Sally Taylor (musician)

Last updated
Sally Taylor
Born
Sarah Maria Taylor

(1974-01-07) January 7, 1974 (age 50)
New York City, U.S. [1]
Education Tabor Academy, Brown University
Occupations
  • Artist
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • writer
  • educator
Years active1994–present
Spouses
Dean Bragonier
(m. 2003)
    Children1
    Parents
    Relatives
    Musical career
    Genres
    Labels
    • Blue Elbow
    Formerly of
    Website sallytaylor.com

    Sally Taylor (born January 7, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter, artist, musician, writer, and educator. She has released three studio albums. Her songs have appeared in the films Anywhere but Here , Interview , Adventureland , and Me, Myself & Irene . She has performed on The Oprah Winfrey Show , The Martha Stewart Show , and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . [2] [3] [4]

    Contents

    Taylor is the founder of the art organization Consenses, and created the social-emotional learning (SEL) Consenses Classroom. [5] [6] She is an advocate and educator for youth with dyslexia, and has spoken publicly about her own struggles with dyslexia, including giving a TEDx talk in Nashville, Tennessee. [7]

    She taught songwriting and performance at Berklee College of Music. She is also a philanthropist who has worked toward addressing the problem of landmines in Southeast Asia. [8]

    Early life

    Sarah Maria Taylor was born on January 7, 1974, in New York City, to James Taylor and Carly Simon. [1] She attended Tabor Academy and began writing songs as a teenager. When asked about her mother's role in learning how to write songs, she said, "I asked my mom 'can you show me how to write a song?' and she said 'Sal, if you're meant to write songs you'll just know how to do it'." [9]

    She played with various bands in high school, and was a co-founder of the student rock band The Slip.

    While attending Brown University, Taylor taught herself to play the guitar and performed as a solo artist. [10]

    At 20 years old, she survived a plane crash in Peru, motivating her to organize and record all of her songs, which led to the recording of her first album, Tomboy Bride. [11] [12] [13]

    Career

    Taylor is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, artist, writer, educator, and philanthropist. As a musical artist, she has been in several music groups as well as having a solo career. She toured extensively in her solo career and had several songs featured in film and television. She has performed on talk shows such as the Oprah Winfrey Show.

    She is a former educator at the Berklee School of Music, and created the award-winning social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, Consenses Classroom. Taylor is an educator and advocate for youth with dyslexia. She was awarded the Hamilton School Life Achievement Award by the Wheeler School, along with her husband Dean Bragonier, for overcoming the challenges of learning differences. Taylor has spoken publicly on the topic at TEDx Nashville and the Dyslexic Advantage Leadership Conference. [14]

    Taylor is the founder of Consenses, a global, multidisciplinary, artistic collaboration where artists of different disciplines use one another's work as a catalyst for their own original pieces, resulting in an artistic chain reaction. She co-founded the Tranquility Project, a non-profit organization, that raised money to remove land mines in Southeast Asia and provide assistance to land mine victims.

    Taylor, who is vegan, converted a Volkswagen van, called "Sally in the Raw", into a food cart featuring vegan and raw foods. [15] [16]

    Taylor is a singer, songwriter, musician (guitar), and recording artist. In addition to her solo career, she is a former member of The Slip and The Boogies. [17] She turned down offers from major labels and in 1998, formed the indie record label Blue Elbow, through which she released three studio albums, Tomboy Bride (1999), Apt. #6S (2000), and Shotgun (2001). [18]

    She toured extensively throughout the US (1999–2002) with her five-piece Colorado-based band, playing 200 shows a year. The band was composed of Chris Soucy (guitars/vocals); Kenny Castro (bass); and Brian McRae, Kyle Comerford, and Dean Oldencott (drummers). [19] Taylor wrote Tails From the Road 1998-2002 documenting her tour, including performing shows with her brother Ben and crew. [20] [21]

    Taylor retired from touring at age 30, moved to Boston, and began teaching music at the Berklee College of Music. [22]

    In 2012, Taylor founded Consenses, a global, multidisciplinary, artistic collaboration where artists of different disciplines use one another's work as a catalyst for their own original pieces, resulting in an artistic chain reaction. Hundreds of artists have participated, including Jimmy Buffett, Natasha Bedingfield, Carly Simon, James Taylor, BalletBoyz, and Michael Nunn. [23] Taylor was featured in the 2014 documentary Consenses - The Story by Erica Hill. [24] Taylor also created the award-winning social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum Consenses Classroom, in collaboration with Harvard Graduate School of Education graduate students. [25]

    While traveling in Cambodia in 2002, Taylor and her husband Dean Bragonier visited the Angkor National Museum. where they met a nine-year-old girl who had lost a limb. She told them that she would never be able to marry because of her maiming. They were so moved by the experience that they formed the Tranquility Project, a non-profit organization that raised money to remove land mines in Southeast Asia and provide assistance to land mine victims. [26] She appeared on the CD Too Many Years to benefit Clear Path International's work with land mine survivors.

