by Olga Barsky

How were the Much Music Video Awards for Sarah Taylor last year?

After a three-year streak of hosting the biggest one-night-only music bash in Toronto, Sarah was noticeably absent from last year’s show. Trading in a couture gown for sweats, she watched the MMVA’s from her couch, along with the rest of us. “It was really unique for me to see it as the viewer and not actually be there. You get to watch it with a different set of eyes, so that was really fun.”

This year, Sarah will once again be gracing our silver screens along with her fellow Much VJ’s in what promises to be the most exciting show to date, and the most meaningful to Sarah. “The MMVA’s are huge, huge deal, and this year is very important to me…my family is going to be watching, and I just feel like I’m in a happy place with things, and I appreciate things that are sometimes easy to take for granted.”

Why is this year so important to Sarah? Well for those of you who may have not been around recently, there was a time not long ago when Sarah’s mere presence at the increasingly massive awards show was a long shot. No less taking her usual post as one of the most stylish, charismatic, and down to earth VJs on Much.

At first, even talking again was a long shot…

But let’s start with the clothes.

So on the one night that truly brings the downtown core to life and everyone’s watching what is an already stunning woman to wear? Greta Constantine of course.  “We have so many amazing Canadian designers!” Sarah gushes. Music to my ears.  I know right away that we’re meant to be best friends.  Sarah believes in taking full advantage of our homegrown talent, “as soon as they get huge, they’re gone, and you can never get a dress or anything by them anyway.” 

But things don’t always work out according to plan, that and Sarah may change her mind last minute, in which case she’ll probably wear vintage, or change half way through.  To the last award show, she wore a dress by Divine Decadence (136 Cumberland St.), which specializes in vintage couture.  And then her voice turns to a husky whisper.  I hold my breath. “…And maybe…Miu Miu shoes.” Breathe out. 

The decisions weren’t always so trivial. After a tragic collapse and head injury while on assignment in Las Vegas – Sarah’s future and even ability to speak were under question.

“I had two surgeries. One in Vegas and when I came back (to TO) I had to have another one here at Western. Doctors were telling my parents ‘she may never talk again, ever’. And my family was making preparations for me for to have full time help for the rest of my life.”

Sarah recalls a visit from her friends who brought her a huge box of emails.  “It was an outpour of prayers, peoples parents, and others who have had similar accidents – so that was really special. You forget about all the other people you’re connected to, and that’s what this business is to me at the core.”

With so much support from family, friends, and fans – Sarah had to get better – and thankfully, she did. 

“I had a miraculous recovery, one that doesn’t happen to people. When you have a head injury, you’re not going to make it out of it unscathed.” A year and half later, after months of speech therapy Sarah is happy to be back at the job she loves, having made peace with her accident and absorbed all the lessons which stemmed from it.  “You just don’t go through life in the same way after something like that happens.  Everything is kind of like…water off your back.”

Let’s back up for awhile. This strength of character must come from somewhere and for Sarah, it’s from the closest people in her life. But what may surprise some is that they were also the role models for her style and self-expression as well.

“Everybody’s really influenced by their parents. And I was almost equally influenced by my father as I was by my mother. My mom was a model when she was young, very beautiful, and I was always in love with her.” She was a disco, 70’s flower child, influenced by pop, and loved sequins.  “That is where I get all that shit from” Sarah affirms, citing ladies like Donna Summer and Diana Ross as major style inspirations.

”My dad was totally hippie with a white afro, and he would wear cowboy boots and be driving motorcycles.”  Sarah believes that she mixes the two together, and describes her own style as a “disco hippie.”  Personal style is something Sarah takes very seriously, because “its such a great visual medium,” and that’s an important message she wants to pass on to her younger fans – “you can wear what-ever you like, and it should be an expression of what you are and how you feel.” Amen sister.

I could talk fashion all day long, but its time to move back to the event on everyone’s mind.  What is Sarah most looking forward to at this MMVA’s?

