Singer Songwriter takes Series to a whole new level- Sara Swenson on GIRL UNSCRIPTED

As many of you know I have served as the Producer alongside Producer/Director Tara Veneruso and other key team members for 15 years on our new doc-series, GIRL UNSCRIPTED. I want to take a minute and share some of the interviews that we have done with our teammates, and today, we will highlight our Singer Songwriter, Sara Swenson. Her songs serve as a backdrop to the entire Series, and they shape the mood and transitions throughout while expertly complimenting the music composed specifically for the Series.

Here are Sara's responses when I asked her to reflect on her experience on GIRL UNSCRIPTED.

Eric Keith: Was there something about this project that made you connect with the story?

Sara Swenson: I immediately connected with this project - a midwestern girl myself and having taught in public schools. I’ve known many similar kids who have been dealt a difficult hand in life, and the right people in their lives at the right times can create the potential for transformative outcomes. And I also know sometimes a lot of people can pour in all they can and the circumstances are just too much to overcome. It’s high-stakes, heartwarming and heartbreaking, all throughout.?

Eric: What is the inspiration for your music?

Sara: Real life is very much my musical inspiration. My stories and the stories of people around me. Music has this quality that can summon strangers and unite them with a shared response to how a song pricks at their heart in a particularly emotional way, in a way that makes you feel moved or more understood. That is the place my music comes from and where I hope it lands for other people, too.?

Eric: How do you feel that your music compliments GIRL UNSCRIPTED?

Sara: I think my music has a dynamic to it that doesn’t detract or steal attention away from the storyline but hopefully enhances the feelings and emotions that are already there.

Eric: Who are your musical influences?

Sara: Patty Griffin, Brandi Carlile, Gregory Alan Isakov, Gillian Welch, Josh Ritter, Glen Hansard - singer-songwriters that move you with their voices and melodies, with lyrics that feel real and rooted in some of the deepest and richest elements of life.?

Eric: Can you tell us a little about yourself? and your career?

Sara: I was a high school English teacher when I stumbled into the music realm on a whim and then started to find my voice as a singer-songwriter. My craft grew along with me, and it has been a companion that has ebbed and flowed with my own life events, including living abroad for a time, getting married and becoming a mother. In my music career, I’ve released four albums and four singles along the way - each of them feeling like a time capsule for my life at those points in time. I’ve also been fortunate to create and play music with artists I’ve long admired and find some success with a few TV placements. It’s all been a gift.?

Eric: If you had any message for the young women in the show what would it be?

Sara: You matter in this world. You deserve happiness and opportunity. You have gifts, talents and perspectives that no one else has. Believe these things and work toward better things ahead!

Eric: Any musicians on your music that you want to give a shout out to?

Sara: The producers I have worked with most - Don Chaffer and Greg LaFollette - are gifted humans who I feel like have always understood where I was trying to take a song and were able to help deliver it there. I’ll always be grateful for their visions and expertise in transforming my music into reality.?

Eric: How does it feel to be a part of such a unique project?

Sara: It’s fantastic! I’ve never had so much of my music featured in a single series, and I appreciate the filmmakers finding such value in my work to be using it like this.?

Eric: It seems the filmmakers really made your music the backdrop for the series- how does that feel?

Sara: It’s really an honor that they felt like my music could help bring this project to life. That these filmmakers could connect to and find new meanings with my music - that’s what I always hope will happen with my songs.?

Eric: Any hopes or goals for the series as they move forward?

Sara: I certainly hope this series gets the attention and viewership it deserves, and I hope it’s a springboard for these girls onto better things.??