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Sara HickmanSara Hickman (born March 1, 1963 in Jacksonville, North Carolina) is an American singer-songwriter living in Austin, Texas. She is a guitar player and mother. She grew up in Houston, Texas, the daughter of artistic parents -- a mother who was a weaver, a father who was a painting professor. Her household was filled with interactive creativity: writing, painting, jars of clay. There was never a dull moment! At seven, she started to play the guitar, which became her best friend. She wrote her first song at 8, performed it on stage, and won an award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was hooked as a singer-songwriter from that moment on. From 1978-1981, Sara attended Houston’s High School for Performing & Visual Arts as a vocal major, and during that time she began to perform at bank openings, in psychiatric units for other teens, at weddings, and even at a pizza parlour on Friday nights. She was a member of many bands, from folk to rock, and discovered she had a love of performing for children, as well. From 1981 to 1986, Sara attended the University of North Texas in Denton, receiving a B.A. in Fine Arts. She planned on becoming an art director, but had garnered a following of fans of her music through club performances (to pay for her art supplies). Upon graduation, she moved to Dallas and began to pursue her dream: to become a recording artist and musical entertainer. It was in Dallas that Sara Hickman created her first album—Equal Scary People—on her own. Her effort won awards from the Dallas Observer and landed her a deal with Elektra Records. She released her next album in 1990: Shortstop was produced by Sara and David Kershenbaum (Tracy Chapman, Joe Jackson). After touring, appearances on VH1 (as a countdown host and in music videos) and the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Sara recorded her third album. Elektra made a decision to shelve the recordings and drop the album. Sara's fans rallied together and ponied up almost $50,000 to help buy the album's masters back. It was a moving testimony to the loyal support she had earned from her performances. The album was titled Necessary Angels and released on the Discovery label. During this time in Sara’s life, she began her extensive involvement in community issues. As chair of the Dallas Dance for Life, she helped raise over $43,000; she visited Romania to deliver clothing and supplies to orphans; produced, directed, and shot her first video, Joy, which won first place in the USA Film Festival; and started a side project: Domestic Science Club, a three-part girl group that mixed the best of the Andrews Sisters with the Roches. The group released two CDs, Domestic Science Club and Three Women. Sara was actively involved in music and art therapy with ARTS (Artistic and Recreational Therapies), visiting children, AIDS patients, stroke victims and other hospital patients, using her talents to help the healing process. In 1994, Sara moved to Austin, Texas. During 1995, she toured the United States with Nanci Griffith and Dan Fogelberg. In 1996, she self-produced Misfits, a collection of "odds and ends" from her musical career. That year, Sara’s life changed in two more ways: she gave birth to her first daughter, Lily, and went through a divorce. In 1998, Two Kinds of Laughter came to light, produced by Adrian Belew, esteemed guitarist of King Crimson, David Bowie and Frank Zappa. Spiritual Appliances was released in 2000. Produced by Sara, the album explores thirteen different emotions and how people deal with them. While exploring these emotions in the creation of the CD, Sara experienced many first hand: she married a man named Lance, and toured into her eighth month of pregnancy with her second daughter, ioLana. During the years 2001 and 2002, Sara produced and released six more CDs on her Sleeveless imprint: the limited edition pressing of one flower to the left, which sold out within a few months; a CD version of her highly popular "official bootleg" audio cassette Ready to Pop; a reissue of her "Just One Race" single; the reissue of her popular Equal Scary People; a holiday CD, This Christmas Wish; and her romantic Faithful Heart, which was released on St. Valentine's Day 2002. In 1997, Sara was profoundly intrigued by a parenting class, and returned to become a certified instructor. While teaching Redirecting Children's Behavior, Sara was struck by the parents who were unsure how to be spontaneous, creative or musical with their children. In 2000, she released Newborn, a CD designed to help parents sing to their children. In 2001, she followed up with Toddler, a collection of songs, stories and poetry that teaches counting, colors, animals, sounds and geography. In 2004, the third in Sara's children's series was born: Big Kid is targeted towards children who are learning to read, write, explore and create. The reaction to the series has included accolades and awards, and Sara hopes to create music videos for children, as well. "Look At Me", sung by Sara's daughter Lily, was featured on American Idol in January, 2005. Newborn raised over $50,000 for the Hill Country Youth Ranch in Ingram, Texas, a safe haven for severely abused and neglected children; and the Mautner Project, which helps lesbians with cancer. The Hill Country Youth Ranch has opened the Sara Hickman Children’s Fund, which accepts matching grants and buys musical instruments, dance shoes, and art supplies for the children of the ranch. In the fall of 2000, Sara, her husband Lance Schriner (photographer/designer), photographer Todd Wolfson and designer Neil Ferguson founded Stingray, a design group. To date, they have created CD packaging and posters for such artists as Ian Moore, Tish Hinojosa, Christine Albert & Chris Gage, the First United Methodist Chapel Chorale, the Will Taylor String Quartet and Sara herself. In 2004, Sara released a six-hour DVD compilation of performances, music videos, talk show appearances, and other ephemera from her long career. Entitled I Am Going On a Journey, proceeds from the limited edition DVD benefit the Kurt and Gerda Klein Foundation which works to promote tolerance and end hunger. Hickman has been awarded the prestigious Humana Women Helping Women Award for her generous time and contributions to such organizations as Safe Place, Habitat for Humanity, House the Homeless, the SPCA, Race for the Cure, and many other animal and human rights organizations. She was also made an honorary member of the National Association of Music Therapy for her work. She is currently on the board of directors for the Mother's Milk Bank of Austin, helping raise funds and awareness of the need for breast milk for premature infants. In 2001, she organized the talent for the yearly Rockin’ The Cradle benefit, with proceeds going to the MMB. She currently serves or has served on: the board of directors of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization noted for the Grammys); the advisory board for ARTS; honorary chair of the Humana Women Helping Women Awards. She was also honorary chair of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and has been named honorary chair of the Austin Race for the Cure. Wal-Mart, Daisy Sour Cream, Southwest Airlines, Fannie Mae, Half-Price Books and many others are also part of Sara's portfolio—she sings national commercials, too. With all Sara finds herself involved in, she still spends the majority of her time with her children. She can be found at home having a picnic in the backyard with her girls or helping them paint a mural in their room. She attends field trips with her children, and teaches art and music. Hickman loves to bowl (her high score is 197), paint murals (she finished one for the Dallas YMCA last summer), garden, occasionally write articles for books and magazines, and hanging out with her husband doing absolutely nothing but holding hands. Discography Compilations - KGSR Volume 1
- KGSR Volume 2
- KGSR Volume 6
- Broken Wings Can Fly
- Domestic Science Club
- Three Women (Domestic Science Club)
- The Women of Kerrville
- Peeing in the Snow
- Legacy: A Collection of New Folk Artists
- Texas Songwriters
- The Best of Mountain Stage Live, Volume 2
- Texans Live from Mountain Stage
- The Remembering
- Healing Hearts 2
- The Worst
- Sign of Truth (Tish Hinojosa)
- Juliet (Colin Boyd)
- Big League Babe: The Christine Lavin Tribute Pt. 2
- Airdream Believer: A Retrospective (John Stewart)
- Employee of the Month (Austin Lounge Lizards)
- Rubaiyat - Elektra's 40th Anniversary
- KERA Sound Sessions
- The Met
- Arachnophobia Soundtrack
- Just One Race
- Romania
- Love is a Four Legged Word
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