Archived · Jazz and Beyond · Jazz · 4 min read
Sarah McCallum's High 5
Sarah McCallum's High 5 "Miss Little is all about presenting the story of the song, in whatever way that blossoms. Sometimes it's pretty and sometimes…
This date is the archive capture date; the original publication date was unavailable.
Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2018-02-24.
“Miss Little is all about presenting the story of the song, in whatever way that blossoms. Sometimes it’s pretty and sometimes it’s challenging for the listener but it is always about being honest.”
So says Sydney based Miss Little front woman Sarah McCallum who is an accomplished composer, arranger and producer. And it is Sarah’s songs that are starting to make a name for Miss Little. Late in 2010 she won the Crowded House lyric writing competition after Neil Finn and band ran a global competition where they put up the backing track of a song they were working on minus any lyrics or melody.
The competition was to finish the song adding melody and vocals to the band’s track - and Sarah’s entry won. The band was so impressed by Sarah’s vocals that they asked her to get up on stage with them at the Hordern Pavillion in Sydney earlier this year.
Not your usual pop musician, Sarah grew up in New Zealand and made a name for herself as an award winning choral composer. Her father is a folk singer and her brother a saxophone playing dance musician, but it was her mother’s Classical violin playing and piano teaching that introduced Sarah to the classical world. She gained ATCL in oboe at the very young age of 15 and also topped the country in both school certificate and Bursary music (HSC Equivalent). She was the first person to receive the NZ secondary students choral composing award and gained a BMUS from Auckland Uni.
Sarah’s pieces have been sung by choirs around the world and her work “The Moon’s Glow Once Lit” featured on the 2006 Voices NZ CD, which won best classical album at the NZ music awards. In 2007 Sarah received a silver medal at the New York advertising awards for the music she composed for the Allblacks “Black Blood” campaign.
Sarah has provided string and brass arrangements to many Australian albums including Andy Walton, Uncle Jed and Johanna Cranitch and produced E.P’s for the Rougue Balloon, Katie Merryweather, Johanna Cranitch and Rosie Catalano. Sarah is also featured singing on Mr Percival’s album “Microphones”.
1. MICHAEL JACKSON – 1996
I was 12 and my dad took me to see Michael Jackson. It was awesome. I remember the theatrics and the sense of showmanship. I had never seen anything else like it. There was one point in the show where a giant tank came on stage and a little girl walks up to it and puts a flower in the end of the gun shaft - very cheesy but some-what powerful!
2. ELTON JOHN/BILLY JOEL – 1997?
My friend’s dad was doing sound for Elton John and I got to go and sit in the sound booth. I met Billy Joel who was really funny. Elton John wasn’t feeling very well so alas I didn’t get to meet him but I still have a guitar pick from his guitarist Davey Johnstone who hang out with us a lot. Seeing two of the greatest piano/singers together really influenced me to start writing piano/vocal songs.
3. KRONOS QUARTET – Auckland Town Hall, 2005
This blew my mind. I love string quartet music but this was on another level. The combination of styles that this “classical” group embodies opened my mind to how music doesn’t need to be put in strict genres all the time. They had their instruments running through distortion pedals at one point and the sound really pricked my ears up. Distortion in a supposed classical concert? Yes please!
4. JACKIE ORSZACZKY – At @Newtown 2006
This was one of the first gigs I went to when I moved to Sydney and I always remember it. It was a Tuesday night, the place was packed, everyone was dancing their arses off, and the band sounded amazing! Hamish Stuart was on drums and Dave Symes was on Bass. Clayton Doley rocked up with a leslie speaker and organ on a trolley and I knew then that Sydney had a lot to offer musically!
5. MATT KEEGAN TRIO MEETS DAVE ADES – Venue 505 2011
There are so many gigs I could name but I wanted to talk about a very recent one. I am biased as Matt is in my band Miss Little but the music he is making currently with this line up is so thoughtful, beautiful and well orchestrated. The first time I heard these songs live I was so enthralled. Dave Ades and Matt (Two of Australia’s best saxophonists) have this incredible energy and connection when they play together and backed by Dave Goodman on drums and Cam Undy on bass, you can’t really go wrong!
