Wiz Kid: Sarah Summers, Master of All Trades

Every Wednesday Sonoma Patch profiles a member of the under-18 set, rising above and beyond the call of duty.

Name: Sarah Summers

Age: 17

School: Sonoma Valley High School

Great Deed: The winner of Sonoma's 2011 Creative Arts Award, Sarah Summers exceeded the expectations of the prize. The award is given to a single Sonoma Valley student who works in any artistic discipline; Sarah works in three.

Though high school junior entered the competition with CDs of her original music and hand-penned music poster mock-ups, Summers intends to persue her passion for acting after she graduates.  

"I'm hoping to go to school for theater, but I also want to continue playing music and art...I'm hoping to start getting myself out there by putting my music online," says Summers.

You can find her singer-songwriter tunes on Myspace ("I just put it up, the site's not really finished yet," says Summers).  Like most teenage girls, she's not afraid of a Taylor Swift cover, but her own style veers towards artfully composed  70s folk, which she accompanies on guitar and banjo.

"I grew up with folk music and blue grass and rockabilly music, so I've been tuned into that stuff for a while," says Summers.

Key to Awesomeness: "I think there's a lot to draw from small town life, even if it can seem a little mundane at times. There's a lot of support for the arts and music and there's a lot of great people here and great ways to get out and play. So, it's important to just stay inspired."

Catch Summers on Sun FM at 9:15 on Friday, April 1. The show streams live online.