Arizona-based musician Sadie Norkin has been playing across the Verde Valley for almost three years while sharing her knowledge as a music teacher in Prescott.
Originally from Washington, Norkin has been playing music since childhood. She began learning violin at age 7, later picked up guitar and piano and has been singing her entire life. She attended Berklee College of Music after high school, managed a studio in Los Angeles and moved to Prescott in 2020.
“Music is my favorite thing on the whole planet,” Norkin said. “Music to me is safety and it’s the house that I live in,” she added, referencing a David Bowie quote. “I can express myself most fully when I have an instrument in my hands and it has never let me down. It’s the most beautiful, consistent thing I’ve had in my whole life.”
Norkin’s latest release, the single “Subtle Cruel,” is a pop tune that Norkin called the most bubblegum song she’s ever written or probably will write. She prefers the folk, metal, rock and progressive rock styles.
This winter, Norkin plans to record an EP of more acoustic songs akin to those she has been performing live around Prescott and the Verde Valley, with a projected release date in spring 2024.
Norkin said that her love of playing live started with her experiences playing the local festival circuit as a teenager. The Bumbershoot festival when she was 16 was the first time she played to a crowd of thousands.
“The more people that I get to share an experience like that with it just makes me that much happier,” Norkin said.
While working in L.A., Norkin was able to see behind the scenes of the music industry while gaining experience with business. Although she said she was grateful for the experience, she added that she had wanted to get back to making her own music for herself, which brought her to Arizona.
“I’m very blessed to be here,” Norkin said. “I couldn’t have landed in a better spot.” She teaches music full-time while gigging around town a couple times a week.
“Music has gifted me with the best relationships that I’ve had, some of my best friends in the whole world,” Norkin said. “Through this wonderful art that we have, it brings people together, it creates community. It’s a beautiful thing to be part of something bigger, or to feel like you’re part of something bigger by doing it.”
Norkin has always had a fondness for the progressive rock band Yes, and has also been listening to White Stripes, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, as well as older bands like Genesis. In addition, she has been teaching herself the banjo in order to be able to teach it to a student who wants to learn the instrument.
“My main lesson if anyone comes to me wanting to get into music is, it’s really important to trust yourself and to trust your ears, because that’s really all you need,” Norkin said. “It’s not a question of if you’re the best musician on the planet. We all have the same 12 notes to play with in western music. If something sounds good to you, then it’s probably going to sound good to someone else. It comes down to your patience to figure out what it is that you hear, to trust it and to do it. Listen to yourself and trust your ears, use your ears. That will get you to wherever you need to go.”
