Sarah Caltieri Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Sarah Caltieri
Sarah Caltieri is todays guest joining on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business coaching podcast show.
She is a lady who I’ll be honest I am a huge fan of her work.
She is a singer, musician, songwriter, actress and has one the bubbliest characters it has been delight to come into contact with.
Whilst her album “Something I Couldn’t Say” has been a constant in the Join Up dots headquarters for the last month or so.
Now if you think that this is a story of a lady with talent and the world supporting her to achieve her aims then think again.
This is a story of a talent shining brighter due to the knocks and obstacles she has been required to overcome.
Whilst pursuing her recording and acting career, Sarah Caltieri lost most of her vision at age 23, through type 1 Diabetes, as a result of a common diabetic eating disorder (EDMT1) from her late teens.
How The Dots Joined Up For Sarah
After going through laser treatment and many operations and rehabilitating herself after having lost everything (job, driving licence, independence), unstoppable and unperturbed by obstacles and negative attitudes, she continued pursuing her career.
The experience simply made her more determined to follow her own path and become a success, and i have no doubt that her future is a very bright one indeed.
So does she look back at her teenage decisions with a “What the hell was I doing” or “c’est la vie” it won’t stop me getting what i want?
And the big question….where is Waverley Bridge, and why does it sound so exotic to this humbler podcaster?
Well let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Sarah Caltieri
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Sarah Caltieri such as:
Sarah reveals how due to her eye issues the world has become in many ways more beautiful than before. A lovely way of thinking.
Why she feels telling people that she had a rough time or a bad day is a cathartic thing to do, even though it surprises so many people that she does it.
Why she feels strongly that her music and platform has to be accessible to all forms of life, no matter what their disabilities
and lastly….
How it was so difficult to find the true authenticity in her voice due to her previous stage training….get more northern they cried and fortunately she listened.
How To Connect With Sarah Caltieri
Return To The Top Of Sarah Caltieri
If you enjoyed this episode with Sarah Caltieri why not check out other inspirational chat with Jack Canfield, Johnny FD and the amazing Geoff Thompson
You can also check our extensive podcast archive by clicking here – enjoy
Audio Transcription Of Sarah Caltieri Interview
David Ralph [0:00]
Yeah, hello, this is David Ralph, the host of join up dots. And I’m going to be showing you behind the scenes of join up dots. Now why am I going to do that? Well, if you’ve got a business or if you haven’t got a business, but you want to start one, there is no better way than connecting with people in such an intimate way, having a podcast. And if you want to jump over to podcasters mastery.com, we are running free training sessions to show you the three easy steps where you can convert any business into a multiple six figure business and beyond exactly the same way as we have done. I’m going to be hosting it. I’m going to be there showing you everything about joining up. That’s how we’ve taken it from where we have to where we are now. And basically you can do exactly the same you can just follow those steps and be global dominating, or at least make a very nice income. So jump over to podcasters mastery.com. And hopefully we will see you soon. Look forward to it. Cheers.
Intro [0:58]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling. join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK. David Ralph.
David Ralph [1:23]
Yes, hello, a good morning, everybody. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.
I’m particularly excited today because I’ve got a guest on the show who I’m a fan. I’m a fan. I’m gonna get it out. I told her I wouldn’t Gosh, but I am going to gush all the way through because I’m a huge fan of her work. She’s a singer, musician, songwriter, actress, and has one of the Japanese characters it’s been a delight to come into contact with wants that album, something I couldn’t say has been a constant in the join up dots headquarters for the last month or so. I enjoy it with recast Lee’s new one you know, you got to give a burst every now and again. Now if you think that this is a story of a lady with talent. The world supporting her to achieve her aims. Ben think again this is a story of talent shining brighter due to the knocks and obstacles she’s been required to overcome was pursuing her recording an acting career she lost most of her vision at age 23 through type one diabetes as a result of a common diabetic eating disorder, Ed empty one perfect number right there from her late teens. Now after going through a laser treatment and many operations and rehabilitating herself after having lost everything her job driving license independence, she is now unstoppable and unperturbed by obstacles and negative attitudes and she has continued pursuing her career. Now the experience simply made her more determined to follow her own path and become a success. And I have no doubt no doubt that her future is a very bright one indeed. And I want all of you to check out her work because it’ll be on your players for the rest of your life. So does she look back at her teenage decisions whether what the hell was I doing or not? Cest livie, they won’t stop me getting what I want. It was what it was. And the big question that I want to know is where the hell is Waverly bridge? And why does it sound so exotic to this humble podcaster? Who’s been listening to her music all the time? Well, let’s find out as we bring on to the show to start joining up does with the one and only Sarah Caltieri.
Good morning, Sarah. How are you?
Sarah Caltieri [3:23]
Good morning, David. That was fantastic. Thank you so much for that introduction. I’m really good. Thank you.
David Ralph [3:31]
I bet you are good. And you seem to be somebody because we’ve connected and we’ve been sending little kind of voice messages back and forth. And you all always sound happy. You always sound bouncy. Are you generally like that? Or do you just put it on to sort of excite me from this side of the microphone?
Sarah Caltieri [3:50]
It’s your voice emails that excite me, David.
Absolutely brilliant. I love them. Because, as I mentioned, it’s the first time
I’ve ever been sent voice emails and I’m loving it. And but now I am a genuine genuinely a positive person most of the time and probably 80% of the time, you know? And,
and always have been, I guess, yeah,
David Ralph [4:14]
you can’t stop it, can you because I’m generally a bouncy, bouncy person. And over the last four weeks, you would have heard it mentioned on the show, I’m sure I had this issue with gout. I had this terrible pain in my foot. And I haven’t been able to drive I haven’t been able to walk I’ve just been sitting in a chair. And all the way through it. I was thinking thank God I’m a quite a bouncy person, because I think I would just really go down into a black hole here. Is that something that you look back on? And you think actually, although your issues were terrible, and may have been the many people life changing, your mindset pulled you through without that mindset, it could have be a different end to the story.
