Sarah Thawer: This Toronto drummer has an amazing gift
A true transcendent talent
While some instrumentalist stick to a particular style, Sarah Thawer grabbed our attention with her amazing versatility and dexterity in just about any situation musically. The drummer based out of Toronto has been able to stand out as she seamlessly dips into forms spanning from Gospel and Latin to Hip Hop, R&B and Funk. Her unique talent has attracted a rapidly expanding fanbase, as evidenced by her following on Instagram. We were interested in her story and reached out to Sarah, as she explained the origins of her style on the drums, and how her influences were already shaping her before she could even walk. This one's a must read. Enjoy!
Q: What was your upbringing like? How did it shape you as a musician?
A: I started playing drums at age 2. I grew up in a house filled with instruments. My father is a musician and he would have keyboards, tabla, drum kit, microphones, dholak, harmonium, congas, bongos and a lot more laying around the house. He would always have rehearsals, or be listening to music around the house so I would always sit, watch and join in. When I was a kid, we would go to family parties and I never interacted with anyone. I would take his drum machine with my headphones (specifically his Boss DR-660 Dr Rhythm), and make beats for hours. I was lucky that he exposed to me to a lot of music growing up. Whether it was from indian classical to semi classical, to folk, to Bollywood, to Ghazals, to Qawwalis, etc. My parents would force my twin sister and I to listen to music that most of our friends weren’t listening to. For many years my parents used to make us fall asleep listening to albums every night. Everyday my father would baby sit us with blasting records and my sister and I would be playing drums, percussion and singing in microphones. Additionally, this led to my first performance on stage at age 5. My parents also forced me to take piano lessons (western classical) for over 10 years, along with singing lessons (western and indian classical), which I am grateful that I did.
"I am inspired by a variety of percussionists and other instrumentalists as well. All music inspires me."
Playing at a very early age exposed me to playing on different stages, gaining experience, learning different genres of music as well as playing a variety of instruments. In terms of drums, I was self taught and learned by listening to records, watching and imitating. My father always challenged my intuition and put me on the spot. We would be on stage and I would ask him what the next song was, and he would say “I’m not sure, just follow me”. It always kept me on my toes and taught me how to pick up things quickly.
Q: Where does your inspiration come from? What would you say separates you from other drummers?
A: My grandparents, prayer, laughter, humility, honesty, happiness, innocence, community, struggle, vulnerability, smiles, fun, morals, life itself, all inspire me when I play and write. I am also inspired by a long list of drummers, such as: Justin Tyson, Dennis Chambers, Larnell Lewis, Robert Sput Searight, Maison Guidry, Tony Williams, Dave Weckl, Dafnis Prieto, Nate Smith, Gergo Bolai, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jamison Ross, Louis Cato, and many many more. I am inspired by a variety of percussionists and other instrumentalists as well. All music inspires me. One of the things I love about drums and drummers, is that each drummer is so unique and has their own voice. We have the ability to adjust our setup; add or take away as many cymbals and toms for instance. We get to make our setup so that it becomes an extension of us. I say this to say that every drummer has their own voice. What separates me from other drummers or what separates each drummer is our own voice.
"In terms of drums, I was self taught and learned by listening to records, watching and imitating."
Q: What’s been some of your most memorable accomplishments so far as far as music goes?
A: The most recent accomplishment for me is that I played on two JUNO nominated (Canadian Grammy’s) albums. Additionally, October 2017 was a very important month for me because I had a lot of ‘firsts’. Right after I came back from touring with a band from Montreal to New York and Philadelphia, I debuted my solo drum show in Kitchner, Ontario. The following week I debuted my band for the Women in Percussion festival in Toronto. That same weekend I gave a drum clinic and the week after I played at my first drum festival (at the Ralph Angelillo International Drum Festival in Quebec for the Yamaha Latin World Groove Hour) playing two tunes with the band, then playing alongside incredible drummers Dafnis Prieto and Marito Marques. A few days later I got to meet and chat with AR Rahman after sharing the stage with him in 2015 and being invited to play with him at Coke Studio a few years back. A few days later I got to chat with DrumGab on my first podcast, and then ended the month by going to Brussels, Belgium to be a judge for a drum competition. Another memorable moment was playing at Koerner Hall in Toronto in 2015, for the concert “Encuentros” by Soundstreams. The concert featured Brazilian guitarist Fabio Zanon, Argentinian bandoneon player Hector Del Curto, Colombian singer Maria Mulata, Russian flamenco and classical guitarist Grisha Goryachev, bassist Jeffrey Beecher and pianist Serouj Kradjian.
Q: Who are some musicians you’d like to work with? If you could build a dream band, who would be along side you?
A: I have an extremely long list of musicians that I dream of working with someday. I also have written down a lot of versions of my dream band. This article would be too long if I were to list all the names! :-)
Q: What’s on the horizon for you? Any projects/show etc you’d like to tell us about?A: Along with playing, touring and recording with various artists and groups, I am currently writing more original music, and hoping to bring that music in the studio soon. Follow me on Instagram and all the social media fun to stay updated with my musical journey: @sarahtdrumguru :-)