Queens Scene

Meet Astoria

Sara Hurwitz

 

 

Sara Hurwitz aka “Sara No H” is a 29-year-old singer-songwriter living in Astoria. Post-pandemic life is sweet: in this year alone, she released 3 original songs & started working full-time as a children’s music teacher with Fiddle Foxes.

Sara moved to Queens from Baltimore in 2018 and quickly fell in love with the Queens music scene – especially the Astoria Music Collective. She’s a staple of their shows and festivals, and she is known for hyping other artists & supporting her friends. The Shillelagh Tavern is her favorite venue. It was there she met Tracy Thorne, co-founder of Fiddle Foxes with Jaclyn Dima, and decided to join them in teaching music.

Working with children is very rewarding for Sara. She is a survivor of early childhood trauma, and she believes music is very important to healing, as well as bringing love and light to young minds.

By day she sings “5 Little Monkeys” & “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” by night, Sara works on original songs, either solo or with her alternative rock band, Careless Critters. Producer (and fellow Astorian) Erich Rastetter is her creative partner. Their friend, drummer & guitarist Joe O’Connell, composes with them long-distance from Charlotte.

 

 

QS: What made you want to become a singer?

SH: It’s the writing that I love! My passion is connecting over the ideas in the songs; if music helps me process emotions and solve problems, maybe my songs can help others too. For over a decade, songs compulsively popped into my head. I never stop writing – I scribble lyrics in the store, on the bus, at the office… and after years I decided to be brave and perform.

I cried out of fear onstage at my first mic in 2015. Sure, I had sung in choirs before, but only harmonizing in the background. Suddenly I was alone on stage, playing the keyboard shakily and singing a breakup song (“I’m your candy bar / Eat me up and discard me / Eroded your sweet tooth, left behind the cavity.”) Shout-out to the people of the Ashland Cafe who encouraged me. They felt my message. They laughed at my words. Over the years I gained confidence as I mastered the guitar and learned that people like my singing voice too!

QS: What is the creative process like when writing a song? Where do you get ideas for lyrics?

SH: Lyrics and melodies pop into my head spontaneously. Usually a small piece, then I figure out the rest, like a puzzle. I tend to write about attachment issues, spirituality, love, trauma, politics, and shifting perspectives. Singing is a way to comfort my traumatized inner child and let her know that everything is going to be OK. We can go over the darkest observations of the world and still find something worth living for. No matter how bad things get, you can always sing about it.

QS: Who are some of your favorite musicians/singers

SH: Modest Mouse, Fleet Foxes, and Vampire Weekend. Call me a basic millennial hipster. Favorite music out of Astoria? The band Believe in Ghost and the singer-songwriter Jo Malbec.

QS: How do you keep up with current trends in music education?

SH: The best resource is other teachers! Shadowing colleague’s classes is amazing to see how they’re connecting with kids and getting them excited about music. All the teachers in Fiddle Foxes have a group thread where we send videos and notes back and forth. Also, never stop Googling you can always learn new songs & find the best activities to keep them engaged. National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has a blog “Music in a Minuet” – isn’t that cute?

QS: What are some of your favorite places and things to do in Astoria?

SH: The Shillelagh Tavern is my favorite spot for live music. It’s a community hub for musicians, especially in the rock and folk scene. Rusty always makes us feel welcome. Then there’s The Local Bar, which has a fantastic comedy mic night every Tuesday. And of course, Astoria Park is my anchor. I feel very spiritually charged and centered when I’m there. Leading Mommy-and-Me classes there has been wonderful; the kids have so much fun.

What makes Astoria special is the people. The artists here love and support each other and it’s beautiful. All of those places – Shill, The Local, Astoria Park…they’re places radiating with the love we share.

Stream “You Do Grateful” by Sara No H on all streaming services; and follow her @saranoh.music or @fiddlefoxes— Melissa Mennona

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.