Sarah Caltieri [4:55]
without a shadow of a doubt David yet Absolutely. has been the mindset. And I mean, in fact, my mom who is she’s a very strong Yorkshire, Talia and woman and has had that mindset as well. And that, you know, the cups half full rather than half empty, and everything is about positivity, positivity of the mind, you know, you can sort of overcome anything, I think, with the right positive attitude. And so yeah, absolutely.
David Ralph [5:27]
And but that, does it tie you out as well, because I find actually, but sometimes I’m playing the act of being positive, because people expect you to be positive. And actually, you just want to go outside off and leave me alone. Just just, you know, let me be myself. Does it sort of tire you out? Or does it actually inspire you to be even more positive?
Sarah Caltieri [5:48]
Well, ironically, I think being positive has enabled me to actually, you know, if somebody, if somebody asks you how you doing today, you are right. So you know, how’s your day going out? It’s given me this chance to say no, I’m having a crap day, actually.
David Ralph [6:06]
I just want you to say, Yeah, fine, and they’re on their way, the last thing they want to get out, don’t talk to Sarah. She’s always got something wrong with her and we’ve stopped for 15 minutes. I don’t want that today. Know,
Sarah Caltieri [6:20]
they don’t and I think people are quite shocked if you know, because I meet tons of people on my everyday journeys David you know, taxi drivers, people at bus stops, people on the street, all kinds of people have all kinds of conversations. And I think people are surprised if they ask you if you’re having a good day. And you say no, because they kind of expect you to say, you know, yeah, but why, you know, if you’re having a bad day, why not say it? And it actually sort of makes makes you feel better as well, if you’re honest, I think?
David Ralph [6:53]
I think so. I think so. But but so with negativity doesn’t come out of your your album, going to get straight onto the album, because I’ve got it in front of me and people I have got a signed copy, which I was very excited about. This is Sarah was something I couldn’t say. And it’s very positive. It’s quite wistful as well. But there’s, that’s what Waverly bridge, we’re going to talk about Waverly bridge because that sounds like exotic and kind of lonely and I googled it. And I think it’s in Edinburgh. That’s the only one that I could find. It’s interesting, but your your album comes across as positive but also longing and wistful as well.
Sarah Caltieri [7:36]
Thank you, David. Yes, well, I mean that the album is a collection of songs I’ve written over a number of years. And it kind of tracks my journey really, over a number of years, and I’ve been in different have moved around a lot. So I’ve written songs in various different cities played them to various different audiences. And you are absolutely right, Waverly bridge, isn’t it? And I actually moved there. Well, I think it must have been about 10 years ago, now I was actually, I did a show in Edinburgh, and absolutely fell in love with it. And I kept going back and doing a few more shows and various things and just ended up staying there to be on this. And another that particular time of my life. And I was going through through changes and good changes, positive changes. And I was in my kind of wistful phase of stopping and taking everything in rather than rushing about and being a lunatic you know, so yes, wave liberate is it’s it’s it’s a famous bridge in Edinburgh. And what if you standing on it, the sun sets the side of it, and it’s very, very beautiful city looks very beautiful from it.
David Ralph [8:49]
So you save it, but you can’t see it, Sarah, so hang out, you appreciate what beauty is?
Sarah Caltieri [8:59]
Well David my worlds very interesting, actually funny enough. Because I do, I do have a bit of sight left, because I’ve had full vision. And I can kind of fine tune a picture to what I think it looks like in my head. Okay, so. So the world’s very beautiful to me. And and funnily enough, I get a lot, a lot of people coming up to me telling me how attractive they are, especially guys. But yeah, I do have I have quite a bit of vision left, it’s it’s like looking through bathroom glass is the best way to describe it. So you know, if you kind of said it’s kind of restart. Yes, yes, that’s exactly what it’s like. So I can see the bigger things, I can’t see fine detail. And so if there’s a song setting, basically, I can see the shadows from buildings and shapes of things in the colors of things is fake can be very beautiful. Actually,
David Ralph [10:04]
I can imagine that. That sounds because a lot of the time you look around, it’s just dreadful, isn’t it? And you look, you look at things and it’s not really pretty. So I imagine being in this almost kind of fantasy world. It’s it’s that big boy, it’s been like being on an LSD trip all the time. I mean, you’re right David
Sarah Caltieri [10:25]
and I mean, people, people have found it hard to believe. And it’s so hard to explain. But when it happened to me, when I lost my vision, I lost it very quickly, it was literally within a week and was my site was going over a couple of months and in one eye, and then within a week the other I went to join treatment, and after the shock of it, and the depression of it, and you know, everything that the bad things after the bad things. A strange thing happened to me. And it was almost like an awakening, you know, and I began to appreciate life more being in the moment more and kind of went on this strange, magical journey with it. rather than it being a negative thing you know, so and people find this really hard to understand.
Because it puts you into different
Yes, fear, you’re right, completely different sphere. And I couldn’t be hypnotized by things like, you know, how to put it advertising or negative thing is, it’s almost like I was able to choose what what I let into my life and what I did see, you know, and then kind of fine tune tune everything really.