    In 2007, Taylor hosted a charity concert in her home of Boulder, Colorado, with singer-songwriter Wendy Woo and the band Something Underground, made up of brothers Seth and Josh Larson. Taylor has joined the band in the last few years, traveling through the Midwest and Southeast Asia twice, performing charity concerts. [27]

    Personal life

    Taylor is married to Dean Bragonier. On October 4, 2007, she gave birth to a son, Bodhi Taylor Bragonier. [28]

    Both she and her husband have been diagnosed with dyslexia. [29] Her son also has dyslexia, and has been the inspiration behind funding other families with similar NoticeAbility diagnoses. [30]

    As the daughter of singer-songwriters James Taylor and Carly Simon, Taylor's birth was mentioned in the song "Sarah Maria" on James Taylor's 1975 album Gorilla . Carly Simon's album Hotcakes , released in January 1974, contains a song called "Think I'm Gonna Have a Baby", and the cover photo is a study of a pregnant Simon.

    Taylor graduated from Tabor Academy, a college-preparatory boarding school in Marion, Massachusetts. She attended Brown University, studying medical anthropology. [18]

    Taylor and her family now reside in Halifax, Nova Scotia. [31]

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">James Taylor</span> American musician (born 1948)

    James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Carole King</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1942)

    Carole King Klein is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has been active since 1958. One of the most successful female songwriters of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, she wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1962 and 2005.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Carly Simon</span> American musician (born 1943)

    Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American musician, singer, songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation" (No. 13), "The Right Thing to Do" (No. 17), "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" (No. 14), "You Belong to Me" (No. 6), "Coming Around Again" (No. 18), and her four Gold-certified singles "You're So Vain" (No. 1), "Mockingbird", "Nobody Does It Better" (No. 2) from the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, and "Jesse" (No. 11). She has authored two memoirs and five children's books.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucinda Williams</span> American musician, singer and songwriter

    Lucinda Gayl Williams[a] is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, Ramblin' on My Mind (1979) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that received critical praise but little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, Lucinda Williams, to widespread critical acclaim. Regarded as "an Americana classic", the album also features "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her 1992 album Come On Come On, which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Williams released her fourth album, Sweet Old World, four years later in 1992. Sweet Old World was met with further critical acclaim, and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of prominent music critics. Robert Christgau, the poll's creator, ranked it 6th on his own year-end list, later writing that the album, as well as Lucinda Williams, were "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimee Mann</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1960)

    Aimee Elizabeth Mann is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects. Mann's work with the producer Jon Brion in the 1990s was influential on American alternative rock.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Cole</span> American singer (born 1968)

    Paula Dorothy Cole is an American singer-songwriter and producer. After gaining attention for her performances as a vocalist on Peter Gabriel's 1993–1994 Secret World Tour, she released her first album, Harbinger, which suffered from a lack of promotion when the label, Imago Records, folded shortly after its release. Her second album, This Fire (1996), brought her worldwide acclaim, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart and producing two hit singles, the triple-Grammy nominated "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?", which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, and "I Don't Want to Wait", which was used as the theme song of the television show Dawson's Creek. Cole was a featured performer in the 1996 prototype mini-tour for Lilith Fair, and also was a headliner for Lilith Fair in 1997 and 1998. She won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1998, and also became the first woman ever to be nominated for "Producer of the Year" in her own right in that same year.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Livingston Taylor</span> Musical artist

    Livingston Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer Alex Taylor, and innkeeper and singer Hugh Taylor. Taylor is most notable for his Billboard hits "I Will Be In Love With You", "First Time Love", and "I'll Come Running".

    <i>Come Upstairs</i> 1980 studio album by Carly Simon

    Come Upstairs is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records on June 16, 1980.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Dennen</span> American musician

    Brett Michael Dennen is an American folk/pop singer-songwriter from Central California. His seventh studio album, See the World was released in July 2021.

    <i>Into White</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Carly Simon

    Into White is the 21st studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Columbia Records, on January 2, 2007.

    "Mockingbird" is a 1963 song written and recorded by Inez and Charlie Foxx, based on the lullaby "Hush, Little Baby".

    <i>Never Been Gone</i> 2009 studio album by Carly Simon

    Never Been Gone is the 23rd studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Iris Records, on October 27, 2009.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse (song)</span> 1980 single by Carly Simon

    "Jesse" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon. Produced by Mike Mainieri, the song served as the lead single from Simon's ninth studio album, Come Upstairs (1980).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Grove (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter

    Emily Grove is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Wall, New Jersey. Her sound has been described as alternative folk. Emily Grove is active in the Asbury Park music scene in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Emily Grove was the recipient of the 2011 and 2012 Asbury Music Awards for Best Female Acoustic Act, and 2011 and 2012 Jersey Acoustic Music Awards for Top Female Vocalist and Top Female Songwriter. She has played with and opened for Glen Burtnik, Willie Nile, Ari Hest, Rhett Miller, Marshall Crenshaw, Dan Reed Network, and John Lefler. Grove has toured the UK and US opening for and playing with David Ford. Grove also performs in venues ranging from well known New Jersey music venues such as The Saint and the Stone Pony through music venues in New York City and Boston.

