I don’t know what to say.
This past weekend, I lost – we all lost – one of the best people that I have ever been blessed enough to know. Not just to know, but to work with, create with, and perform with.
Words can’t begin to explain what Sara Rogers meant to me, the other musicians she worked with, or for that matter, what she meant to everyone that was touched by her spirit.
Sara was not just my friend; she was the musician, and musical partner that most performers could only dream of collaborating with. I was fortunate to be able to perform with her on a regular basis for the past seven years. Our duet that we developed over that time, we called GirlCrush.
We were performing at The Terrace many springtimes ago, before COVID disrupted so much of our lives. I half jokingly said to our audience that Sara was my girl crush. She responded by saying I was her girl crush, too. The name stuck. We focused our performances on music written by, or performed by women, and of course, Sara’s own original compositions, which were amazing, emotionally driven songs that everyone loved.
Photo by Alana Adetola Arts Photography, LLC
That was her though. Amazing. Driven. She had a heart of gold, and shared it with everyone that came into her life.
A great example of that was her music therapy. I have never seen someone genuinely care, love, give, and sacrifice for others like Sara did. So many families had come to depend on Sara’s music therapy as their light in dark days. She worked with special needs children, and adults, at risk youths, and pretty much anyone who she could help. More than that, she trusted. She trusted me to work with her in her music therapy circles, and create performances for her students, patients, and their families. It was a trust that meant more to me than I could ever adequately express to her.
Sara had many original songs that she also trusted me to add my own harmonies to when we performed them together. The included video here features some of those originals: Over, Behind Closed Doors, and More Than My Name. These songs were some of my favorites to perform with Sara, and we were given the opportunity to show them off in this Buffalo Rising series.
Hopefully through all of the media that exists, Sara’s legacy will live on. I am now, and will be forever grateful that I got the opportunity to be her acoustic partner, her other voice.
Her GirlCrush.
Sara Rogers (29 years old) was struck and killed while riding her bike this past weekend. Two of her friends were also injured, and were listed in critical condition at the hospital.
On Monday June 27 at 7PM at South Park Avenue and Columbia Street, we would like to ask you to join us in a vigil commemorating the loss of this young woman. All are welcome to arrive there then. The folks over at Slow Roll also have a ride that night you are invited to join for its entirety. One of the stops on the ride will be at this location between 7P – 8P. – GObike Buffalo
Photography by Devin Chavanne
The post Remembering Sara Rogers: Cortney Costanzo and GirlCrush appeared first on Buffalo Rising.