David Ralph [11:48]
So how has the world become? You said less competition you well, because I think one of the things that so many people certainly in the online world struggle with is they’re so busy looking at Facebook as so busy looking at basis, so busy looking at that, but everybody else’s life looks amazing. And they’re sitting there thinking, Well, my life is rubbish. I’ve had diarrhea all morning, and and the biscuits are going stale. And the kids, you know, driving me mad. Everything kind of looks humdrum, because it’s just normality. Is yours. A kind of fine tuned, lack of competition, I suppose.
Sarah Caltieri [12:22]
In a way, yes. And it’s a double edged sword because in in some ways, one is quite closed off from this whole digital world, you know, because, and, I mean, fortunately, it’s something that a lot of people don’t think about, it just doesn’t cross people’s minds that there are other people out here with site issues, or dyslexia, or reasons, they can’t just be online easily, or use a computer easily. And put in other ways. You’re absolutely right, because it forces me to actually continue living in the real world. Now, there’s anything wrong with the digital world cause and but it does make it more difficult. And you sort of think, well, rather than waste my vision on trying to find out what somebody had for tea, I’m going to focus on things that you know, have more kind of significance to my life, really, you know, and
David Ralph [13:19]
what is quality control, isn’t it, you bought quality control in your life, and instead of being bombarded by everything, you’re selective on what you actually you allow in, and it’s actually like people that look after themselves by eating the right stuff. You’re actually you’re on a diet of stuff that’s good for you, from the outside world, I suppose.
Sarah Caltieri [13:39]
Exactly. Yes. I mean, obviously the the there are negatives that happen, you know, such as and trying to find the right team of people for example to work with on your projects and, and the can be negative to it. But I mean, suppose is this rough with smooth in everything really. And it’s just, you know, learning to take the rough with the smooth and, and picking yourself up if you’ve had a bit of a knock or somebody let you down or somebody hasn’t kind of I don’t know, done something because you know, obviously running my own business and life and careers and things I have to put a lot of trust in other people I screw
David Ralph [14:23]
you over that’s what you’re saying survey the nicest way people screw you out of that and this is your opportunity to bring them to their knees.
Sarah Caltieri [14:35]
yourself do it any David
David Ralph [14:40]
Yeah, you came to town.
Sarah Caltieri [14:42]
Yes, but yes, I have I have been majorly screwed over but it makes one learn and become tougher, and you know, be able to stand up taller, and you know, more proudly so I try and look at it. Look at it like that. Really?
David Ralph [15:00]
Yeah, I think that’s the right way and what you’re saying it makes you Hi Evan before that is the perfect segue because I’m going to play some of Sarah’s music now and you must stay to the end of the show because we’re going to play the full length version of her single no more tears but this is one of my personal favorites higher than before by Sarah.
Now I love higher than before and I was waving my arms I had my cigarette light is out. That’s the kind of song but I want what I like about your songs as well is they don’t want the around but I don’t like the ones that have verse after verse after verse. Get me to a chorus as quickly as possible. And you always go like one verse and middle a boom straight into the chorus
Sarah Caltieri [16:48]
thank you David Yeah, I like to get to the point. I suppose I’m from Yorkshire. You know my Yorkshire last word. a spade is a spade.
David Ralph [16:55]
Yeah, but you also female as well, so they can go around the house each week gone by until I give you the point. I’ve been married for many, many years. And I spend most of my time saying you I you know, what’s the matter with you six weeks down the line. I get it. I get I get told exactly what was wrong at that point. And more often than not, it was me, Sarah, tell me tell me a time. Get to the point. Give me the chorus straight away. That’s what I need females.
Sarah Caltieri [17:23]
Exactly David I completely agree. Absolutely.
David Ralph [17:26]
Now, one of the things I also love about your, your music is it’s in your voice, which is quite difficult because most people as you see in karaoke, if I get up and do nlb, song karaoke, I can’t do it without sort of like slipping into him. You have got your accent in it as well, you can hear the words up sounded very normally. Is that difficult? Or did that just come naturally to you?
Sarah Caltieri [17:52]
Yes David It was very difficult to the face, it’s interesting, you’ve picked up on that, because, you know, started out in zero. And when I was one of very young and you know, trained in a certain way, and especially if you’re on stage and you singing on stages, and you know, you have to pronounce all your consonants. I mean, you do anyway, in singing, but it’s a very different way of singing. And I when I when I tried to go into the recording studio to record my first music, and it showed actually showed him in my voice, the stage stuff showed him a voice. So what I actually did was I stopped doing stage plays and things like that, so that I could find my own voice. I just wrote me and songs. And I did open mic nights. And I just saw around the house, and I’ve got my own voice back again. But it did take a very long time. Because also, I had Americanisms in my voice, you know, from listening to a lot of American music from when I was younger, and you just don’t realize, you know, it just goes into the subconscious. And obviously comes when it’s put down on a track. Everything is magnified. And to horror, you know, but it’s good, it’s good.
David Ralph [19:09]
When it is good, isn’t it and when your natural voice comes through, you know, if you progress through back catalogues of join up dots. It was very different me. I thought it was me, but it wasn’t the same me It takes you a while to go. I think I can get it. And more often than not when you get it. It’s actually that you’re just being more of you. You’re just being there you are you’re not trying to sort of present to the different world. And it’s it’s interesting when you look at some of these documentaries about people. Now if you look at like early David Bowie, he sounded like other people before he found his own voice, and all this and all the classics. They all sound like themselves. As soon as it comes on the radio. You got up? I know who that is. Because it’s the voice that’s kind of lacking in today’s music, isn’t it? Because I would say yourself, you’ve got it. Somebody like one of my personal favorites, a lady called Amy McDonald from from Scotland. Yeah, I love her. And she sounds like she sounds Scottish. And like the framers I sound very kind of Scottish. But a lot of people they they haven’t got their accents in. And I think you should do that. Because it gives you that quality, that authenticity. And that’s what brings success about.
