Talented U of T alumnus Sarah Slean will return home this evening (Thursday) for a special students-only show at Hart House’s Arbour Room.
While her evocative lyrics and musical virtuosity are garnering ever-wider acclaim, Slean still stays close to her roots with frequent local engagements.
In love with the piano ever since she was three, Slean says she couldn’t bring herself to do anything but play.
She turned away her parents’ efforts to find her another hobby no matter what extracurricular activity they placed her in— “the only thing I liked was the piano,” she says.
Slean studied music at the St. George campus for a year before deciding to pursue her professional career, and has developed not only as a talented songwriter but a composer as well, crafting complex string arrangements that turn each song into a custom-made fairytale.
“Sometimes people ask who my songs are about,” Slean explains. “And I have to tell them, honestly, it’s not about anybody in particular. It’s a story I dreamed or disguised political beliefs or some fantasy I made up.”
Over the years she has released two independent albums, Universe and Blue Parade. Her songs have been played on television shows such as Dawson’s Creek and Murder in Small Town X, and the recent film Joy Ride.
Opening for Slean is Rachel Smith, a Toronto-based artist who has been compared to Bjørk, Sarah Harmer and P.J. Harvey. Smith is currently touring to support her album The Clearing. She is influenced by a wide range of music, including tangos, country croons, electronic treatments, ambient musings, folk anthems and aggressive pop.
The show will begin at 8:30 p.m.