“The performances!” How could you not? With a stellar line-up including New Kids on the Block, Girlicious, Hedley, illScarlett, Rihanna, and Simple Plan – you just can’t go wrong.  “This year we’re expecting 15,000 people…pretty crazy.”

Being in the entertainment industry, its easy to get caught up in the bullshit, but Sarah knows what’s important – “what I am doing is building a bridge between artists and viewers.”  And she loves every minute it.

But before the show even happens there’s a ton of prep and sound checks. “It’s cool because you get a feeling of who performers really are. They come out wearing their own stuff. Like Fergie comes out, she’s got running shoes on with no make-up, and has her hair in a bun. We’re all just putting a show together and it’s fun.”

It seems like lots of things are fun for Sarah; a product of positive energy and an endless penchant for creativity. Her resume even boasts on-camera needle work.

Sarah recalls the experience, “I got it in Vancouver on the Much 911 show.  She shows me the tat located on her wrist – a dove. “I realized later that it looks exactly like the Dove Soap Dove, but that was an accident.  I even put little marks in between (the wings) to differentiate!”

Not that this was her first foray into tattoos – she’s currently sporting four.

“I’ve got one tiny one on my foot. Its an ‘M.’  My mother, sister, and myself all have the same middle name, May, so it’s the first initial.” Sarah got her very first tattoo when she was 16. “My god, everyone does that! It’s a Japanese style tattoo which means strength, isn’t that weird?” She laughs.  “Later on I met one of my best friends and she had the exact same tattoo on her arm, its weird how that kind of shit happens.” Sarah’s last tat is a representation of her Zodiac sign – a Virgo.

With her current musical taste there’s also an assortment. From Ike and Tina and 60’s Stones, to more recently Billy Joel and Roxy Music. But for a work out it’s Rihanna who’s album she admits she enjoys.

Sarah has interviewed many big stars during her MuchMusic tenure and explains that the key for her is to stay in the moment. She recalls a particularly heartfelt interview with Canadian songstress Leslie Feist.

“I remember the first time I interviewed her, her first record, I had to take her aside and be like ‘honestly, I swear to god, I would have killed myself after my last break-up if I didn’t have your record.’  And she was like ‘I totally feel you, I’m so glad you’re doing better now.’ She’s Canadian so I felt like I could really talk to her.”

The Can-con energy is definitely strong in Sarah. Further cementing our newfound friendship, Sarah admits that she would “love to stay in Canada because its amazing living here and where else are you going to go really?”

That’s not to say the Canadian industry is without flaws.  “Canada has a bit of an attitude where we don’t take our own seriously until they go somewhere, get recognition and come back. It’s just the way things go. And I think people are beginning to learn that and they always come back…crawling back.”

Next I wanted to know, where does Sarah like to hang out in the city, and what her perfect day would be like? 

“I would probably take my dog walking – I have a shitsu, she’s amazing – and we like High Park, we like the dogs there.  And then we’d probably hang out at Starbucks.” The girl loves her coffee! Next, Sarah would probably hit up Kensington Market where she would “go shopping, hang out with my friends, listen to music, and have weird conversations with weird people because that’s what the market is all about.” She’s also a huge biking enthusiast in the summer – “I’m always doing it, it’s my mode of transportation.”

And she loves being outdoors. “I’m big on picnics, I especially love Moss Park where you can see the whole city at night.  We’re covering up our beautiful sky line with condos, so unfortunately, there’s only a couple of good views left. 

Among her favourite stores, Sarah sites I Miss You (63 Ossington Ave).  “Julie (the owner) is wicked she has the most amazing style I’ve ever seen.”  

As our time together winds down, I ask Sarah if she’s got any parting words of advice.  “You need to figure out who you are and what you want in life. That’s all you need.” And “don’t let anything else get in your way, be confident, and love yourself.” Sarah complains that her advice is too general, but I think she’s got it exactly right.