Sarah Caltieri [20:26]
I absolutely agree David absolutely agree. And funnily enough, when I was recording the album in the studio, we had such a life record in it. And then I work with some great great guys and some great musicians. And when I was doing the vocals, I actually said to them, you know, guys, I master my sounding to your auction this because I you know, and they said no, Bring it on, get it out.
It was so encouraging yourself. All right. Final Word has been said.
David Ralph [20:58]
Brilliant. Can you become a sort of character? Because obviously, you know, from the south, we will say certain things that we think sounds northern, I hope and stuff. And I’ve got no idea if you say that up there. It’s like I went to Edinburgh and one of the things that the English always say or this Southern is a kind of a new kind of I thought that was a Scottish phrase. I went up to Edinburgh, I’d never heard of it. Maybe they had no idea that we thought that that’s what they say. So on a sort of words that are specifically your area or can you become a bit like okay, they want Yorkshire I’m gonna sound like Wallace and Gromit. Here, let’s give it
Sarah Caltieri [21:40]
a up is definitely a Yorkshire thing. If you go to the Dalles Oh, yes. Especially in the auction deals, you know, a loss, your doc. So that kind of thing. You know. And, and I think the phrase you just you just discussed raise you you were just talking about there. I do think that exists. I think it’s more on the outskirts and the sort of Highland areas of Scotland because I learned a bit of dialect what I would do you know, when I was lifting Glasgow as well as Edinburgh, and this is a bit different in Edinburgh, actually. Yes, yes. But I’ll leave it there.
David Ralph [22:19]
What you mean, sir, I know what you mean. Yeah, I’ve been there many times. I know exactly what you mean. So yeah, let’s get back to the album. How hard is it to produce an album that ends up in my hand. So many people are out there, and they’re swinging away on their guitars, in their bedrooms, in their downstairs toilet, wherever they want to do to write songs. But it rarely gets to this point. It’s almost like a professional footballer, you see so many people that say they’re going to be a professional footballer, but you never meet anyone who ever sort of really makes it, how hard is it to get an album into people’s hands?
Sarah Caltieri [22:58]
Hello David are I don’t know where to start. And there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes when recording and releasing an album. And it took a few years, and to say the least. And the first thing is, of course, the song. The song has to be right. And, you know, I kind of footage quite a few bands. And before recording my solo album. And what I wanted the album, I wanted every song to be good. I didn’t just want it to be an album where there was two songs that I was happy with. And the others were kinda, you know, just thrown on there. So it did take a long time to get the songs together. I you know, went into the studio with Duncan Cameron who produced it. And we went through my catalog of songs. And I played him a catalogue of songs immediately that we had to shortlist them all. And we shortlist the ones that are going to be good for a full album, did you and you
David Ralph [23:55]
so it’s like Duncan, no, I love that song. And he’s saying, no, it’s crap. Just get rid of it. Did you argue?
Sarah Caltieri [24:03]
A few tips? Yeah, actually along the way, you know, because he’s difficult with the creatives because everybody’s got their own idea. things. And it can you know, you can start a class. And I think, I think the key is to think about the song as a whole, not your ego, you know? And if what somebody’s saying is going to make the song better. You have to go with it. And but if you think to yourself, no, no, no, I know, in my heart, that it should be like that, then we’re going to go with that this way. And, in fact, you know, there were there was a time actually, we were going through one song, and I think he suggested something. And I said, No, I’m sorry, but that doesn’t sound I want to keep it like this. And then the guitarist who was involved, you know, he kind of backed me up. And I thought, we recorded it the way I wanted. And I was really proud of myself afterwards, because I thought Yes, stopped to my heart and my guns and you know, it actually, Duncan loved it. You know, he loved it. He loved the final, final version. But yeah, but there’s so many layers to it. And David you know, you have to go in and you’ve got to talk about the arrangements, we actually built all the arrangements around the song. So we didn’t have an idea of what it should sound like. We took each song individually, and we layered all the instruments up over each other. So the guitars, bass drums, and
David Ralph [25:31]
the acoustic was it was just written on the guitar, was it? It?
Sarah Caltieri [25:35]
Yes, it was, yeah, it was all an a couple of songs are co written as well. And in fact, higher than before, interestingly, higher than before was it was featured on a channel four documentary years ago about the loss of my sight and about about my career and recording career and stage work and things. And they, we became a family and they were fantastic. And then they actually surprised me by putting higher than before on to the end credits of the documentary. They didn’t tell me they were doing it. But when they kind of liked me or something, and then did it and they put an arrangement to it and I thought wow, I love it. So I actually transcribed arrangement with permission of course, and and rehashed it and reworked it for this for this album something I couldn’t say so that’s where higher than before was a song I wrote actually when when I first lost my vision I was sitting on my bedroom floor contemplated killing myself and I thought Don’t be so ridiculous Carol TV. And you know, you’ve got three much more than me she going to do it and rate higher than before.
David Ralph [26:48]
And when you when you look back on the album, I know you say that you’re proud of them on other things, but you know, I listened back to all my shows and I always listened back to them. And I think our could have done that better or you know, and other people say it’s perfectly why it’s probably why did you listen to them and go God if that snare drum if it was slightly more in the mix, or that that would be better? Or are you just happy with them all?
Sarah Caltieri [27:12]
Yes, no, there was definitely a process of that. And even in songwriting, you know, sometimes it can write a song and sing right? That’s fine. I think about Tango No, I just want to add a bit more that a bit more than that verse neat. Nope, nope, nope. And rehash it five times and then go back to the one that you originally wrote. And the same happens with the instrumentation You know, there were things constantly that needed. So I think need nipping are talking see nip or top them and then actually go back to what they were in the first place. And what funnily enough, halfway through recording the album, and we had to drop one of the songs, because we were building the arrangements around the songs. And we put Well, the song was actually calm again, believe it or not,
no pun intended.
