SARAH SCHMALENBERGER

Hello!

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I am a musician, musicologist, teacher, and author living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

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This site is my "author platform," something that I was advised to create when I attended a workshop on publishing. Elsewhere, Ihave a website of my hornist life, with photos of the horn. No action shots here of my work as an author. What would those be, anyway? Pics of me sporting a fetching writing jacket and pipe, posing thoughtfully? Photos of me writing would be uninspiring - frowning at the computer screen; blank stares; procrastinating by making more coffee. Perhaps I should post pictures of archival stacks I've visited. I have a cool visitor's library card from an archive in St. Petersburg, Russia (more on that in the book)

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Never ever did I see myself as an author. For a long time, I didn't see myself as living to see age 25. I guess that means just about anything can happen.

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With this website, I am presenting myself as a narrative author, one writing about music in my own life. The list of my publications show my experience in writing narratives of other musicians. On stage, in the classroom, and in research, I have shared discoveries about musicians who figured out how to get around the roadblocks in their lives. From Shirley Graham to Harriett Marshall and Frank Zappa; from all-female rock bands to women musicians treated for breast cancer and female brass players, all of them clung fiercely to their musical convictions.  Now it is time I apply my musicologist's tools to explain why and how I am a musician. How I not only reached age 25 but continued on, is the narrative of my singing soul.

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When I launched research into understanding women musicians with breast cancer, I was searching for others like myself.  Now once again, I have cast my net in search of others who understand, who have survived, and who who have experienced music's power to build resilience, healing, and redemption.  

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I Know You Are Out There.  

 You, too, hear the music as I do.  

We are the MANY, not the few.  

May our songs be heard, shared, cherished.

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Stay tuned for more chapters to be uploaded at this site - and fingers crossed that my search for an agent and publisher will be successful, so that I can one day share the whole book with you!

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