Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Nelson.
Hi Sara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started studying cello at nine years old in Houston, attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, then moved to Austin for a cello performance degree at UT — and never left.
Part of my life followed the classical path: I joined Austin Opera in 1997 and the Austin Symphony Orchestra in 2002. But the most defining thread was the chamber music I was making with friends from UT. One of those friends was Glover Gill, who wanted to start a tango band. We recruited our friends from music school, launched Tosca Tango Orchestra, and quickly landed three residencies a week playing clubs around Austin. Richard Linklater became a fan and not only cast us in Waking Life but built the entire score around our music.
Through Glover we connected with a composer who worked with David Byrne, and our quartet (Tosca String Quartet) spent four years as his string section — touring the world and recording an album together. That opened a long chapter of studio and stage work – I’ve since recorded on nearly 100 albums and appeared on Austin City Limits with ten different artists.
These days I’m channeling all of it into a new project — an ambient cello and synthesizer duo called Highway Lights, which I make with my husband, Justin Sherburn.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest ongoing challenge has been making an affordable living as a musician in Austin. In the 1990s it was genuinely manageable, but as the city exploded in popularity, musician wages simply didn’t keep pace with the cost of living. What saved me was versatility — playing clubs with a string quartet in a city with every genre of music imaginable meant I was constantly crossing into new worlds. Touring bands coming through Austin who needed strings would call Tosca. That allowed me to cobble together a living while also keeping it very interesting.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What sets me apart — and what sets my Tosca colleagues apart too — is living in two musical worlds simultaneously. I have one foot firmly in the classical realm and another in pop, rock, and everything in between. Most string players specialize in one or the other. Having genuine fluency in both meant that over the years I became someone artists across genres could call, whether for a recording session, a live show, or a tour. I’m most proud of the body of work that’s come from that flexibility.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I was extremely lucky to find my people early. The talented, fun musicians I connected with in college are the ones I’m still making music with today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.toscastrings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highwaylights1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highwaylights1/
- Other: https://highwaylights1.bandcamp.com/