David Ralph [28:03]
Well, I went with that plan and I held back that was at the forefront of my mind when the show so I’m now going to have all the kids going what they laughing at what it’s up to you parents to explain it.
Sarah Caltieri [28:21]
Yes, I mean, it was all about returning you know, and always be no
David Ralph [28:26]
no he’s not you’ve just you’ve just got dirtiness in there and I believe this at all
Sarah Caltieri [28:33]
it was all about being on a high and you know
David Ralph [28:38]
that’s that’s where we’re heading we notice we notice Sarah your your your your chillax. We know what happens rolling around in the Dales. We know what happens.
Sarah Caltieri [28:48]
I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me.
David Ralph [28:51]
Oh, my God bent over Waverly bridge. Now, I shouldn’t be saying this. I shouldn’t be saying I’m ruining the vision. So you have mianserin, you’re
Sarah Caltieri [29:01]
looking at the chain, the chain shacks on Waverly beach, I was on the wall looking over at the chain sharks. Yes. And
David Ralph [29:08]
so we were with the with the show to get him back on to it. And we’ve with the not the show Diem, the album,
Sarah Caltieri [29:14]
The song.
David Ralph [29:16]
I say to people, and we discussed this literally every show, you don’t know what you don’t know until you find you don’t know it. And most people will go into a venture and go, this is what I want to do. And then yes, it’s what they want to do. But they don’t realize that actually, you need to do this, and you need to do this, and you need to do this. And then you need a manager and then you need the marketing and you need all the fat. Yeah, has that. Does that take the shine of it for you? Or is it like an amazing jigsaw puzzle that you have to pull together?
Sarah Caltieri [29:49]
I have to be completely honest David actually. It’s such hard work. This, I mean, I had a team after the album was finished, a team of three or four people trying to deal with the admin because I’ve set my own record label. And between us, the four of us, we couldn’t handle it. There’s just so much admin work from like booking gigs, organizing the band, dealing with the social media dealing with all the digital platforms, because nowadays, you can’t just walk up a gig or this or that you have to set a profile up for the so a profile for that are, you know, hours, and hours and hours. And by the end of the year, last year, I was shattered, you know, because trying to deal with all that and then perfect gets on a stage and perform. And I’m trying to organize a nine piece band, it was just it I’ve got to be honest, it did. It did actually it had it did take the shine of things slightly. And and because it’s not my forte, I do love admin work. And I love connecting with people. And that’s what I love doing. I love talking to people phoning them on the phone and having a chat, rather than dealing with a computer. How do you
David Ralph [31:06]
how do you do that? If you can’t see because I i’ve been shocked to be honest. But you have posted on Facebook, and then I don’t know anything about losing sight. So I just looked at it and thinking I don’t understand how this operates. But um, how do you type on Facebook? How do you know what people are writing? Because it’s all word, isn’t it? You know, I do a lot of sending voice messages out because I just think it’s a personable way of connecting with people. But it kind of blew you away that there was this option? How does it work, but Facebook and emails and stuff where it’s all just time?
Sarah Caltieri [31:41]
with difficulty David bought, interestingly, Steve Jobs has revolutionized things for sight impaired people. And in fact, Apple products are the main a main news product by partially sighted and blind people because there are the accessibility functions on them. Absolutely fantastic. So you can enlarge you can put VoiceOver on and have different voices. Excellent. So I
David Ralph [32:10]
will read an email to you with it.
Sarah Caltieri [32:12]
Yes, it will. Yeah. Yeah.
David Ralph [32:15]
This is is this something that’s available easily? Or was it really sort of quite expensive.
Sarah Caltieri [32:22]
And well, to be quite honest with you before, before I actually invested in an iPad, which revolutionized my life. And I was having to use a PC and then you had to buy the software every year and you had to update the software spend hundreds of pounds on updating the software every year. And because up because everybody updates all their software, you have to obviously update your separate screen readers. And it was so expensive. And such a bit of a drag To be honest, because you have to you know, spend all this money or find the funding, you know, it was just not it’s not about good way of living, to be honest. So when Apple brought their products out and made them accessible, it changed everything. Because although the slightly more expensive II I do believe you get what you pay for. Yeah, and almost every other person, every other sight impaired person I know uses an iPhone, you know, putting everything on it.
David Ralph [33:20]
I have not a single Apple products in my life, which is bizarre because I I do a show based around the words of Steve Jobs. But what I normally do is play a load of motivational speeches for the show, but I’m going to skip it and I’m going to play another snippet of one of your songs I’m going to go with if I said is that why would you say that if I play a bit of if I said
Sarah Caltieri [33:39]
absolutely thank you David
David Ralph [33:41]
right let’s listen to if I said and then we will be back with Sarah very shortly.
How about one takes a while to get to the chorus so I realized that I was talking rubbish earlier but it’s it’s very tropical. It’s it’s tropical with a northern accent on it. It’s that is something I’d be quite happy driving along with this. windows down and breeze going through my luxurious. And listening to that song to do when you when you write a song, do you just start strumming? And what comes out comes out? Or do you go? I’ve been all over writing a pseudo Caribbean, Yorkshire and from here, this is what I’m aiming for. Do you aim for the mood? Or do you aim for the song?
