad and the power of storytelling. Her musical family's background is in bluegrass music, and she says it was normal for her to fall asleep as a kid listening to banjos and mandolins being played in her living room while her parents jammed with other musicians. Early on in our conversation, Sara shares a powerful story about a personal experience that links happiness with health, writing the song that saved her life, and music as medicine.

Sara talks about her bond with her sister, jealousy as a teacher, and the birth of The Emmitt Sisters band and their first album. After Sara's journey of healing, she says that’s all she says she cares about. She talks about finding ayurveda, which she refers to as complimentary medicine, and tells me about studying it in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The story behind “The Desert Song” is related to her travels to that region, and Sara says the song emerged while she was crossing the border into New Mexico. She always has a journal on her for when songs come in on a whisper as poetry; she likes to say her songs come from spirit, or a great force, and that she believes we all have the ability to tap into in our own lives.

Sara likes to create a ceremony when she performs, and talks about what she does when she takes the stage. She believes that every single person in the room has a role in the performance, both with giving and receiving. When I ask Sara about how she keeps herself full while offering so much healing, she says that for her, healing isn’t healing unless all parties are receiving a benefit from the experience.

Many thanks again to Sara for chatting with me and sharing her stories! You can learn more about The Emmitt Sisters band by visiting https://www.facebook.com/sistersamsara.

Our theme music is by Noon. You can find and support his music on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Spotify.

To find out more about this podcast, visit bravespacepod.com.