Entertainment

Take the Gig, Meet the People, Build the Life: Sarah Angel’s Real Talk for Musicians

Published

32 mins ago

January 16, 2026

Too many talented musicians spend the early years of their careers standing still, waiting. Waiting for the “right” gig. Waiting to be discovered. Waiting until they feel completely ready. But while they hesitate, others with less experience but more urgency are out there taking the jobs, building connections, and gaining ground.

Sarah Angel has seen this happen again and again. A successful live entertainer and founder of Posh Piano, she didn’t wait for a perfect opportunity to appear; she built her career by saying yes to what was already in front of her.

Sarah’s journey didn’t begin with a business plan. It began on stage, performing at corporate gigs and high-end events. For a while, she did what many musicians do: she showed up, played the set, and collected the paycheck. But the turning point came when she realized how much more others were earning off her talent. While she was being paid a small cut, the booker was making thousands. That gap shifted everything. She didn’t get angry, she got to work.

Sarah learned to run sound, bought her own equipment, built piano shells to give her setup a polished look, and began booking directly. Before each event, she would spend hours hauling gear and setting up the space herself. She didn’t wait for anyone to hand her a better gig; she created it. That same mindset carries into how she mentors and advises young musicians today.

For Sarah, one of the biggest traps new performers fall into is comparison. Instead of focusing on their own style and voice, they mimic what’s already out there. But copying someone else won’t lead to a sustainable career. What matters most is figuring out what makes you different and building on that. Your individuality is not a risk; it’s the foundation of your career.

Equally important, she says, is learning to say yes more often. Not every opportunity will be glamorous or well-paid. But every job is a chance to meet someone new, gain experience, or get your name in front of people who can open doors down the road.

This is where so many early careers stall, not because of a lack of talent, but because of hesitation. When performers constantly hold out for something better, they miss what’s right in front of them. Taking one job often leads to five more. And even if a gig doesn’t seem ideal at first, it often brings value in ways that are not obvious right away.

Sarah compares it to building momentum. Each job adds to your experience, your network, and your visibility. It’s not just about stacking performances, it’s about putting yourself in motion. The more active you are, the more people think of you when opportunities come up. That kind of consistency can’t be faked, and it can’t be replaced with a few viral moments online.

Another common challenge she sees is indecision. Musicians who spend too much time analyzing every offer often lose out on real growth. Taking action, even imperfectly, leads to more progress than standing still. Not every gig will be a perfect fit, but most will teach you something valuable.

Over the years, Sarah has also learned to be intentional about who she surrounds herself with. She chooses to work with musicians who are not just talented, but reliable, respectful, and open to learning. Attitude often matters more than technical skill. It’s easier to grow as a musician than to fix a lack of work ethic.

Sarah Angel’s career didn’t come from waiting or wishing. It came from working. She showed up, learning as she went, and made smart choices when it counted. The music industry doesn’t reward perfection, it rewards presence, action, and growth over time.

If you are serious about building a career in music, start with what’s in front of you. Take the gig. Meet the people. Build a life. One step at a time.

Entertainment

When Motherhood Meets the Mic: Stacey Jackson’s Story Sings Its Own Soundtrack

Published

1 month ago

December 13, 2025

Jonathan Grilli

Stacey Jackson doesn’t take herself too seriously, and that might be the secret to her success. She’s the first to admit that her latest project, How a Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom (Integrated Musical Edition), began with laughter. “The title came from a moment of total chaos and comedy in my real life, juggling my kids, my career, and all the curveballs in between,” she says. “At the point I found myself working with an actual ‘gangsta rapper’, and the clash of worlds was so surreal, my son blurted out ‘Mom, how about calling the book How A Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom?’ And it just stuck with me.”

It’s the kind of moment that defines Jackson’s brand of honesty, a combination of humor and heart that turns the chaos of daily life into something both relatable and inspiring. “The phrase may have started as a bit of a joke… but the more I thought about it, the more I realised how true it was. That experience (and the people I met along the way) genuinely changed how I parent, how I view and teach my kids about drive and ambition, and how I navigate life as a woman trying to do it all. So the title is cheeky, yes but it’s also honest.”

That mix of playfulness and sincerity runs through the entire project. How a Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom isn’t just a memoir it’s a musical novel, a storytelling format that merges fiction, sound, and emotion. “Honestly? I’ve always seen life like one big music video, scenes, moods, characters and music has always been the emotional thread that ties it all together for me,” Jackson says. “So when I started writing this story, I couldn’t not hear the songs that went with it. I thought, what if the characters in the book had their own voices literally through music? That’s when it hit me: what if a novel could be heard as much as read?”

It’s a question only Jackson could ask and actually answer. The book allows readers to hear songs as they appear in the story. “For the paperback we’ve included QR codes throughout the story where the song appears (direct links to all music platforms on an e-book) so that readers can instantly listen to the tracks that align with certain scenes or characters,” she explains. “For the audiobook, we took it a step further: the music is actually woven into the narration. The tracks are part of the whole immersive experience much like a film score or a musical.”

Her confidence in crossing genres from pop to publishing to tech innovation didn’t come from comfort zones. Jackson credits her past collaborations for teaching her how to take risks. “Working with someone like Snoop was a game-changer,” she says. “It showed me what it meant to blend worlds, to find common ground through music even when you come from totally different backgrounds. That spirit of collaboration and that sense of humour and grit absolutely influenced the tone of the story. You’ll see it in the character of ‘The Most Famous Rapper in the World’ he’s not based on Snoop, but let’s just say I borrowed some of that larger-than-life charisma.”

Behind the glitz of the project lies a deeply personal truth: Jackson knows what it’s like to be stretched thin, to juggle family, art, and the expectations of the world. “While the plot is fictional, the emotional heart of it is deeply personal,” she says. “Like Stephanie Bloom, I’ve had to juggle a million roles: mom, wife, performer, businesswoman all while chasing dreams that sometimes felt a bit… delusional. I know what it’s like to be underestimated, to start again, and to fight for your creative voice.”

That battle fought with humor and resilience fuels the book’s message. “At its core, it’s about second chances, finding your voice, and refusing to let age, motherhood, or society box you in,” Jackson says. “It’s about stepping into your power, even if it looks messy or unconventional. It’s also about grief, resilience, and the beauty of reinventing yourself and doing it with humour and heart.”

But make no mistake: this isn’t just an emotional journey. It’s also a technical feat. “Syncing the timing of the book release with the music production was a bit like conducting an orchestra while tap dancing,” she says with a laugh. “Then there were the logistics of making sure QR codes worked… and that the audiobook format allowed music integration without disrupting the listening experience. It was a lot of back-and-forth with engineers, designers, and tech partners. But I had an amazing team, and we just kept pushing boundaries until it all came together.”

Like her heroine, Jackson isn’t content to stay still. She’s already imagining future chapters, sequels, new formats, fresh reinventions. “I really do feel that audiences today want more than just a book or an album; they want experiences,” she says. “We’re already used to streaming, binge-watching, interacting across platforms… So why not apply that to storytelling? For me, this is just the beginning.”

And for someone like Stacey Jackson whose career has thrived on laughter, chaos, and pure creative courage it’s easy to believe her story is only growing stronger.