Sarah Caltieri [35:39]
To be completely honest David when I started songwriting, years ago, it was more a case of I was releasing my creativity, it was almost like it’s a strange thing to say. But it’s almost like the songs kind of found me. And I just cut a spot the mountain did things with them, you know. And I started off melody, writing and writing lyrics over music and collaborating with people and collaborating with various musicians and guitarists. And so I was the main top line writer and lyricist. And then and then I picked up the guitar later on. So songs come in different forms, sometimes I can be sitting on the sofa, and something I’ll just pop into my head and a half to grab my recorder and whack it on to the machine. And then other times I can be strumming on the guitar and something just pops out. And it’s all different, absolutely different, really different. And, and it’s more a case of I guess, releasing my own feelings, the time, the time I’m writing it, you know, and then going back to it, then you go through sort of go through your catalogue of songs. And I think you instantly know which which are good and which have just been, you know, they’re just the robot, they were just a release, but this one could be accessible to other people or this one could be accessible to other people. You know,
David Ralph [37:07]
I one of the first songs that I wrote, I played the piano and I wrote a song to woo my wife. She’s been my wife now for we’ve been together, what, 30 years now. I mean, 30 years. And the lyrics this this, and she still throws this back at me and I can’t stand it. But hey, she saw through it. She saw the love within the concept. And the lyrics was Debbie, Debbie, why are you so heavy? I don’t know. But you’re the bird for me. Now. That’s that’s, that’s romantic, isn’t it? Is that not romantic? And 40 years later, we’ve got two grandchildren, five kids, and it sealed the deal.
Sarah Caltieri [37:49]
Blah, blah, blah.
David Ralph [37:52]
What
Sarah Caltieri [37:52]
I’d say to that, David,
David Ralph [37:54]
would you put me through two judges houses if I was on The X Factor, and you were sitting next assignment? Would I get the golden buzzer? Would you put me through?
Sarah Caltieri [38:03]
I’d have to, I would have to, I’d have to pretty soon because I’d want to know what the rest of the song was. And what the reaction was from you know, from from, from the ladies.
David Ralph [38:14]
It went into a snippet of come again off the bat. And it was it like a mash up. It was perfect. It was it was it was beautiful. But yeah, even down the the sheer say to people go and David right play that song that you first wrote for me wrote for me. And it’s never gone down as well as it did that very first time. Don’t Understand? I don’t understand it. So are we getting a second album? Because to be honest, Sarah, this is 2016 I think you’re watching too much Netflix. I think we should be having a second album out now and a world tour. What’s happening?
Sarah Caltieri [38:52]
I’m working on it. Actually David Absolutely. That’s my, my, the goal I’m working on at the moon, I’m getting the new material together. And hopefully I’m going to find the team that’s going to take me on to the world tour for the next one, you know.
David Ralph [39:08]
So it’s not just having the same people. It’s not just saying Duncan, I’ve written 12 songs, let’s get back together.
Sarah Caltieri [39:15]
And it’s quite it’s tricky when when being a solo artist, because sometimes you can’t work with the same producers again, you know, depending on schedules, and
it’s fine, you know, depending on the album, what kind of album it’s going to be.
They’ve moved on, you’ve moved on, they’re doing different things. And they got time in a timetable. You know, it’s a lot of a lot of factors really involved in it. So and yeah, it’s it’s, we talked about doing a second album together. I’m not entirely sure what’s happening at the moment. But we’ll we’ll see.
David Ralph [39:50]
And what’s what’s the mood of what’s coming out of you? Is it far more don’t see Is it because these are lovely songs, but I wouldn’t dance. This is a driving album, think this is in the car. And I love driving around listening to it. But there’s not many but I would get up and Boogie around but the living room to what’s coming out of you at the moment.
Sarah Caltieri [40:11]
Actually, this is a bit more rough, rough and ready. And this next one will probably be slightly more rough around the edges should we say
David Ralph [40:23]
was more sort of acoustically more stripped? down?
Sarah Caltieri [40:27]
More kind of more Rocky? Rocky and yeah, upbeat? Definitely. Absolutely.
David Ralph [40:34]
And how do you create your images because I was looking at you. And the main one that I see a lot reminds me of early David Bowie. We have a like a star and sort of Aladdin sign if anybody knows Bowie is very kind of glam rock kind of look. And then I saw you on a channel five, I think it was and you were quite good. He fired you. You decide on what’s going to be the image for that song.
Sarah Caltieri [41:05]
It’s a theme. It’s the theme song I suppose that comes from from doing a bit of acting as well, you know, you sort of what character does this song require? and and the the makeup that you’re talking about was actually the makeup for no more tears cuz I released that as a single. And, and yeah, that that was all about well being being being accepted for who you are really. And you know, and that’s where the heart on the face came from? And then the the star on the eye and things. Yes, sir.
David Ralph [41:45]
One of the things that was no getting away from it is you’re a very beautiful lady. There’s, there’s no getting away from it. When you caused your issues, it was about trying to present yourself in a different way. Trying to think about if you were going to be in this industry, you had to be slimmer, you wouldn’t stand a chance being on stage, if you weren’t a certain image. Do you look back now? And is that one of the things that you would go back and shake your younger self to say it makes no difference at all, you’ve got to be who you are David
Sarah Caltieri [42:22]
so lately, and it really saddens me because I still hear today about young girls abusing themselves killing themselves, because of the images that are put out into the world. And the pressures that are put on to people to look beautiful or be this or be that is so sad. And I mean, if I if I’d have known back then, you know, absolutely, I would have shaken myself and so don’t be so stupid. We’re all beautiful in our own way. And you know, these images that are put out by somebody else trying to sell something, just remember that, you know, and I’m not trying to accuse anybody of anything, but it’s always a well known fact, within the eating disorders. community, you know, that there’s so much pressure on people. And, and, and this is can be one of the reasons why why people damage themselves, try and fit in with this thing that that’s supposed to make them happy, or you know, an image of happiness, which as we all know, it’s not it’s not it’s not real. No, it’s just not. No,
David Ralph [43:29]
it’s not even I don’t I shot myself. I do. I know you think I look like I’m Bradley Cooper? Actually, I don’t I don’t think things are things have changed a on your website as well. I didn’t understand his first of all, but then of course, I went. And I was looking at the pictures. And there’s a description underneath telling me exactly what the picture was. And I thought, well, what’s the point in that? Of course, do you have a large blind sort of following a people inspired by your music and the way that you’re moving? Because I’m looking at some images now. And it says, Well as you walking away from a caravan, and underneath it says Sarah walking away from a Maasai caravan on a grassy floor. Sarah is wearing a short sleeve dress. Is this something that you are very aware of that you’re, you’re touching into two different audiences?