    Wendy Woo is a singer/songwriter in Colorado. She is also known for her guitar work, especially using her acoustic guitar as a percussion instrument. Woo is one of a small number of Colorado performers to win the Westword Music Awards five times.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Madilyn Bailey</span> American singer & songwriter (born 1992)

    Madilyn Bailey Wold, commonly known as Madilyn Bailey and Madilyn, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and YouTube personality. She has appeared on multiple TV live shows in France to promote her cover singles and she also promoted her original single "Tetris" on the American TV show Today in 2018. As of February 2024, she has about 9.6 million subscribers on YouTube.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Carly Pearce</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1990)

    Carly Pearce is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her material contains elements of both traditional and contemporary country-pop music. Pearce began performing professionally in her teens, appearing on several albums of bluegrass material in the 2000s. After moving to Nashville, Tennessee, she began gaining more widespread notice.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanjeeta Bhattacharya</span> Indian singer

    Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is a Grammy-nominated Indian singer, songwriter and actor.

    References

    1. 1 2 "Carly Simon Gives Birth to Child" , Alexander Daily Town Talk, Page 11, January 8, 1972
    2. "Celebrated Singers". Oprah. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    3. "Alone Together - Carly Simon". Carly Simon. September 8, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
    4. "Carly Simon Live 2015 Mockingbird / I Can't Thank You Enough with Ben & Sally Taylor". Carly Simon. Dec 23, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
    5. "Sally Taylor On Building "Consenses"". GBH News. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
    6. "Sally Taylor - 2015 Awards Gala". The Lab School of Washington. November 30, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    7. "The beautiful dilemma of our separateness - Sally Taylor". TEDx Nashville. May 5, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    8. "Ben and Sally Taylor". Times Argus. July 15, 2005. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    9. "Showbiz Today Star of Tomorrow - Singer/songwriter Sally Taylor by Lori Blackman". CNN. November 1, 2000. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    10. "Sally Taylor Ventures Into the Music World Despite Her Parents' Advice", Citizens' Voice Page 27, July 6, 2001
    11. "Sally Taylor, talented singer, songwriter, artist, teacher, creator @ 31:34". Brother Podcast. August 18, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    12. "Sally Taylor follows in the footsteps of her famous parents - The daughter also rises by Scott Mervis" , Pittsburgh Post- Gazette Page 86, June 4, 1999
    13. "Feature - Sally Taylor". James Taylor. 26 March 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    14. "Dyslexic Advantage Leadership Conference 2015 - Musician Artist Sally Taylor - My Dyslexia Journey to Unity". Dyslexic Advantage. November 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    15. "Consumed by Marty Jones". Westword. July 22, 2004. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
    16. "Sally in the Raw". Sally Taylor. July 22, 2004. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
    17. "The Cat in the Hat bu Al Kamen". Washington Post. September 19, 1997. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    18. 1 2 "Sally Taylor Rocks Gently Like Her Parents". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
    19. "Sally Taylor Gives a Lesson on Fame by Danielle Dreilinger". Berklee College of Music. May 19, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    20. "Ben, Sally Taylor Pay Tribute to Parents by Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein". Boston Globe. August 28, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    21. "ONE THE ROAD W/BEN TAYLOR – JANUARY 2006 | SALLY TAYLOR" . Retrieved 2023-01-15.
    22. "CONSENSES - FESTIVAL OF THE SENSES". Wellesley. November 18, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    23. "Sally Taylor Taking Her Consenses Project to MASS MoCA by Rosemary Feitelberg". WWD. August 14, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
    24. "Consensus - The Story". Erica Hill Studio. September 20, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
    25. "Better Together". Well Schooled. May 19, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    26. "Taylor Made". Yankee Magazine. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
    27. Glasgow, Greg (April 12, 2007). "Bar band Something Underground takes it one show". Daily Camera online. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
    28. Taylor, Sally (October 4, 2007). "Baby Bodhi Taylor Bragonier is born". Official website. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
    29. "Taking a Plunge for Progress". Martha's Vineyard Magazine. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
    30. "Episode 29 – NoticeAbility Part 1 – A Teenagers Story with Bodhi Bragonier - Dyslexia Life Hacks". 2022-07-20. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
    31. Kelly, Katie; Mott, Scott (April 4, 2024). "Daughter of Carly Simon ready to 'see the total eclipse of the sun' in Maritimes". CTV News Atlantic . Halifax, Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.