April 2009 Issue of Jazz Improv

I have been featured in the April 2009 “Vocal Lovers’ Celebration” Issue of Jazz Improv (PDF).  My profile appears on page 36 (of 98) in the .pdf file.

See text below:

Sarah DeLeo
By Gary Heimbauer

On balance and fulfillment in life 

Early on, I learned that if I put all of my eggs in one basket, that basket being singing, I would drive myself insane. I found that to sustain myself through the ups and downs of being an artist I needed consistency in other areas of my life. My husband and I have been together for a long time, and I am very lucky to be in a long term relationship with a partner who supports my career, although I’m sure he really didn’t know what he was getting himself into when we started dating!! This personal stability provides me a lot of emotional and financial security. I never had to worry about dating or where I was going to live. I could just focus on singing. Prior to having a child, I always worked a day job. I know that many people didn’t understand my choice, but working in an office provided me invaluable financial and emotional security. There were disadvantages, but to me the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. Given the expense associated with being a self-producing artist, it was always important for me to have money. While working during the day, I was never short of money and funded both my CD projects from savings from my day job. Now that I am a full-time caregiver, the tables have turned somewhat and music now provides the balance in my life. Nowadays when I am practicing, or gigging, or at someone else’s gig, it’s “me” time. I am very excited about the release of my second CD, I’m in Heaven Tonight. It is a wonderful feeling to realize all the ideas in my head, to work with great people, and to see the project through to completion. When I started singing standards as a child, I had a feeling deep in my gut that this was who I was. You just know it. The only other time I had this feeling in my life was when I went out on my first date with my husband. Being a singer is who I am and what I do, and luckily I was blessed with God-given talent. 

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