Sarah Caltieri [44:17]
Yeah, yes, David Absolutely. Because I’ve always had, where do I start? And there’s a whole underground kind of network of people with sight impairments and or who are blind. And one of the reasons is because everything isn’t accessible. Unfortunately, it we’ve not moved on very far. And, and it’s when I, when I lost my vision, I stayed part of mainstream, I didn’t even know there was a blind community or society community because to me, I was just Sarah. And I needed to continue into the in the real world as Sarah, how am I going to do this? What I found along the way was nothing. practically nothing was built in a way that made it easy for me, as somebody with partial sight. And, you know, I’ve worked with groups of kids, and met all kinds of people who all talk about the same issues, and defined a struggle to access things or you go onto a website, you don’t know what’s happening, you don’t know what the photos of, and it’s, it’s quite frustrating for a lot of people. So when I built my website, I thought, right, I’ve got to make it completely accessible for everybody, everybody, not just pick with partial site, but you know, people who might have epilepsy, all this kind of thing. So pick the right colors, you know, because there’s just so many different types of people to think about, and I know, can’t please everybody, but obviously, one of the main things for me was, you know, I’m out there doing music and acting and being in the public eye and speaking to things I must make sure that everything’s accessible for all the people, you know, who I know, are kind of having difficulties as well as me.
David Ralph [46:11]
And yeah, you was on Coronation Street. I’ve never seen a second of Coronation Street in my entire life. Was it? Was it a one off performance? And for people across in American across the world? There is this program that it’s been going on? Otto hundred years, it’s been going on forever? And people love it. And people, you know, still hooked on it. So forever. Coronation Street was a one off or were you a regular in it for a while?
Sarah Caltieri [46:40]
No, that was that was actually a one off David quite surreal, actually. Because, yeah, I mean, I used to watch it as a child. And in fact, a close family friend of ours, who I looked up to very much used to play a shopkeeper called out. I’ll right Brian was his real name. He used to bounce back smell nice, nice as a child and do check to the pan and things. And I loved him. So he was fabulous. As I want to grow up to be like uncle Brian one day, you know. So when I was sitting in in Roy’s roles during the scene of thinking this is so surreal been on the other side, you know, if boys roles, and but that was actually there’s people within the creative industries are trying really hard to integrate people with differences into mainstream. And because we are part of the normal world, you know, if there is a normal, and so there’s quite a few incentives to try and do this. And the on haunts to find people with differences who have skills that they can integrate and put onto the screen. So this was one of them. And they’ve got through this incentive and ended up recording this scene, which, and I don’t know if you’ve used it yet, don’t even we’ll use it. But I was allowed to just take the scene and and promote it and said work with Coronation Street. Yeah, no
David Ralph [48:07]
good good on you. And it is changing. When I was a kid, there was there was no, this disability on TV at all about especially on children’s TV programs, which I think is really important. There’s people in wheelchairs as people with speech difficulties, and they’re presenting on the BBC, I think it’s brilliant that people can see as you say, Well, you know, we might be able to walk, other people can can’t talk. We’re all the same. We’re all the same. We’re put on this planet for a reason. I think it is changing slowly, don’t you?
Sarah Caltieri [48:40]
I do David Yeah. It really, really is. And it’s so refreshing as well, you know? Because be having been in the industry for a long time. You know, when I first started out, it was really bad. I mean, I’ve been I’ve been shows doing stuff. I’ve played cited roles and non cited roles. And you know, sometimes I’d have certain directors telling me I needed to act more blindly in the middle of a production and
David Ralph [49:09]
don’t you know, walk into something if you Oh, because you can see a little bit on a stage you’d be able to see what sort of around you.
Sarah Caltieri [49:16]
Exactly, so Exactly. There’s so many different levels of it. That it’s it’s, it’s it’s very difficult for people to comprehend, which is why people might think of a stereotype of a blind person, but actually, it’s, it’s incorrect. But if you’re on a stage, it’s a PC is the answer. Do you know where everything is? The props, the people that doors, the exits the entrances, walking down a street, I mean, you know, I’ve kind of walked into in the steel ball arts before f1, blinded, you know, like,
he’s unsafe in the world, sometimes David is so much safer, this state
David Ralph [50:03]
is finally in it you, I will never lose the thrill of seeing somebody hurt themselves, especially somebody that I care about. It’s just weird. If my kids fall over something, I’m gonna laugh. I’m gonna laugh. So um, yeah, no, but I think you know, what you’re doing is amazing, which is why I wanted to connect with you and have you on the show, and not just highlight your music, but highlight your passion and your enthusiasm. And you are, you’re an inspiration to so many people. I just hope that this performance that you’ve done, it’s not a performance, it’s just you being yourself, I hope it does make a big difference to you. But of course, we’ve got to rein it back into join up dots. And we’re going to bring the words of a man who you referenced recently, who’s done so much for the blind community, Steve Jobs. Here he is,
Steve Jobs [50:50]
of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards, 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [51:25]
And I words that you resonate with Sarah,
Sarah Caltieri [51:28]
say much. So I love that. Yeah, absolutely, very much. So David
David Ralph [51:33]
and when you look back on your life, it’s quite easy to say losing your sight would be one of the big dots, if not the big dots, but maybe you would have a different spin on that and give us a total different story of when things really started to go in the in a way that you wanted.
