Every month, I will be profiling an extraordinary human being who lives in our community. If you know someone who is doing something interesting with their life or has an inspiring story to share, I want to hear about it. Send me an email at [email protected].
There is nothing ordinary about Sawyer Lance.
“I’m weird,” claims the 17-year-old singer/songwriter. “And I don’t say that to blow smoke.”
He’s perfectly eccentric. Far from average and Sawyer will tell you that. He embraces being unique. He’s got style and grace and he’s sweet and quirky and downright adorable.
Don’t be fooled by his youthful appearance; there’s an old soul lurking within. People tell him that a lot. It’s evident in the way he presents himself. There’s an essence of maturity in the way in which he speaks. He carries himself with confidence now, although that hasn’t always been the case. Entering high school after attending a private school was a difficult adjustment. Took some getting used to but in the end it forced him to come out of his shell.
“There’s definitely been points in my life where I felt I needed to fit in,” he says. “I’d buy specific clothes and try to be a certain way to do that. But that didn’t make me happy. In the end, it’s about being a good person and surrounding myself with people who make me feel good and that I be weird around and I can say crazy things and not feel judged.”
Sawyer is an aspiring musician. And for a kid who hasn’t even been around for two decades, it’s safe to say that he is already raising the vibration of the planet. His music is powerful. It’s soulful and his lyrics are raw and honest and captivating.
He sings and strums and you can’t help but be in awe at the fact that this is just a teenage boy. It’s a gift Sawyer’s been tapping into since he was just a small boy and the evolution of his music has transcended naturally.
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I was humming tunes before I could talk.
The guitar has been his baby since he first picked it up four years ago. He took piano lessons for five years and could never get the hang of reading sheet music. Plus, he isn’t big on teachers. He’s more inclined to learn by ear and sight.
At first, he says, he wasn’t good at the guitar. But he’ll attest to the fact that practice certainly does make perfect and the more he played the better he got. The guitar has always felt like a natural extension of his body, unlike the piano. The connection was instant.
“I love the ability to be able to pick up guitar, strap it on and move. Just swaying and moving around with it and being able to find a chord progression that I love. Then I’ll start humming a melody and I’ll keep it going from there. All that leads to thought process and creation.”
To write a song just to put it out there wouldn’t be typical style for Sawyer. He wants his music to have a positive impact in the world. To touch people on an emotional level. He is all about heart and soul. It can take him weeks to finish a song. It’s a process. His single, Watch Your Step, earned him a spot on Hunters Bay Radio’s Top 20. When his tune climbed to Number 1, Sawyer was beyond thrilled. It ignited excitement on a whole new level.
It felt so amazing. To have that recording on live and to feel the message I was trying to send was actually getting received was really humbling. It helped bring more musical opportunities. I think the goal of any musician is to keep the opportunities coming. To keep doing what they love until they get to a point where their message reaches everybody.
Sawyer has taken the stage at the Algonquin Theatre for a few shows and that has been a dream for him. He participated in Huntsville’s Got Talent two years in a row and walked away both times with a $100 prize. He also teamed up with his musician mother last year for the Random Acts of Kindness charity event at the theatre.
“When you have dreams about music you’re picturing yourself on a stage. It was the stage at the Algonquin Theatre and having that audience that was really incredible.”
For Sawyer, the burning desire to create has always been there. It’s just become more defined as he continues to grow as an artist and hone his craft. Support is paramount in the business, he’s already learned that.
He’s working on writing a full album right now and he’s about to release two new singles with HBR. He’s at a point in his young life where he feels confident and energized and his music reflects that. He will keep pushing himself to get his music out there in the world. It’s not work when you love what you do. Regardless, like the song says, it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
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Nicole Duquette says
Sawyer Lance is such an amazing and talented musician! He will go far in his career!