In the live music world, the spotlight shines brightest on the performers, but often it’s the bookers and the agents – the people behind the scenes in the music business – who hold the real power. Sarah Angel knows this because she’s been on both sides.
There was a night in Seattle, after Sarah performed yet another flawless piano show at a corporate event, when she learned the booking agent had made over $5,000 for her performance. Her pay? Just $600. The difference in pay stuck with her. Not out of resentment, but because these figures had opened her eyes. If she could deliver the show, why couldn’t she run the business too?
From Playing Gigs to Hauling Gear: Building Something of Her Own
Those numbers pushed Sarah to stop waiting and start building. She invested in a pro-level sound system, stage lighting, and piano shells to give her setup a grand look. She learned the tech, figured out her own logistics, and started booking her own clientele.
Setting up for shows was not glamorous. She often spent three hours before each event lugging equipment, sometimes upstairs, sometimes across hotel ballrooms. But whenever it got hard, she repeated her motivational phrase to herself over and over: “five thousand dollars… five thousand dollars,” not because she was chasing money, but because she knew she was worth more than $600.
That was the beginning of Posh Piano, the events and entertainment company she built from scratch. She wasn’t just playing music anymore; she was producing it, running it, and creating a business with her name on it.
Learning to Lead, Not Just Perform
As Posh Piano grew, Sarah stepped into an entirely new role: managing musicians. And with it came new challenges. Some performers brought great energy and professionalism. Others didn’t take the job as seriously.
At first, she micromanaged everything, but over time, she learned to trust the people she hired. As long as they were respectful and did their job well, she gave them space to perform their way. “I gravitated towards the performers who are pleasant and easy to work with, and grateful for the work,” she says.
Being a business owner gave Sarah the ability to be picky with who she hired, and the more experienced she became, she began to look beyond talent and focus on attitude. “I found myself prioritizing agreeableness over raw talent,” Sarah says, “talent and skill are great qualities, but without professionalism or onstage charm, these skills are often lost on the audience.”
A Business That Reflects Her Values
Today, Sarah still performs, but on her own terms. Posh Piano was a stepping stone in her career, and she has since created a business that aligns with how she wants to live and work. There are no middlemen cutting her paycheck, no compromises on quality, and no question about who is in charge.
She doesn’t rush to expand just for the sake of it. She grows with care, choosing the right people, and the right clients and gigs; Sarah is building a platform that reflects her values and supports her goals, not the values and goals of someone else.
What started with a single, frustrating paycheck turned into something much bigger. Sarah took control of her career, not by asking for more, but by building more. She turned hard lessons into business wisdom, and now helps others shine under a spotlight she created.
Conclusion: The Power of Knowing Your Worth
Sarah Angel’s shift from performer to owner was not just about making more money; it was about knowing her value. She didn’t wait to be discovered or hope someone would hand her a bigger stage; she built one herself.
Sarah’s story is a reminder that while creative work always receives applause, it doesn’t always receive fair compensation. Sometimes all it takes to change your path is realizing you are worth more than what you are being paid. Sarah did, and she has never looked back.
To learn more about Sarah Angel, visit SarahAngelMusic.com or follow Sarah on IG @Sarahangelmusic. Be on the lookout for Sarah’s book, ‘The Entertainer’s Handbook’, launching this summer via Amazon Books.
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