Sarah Caltieri [51:51]
It was actually after I lost my sight. And you know, before that I was doing I was changing at college, I was doing drama and me using various things at college, I was working to support that in a in a nine to five. And, and I loved Funny enough, I loved my nine to five and I was a PA for five area managers of a clothing company. And I loved it. And but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I knew in my heart, this was not the path for me and I had to come off it. And I had to somehow break out of that nine to five and make my art my singing a music acting full time career. And I was trying to figure out how to do that. And I took him a less stressful job and became a customer service advisor. There was no pressure in the job, I could just do it go home Do me out. And and then basically that’s several years later, I lost my sight. And and after I’ve gone through various operations, and somebody that had worked with college, actually, I played Sally Bowles in college production of cabaret. And one of the directors who’d been involved with that was working in another production at the Leeds West Yorkshire Playhouse, which is a quite a famous theater in Leeds. And she she, she got wind of what happened to me, but actually encouraged me to audition for this show. And at the time, I thought how the heck am I going to do that finally gotten a vision of what I night patterns and we start an operation. And it’s the cast of 80 people. I thought you know what, stuff it. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’m going to go along. There’s nothing wrong with my voice. I’m just going to do it. Because if I don’t, I will never ever step foot on a stage again. And my chance that we lost a lot of you know, that’s it. I went along to this audition, and did this workshop with about 80 people. I stood right behind some that didn’t tell anybody I couldn’t see very well. I just stood right behind somebody and copied their me. I mean, it was looking back, it was ridiculous. I don’t even I don’t know what I was thinking David bought. And I got through that and got through the singing audition and I got one of the parts. And the director was wonderful she she knew about what happened to me and she saw my passion and and really wanted to do it and make it work. So she she just took me on. She didn’t think twice about it and said you know, she’s she’s the role we need and played one of the lead parts and it was actually the part of the writer who wrote the production. And I never look back. That was it. I just
David Ralph [54:39]
never looked back is a magic feather isn’t is done those magic feather. You just need somebody to support you. And then you can follow Yeah. And where you go and you are you are flying. And just just to sort of emphasize in case I think get at the end, Sam it will be performing in London in October at the blooms Bry fest. So you can go over to bloom street festival.org.uk or go over to Sarah site at Sarah cow TV, we’ll have the links on the show notes. And if you’re in the London area, why not pop down and I’m going to pop down, I’m going to pop down and see yourself. So um, and you better be good, you better be good. Because I’m making the effort. I’m making the effort to go 40 minutes on a train you see, and I don’t do that I let the world come to me now, sir. It’s but um, yeah, no, I’m gonna I’m gonna come down and see it live. So I’m just bringing the show it to an end is the bit that is my greatest hits. Basically, it’s the Sermon on the mic. And it’s the bit that we send you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to the young Sarah, what age would you choose? And what advice would you give what we’re going to find out because I’m going to play the music and when it fades your lap, this is the Sermon on the mic.
Sarah Caltieri [56:19]
side go back to the age of 20 and just left my high pressured job and went to work in a in a lower pressure job as a customer service advisor. And because I wanted to pursue my my career in music and acting, and I got slightly stock, and I was getting into the rut again and wondered how I was going to get out of it. And I would say to Sarah, Sarah, look what you’ve got yourself through. When you were 16 years old, you nearly died of an eating disorder you got yourself that you got back on the chart he got your diabetes under control and you became well and it’s because you wanted to live and you followed your heart. So Stop being silly. Stop being stock and remember follow your heart because it gets you out of a lot of sticky situations and confusion you know a passions are and you know you can do it. So don’t let this darkness bog you down. Follow your dreams and passions because they’ll keep you going to everything so all the obstacles to all the down times to everything passions are what keeps you going through life.
David Ralph [57:42]
Yeah, great stuff. And to the young Sarah I don’t think starkness is a proper word but it’s good. It’s good to just just go with it. So Sarah for the big Sarah what’s the number one best way that our audience who’ve been listening today you can connect with you best way to connect with me David is through my website www dot cervical tv.com or they can contact me through Facebook Messenger as well. And my email address is info cervical tv.com we will have all the links on the show notes and I thank you so much for spending time with us today joining those dots and please come back again when you’ve got more dots to join up or the second album is out as I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures Sam account TV Thank you so much.
Sarah Caltieri [58:32]
Thank you so much David. Thank you for the show. It’s I love it.
David Ralph [58:43]
Sam account TV, I love her and I love her music and she’s just the nicest nicest person. And yeah, she’s had issues but she’s not allowing them to stop her and she’s just moving all with positivity and of course Yeah, she’s gonna have down days we all have down days when we think life is rubbish and why is this not occurring? But it’s, it’s what you do after your down days. It’s when you get back up and you pick up your guitar and you train and you you just go for something different and something else and something more I hope all of you will connect with Sarah and check out her music because it really is it’s a great driving album and it’s one of my personal favorites but until next time I’m going to say goodbye to you but seven isn’t because we’re going to play out with no more tears which was a single a little while ago it’s a it’s a great song and here is no more tears.
