Sitting in the sterile, high-ceilinged hum of the Music Industry Arts wing at Fanshawe College, you can practically smell the ambition. It smells like overpriced caffeine and the electrical ozone of a hundred active patch bays. Sarina Haggarty fits right into this environment, though she carries a weight most of her peers couldn't fathom. At 20, she has already survived two major brain surgeries to combat epilepsy. Most people would take the win and rest. Haggarty? She took the win and turned it into a discography.
She’s been a fixture on the London scene since 2016, racking up two EPs and a Fan Favorite trophy at the 2018 London Music Awards. But the industry is a fickle beast that demands more than just a good backstory. It demands a brand. Haggarty’s music is a moving target, oscillating between the Nashville-adjacent twang of country and the neon-soaked pulses of electronic pop.
I asked her if this stylistic hopping was a sign of an artist still searching for her soul or if she simply refuses to be pinned down by a marketing department. Haggarty doesn't blink. She knows exactly what she’s doing.
"When it comes to the genre of my music and brand as an artist, I am aiming for an alternative/pop sound but it definitely is all over the place currently," Haggarty says. "I am branching out into everything from indie acoustic, country and EDM. Every listener has a different taste of music so I believe it’s good to be all over the place as it makes my music easier to listen to for all ears."
It is a bold strategy. In an era where the Spotify algorithm rewards artists who stay in their lane, Haggarty is driving across all four. There is a risk there—a lack of a singular "hook" can confuse the casual listener—but her vocal consistency acts as the glue.
Her writing process is equally unregimented. We talked about the mechanics of the craft, the actual labour of turning a feeling into a four-minute radio edit. It isn't always a lightning bolt from the blue. Sometimes it is a slog.
"Every song I write has a different story," she explains. "Sometimes it’s easy to finish a song right away and other times I feel like it’s impossible to finish and still continue working on it. When it comes to lyrics, I write straight from the heart and it turns out to be words that everyone can relate to or find their own perspective of. I do co-write songs as well and I find it very rewarding what two or more people can come up with."
That willingness to co-write is what separates the hobbyists from the pros. She is currently embedded in Fanshawe’s MIA program, a legendary Canadian talent factory that has pumped out more Juno winners than most provinces. It is a gruelling environment that teaches you how to survive the business, not just how to play a C-major chord.
Haggarty is clearly drinking the Kool-Aid, and for good reason. "Fanshawe’s MIA program is simply amazing," she says. "It is unbelievable how fortunate London is to have this program and every student who has attended the program is lucky to be taught by some of the best in the industry. The program branches out to so many career options in the music industry from management, A&R, production, engineering and audio post production. I have absorbed so much information and am always thirsting for more. Meeting graduates and where their journey has lead to today is very inspirational and keeps me motivated to want to master as much as possible. I have learned so much from my professors and have made so many bonds with my colleagues. I’m really looking forward to graduating!"
Her entry into this world wasn't accidental. It was guided by Ryner Stoetzer, a producer who knows the London circuit like the back of his hand. Stoetzer saw something in Haggarty early on, producing her 2016 EP *Missing Pieces*. It was the kind of mentorship that usually requires a high-priced agent, but in London, it often just starts with a handshake.
"Yes! Ryner Stoetzer, my mom introduced me to him and his wife a few years ago," Haggarty says. "I wasn’t really involved in the music scene and all I wanted to do was record some songs and get some experience. I started co-writing with him and he taught me so much about writing, production and releasing music. He and his wife Mary were beyond helpful and supportive when it came to anything and still are today."
After I had brain surgery at 17 years old, in hopes to stop my Epilepsy, I was accepted as a wish kid... A year later I gave them a wish to “perform on a big stage” and before I knew it I was sharing the stage with Canada’s own, Shawn Mendes singing my first song that I wrote and released on my first EP “Missing Pieces”.
That foundation was critical. Without Stoetzer’s technical polish, Haggarty might have just been another kid with a guitar and a dream. Instead, she became a professional.
"After two years, I had written and released two EPs and my journey as an artist/singer/songwriter had fully begun," she says. "If I hadn’t worked with Ryner in the first place, I don’t think I would be where I am today. By the time I knew it, doors were opening out of nowhere and I suddenly met a bunch of down to earth, dedicated workers in the music scene."
But let’s talk about the Cleveland incident. It’s the kind of story that sounds like a movie script. A 17-year-old girl undergoes brain surgery and, through the Make-A-Wish foundation, ends up on stage in front of 22,000 screaming fans at a Shawn Mendes concert. Most people would vomit from nerves. Haggarty just took the mic.
"After I had brain surgery at 17 years old, in hopes to stop my epilepsy, I was accepted as a wish kid which is the last thing I had expected," Haggarty says. "I knew what Make-A-Wish was but didn’t really know much about it. A year later I gave them a wish to 'perform on a big stage' and before I knew it I was sharing the stage with Canada’s own, Shawn Mendes singing my first song that I wrote and released on my first EP 'Missing Pieces'. It was a wild feeling getting to technically steal the stage from him and grab the attention from thousands of screaming fans. I didn’t get nervous for a second. I was more or less thinking 'wow this is cool, I am going to sing on that stage in a few minutes' as everyone was staring at me because they knew from social media that I was going to sing a song. Shawn and the whole team there were so kindhearted and so meaningful."
That night changed her. It wasn't just about the ego stroke of the applause; it was about the realization that her voice had utility beyond her own bedroom. She became an ambassador for the foundation, a role she takes with a seriousness that eclipses her age.
"It’s really hard to fully describe Make-A-Wish as a wish kid because what they make happen is so unbelievable," she admits. "It’s impossible to adequately express how thankful and happy my wish has made me. Make-A-Wish is just amazing and the workers, the donors and the sponsors are all wonderful. Since my wish took place in the USA, I have spoken as a wish kid, sharing my story and travelled the world singing the song 'Fight Song' by Rachel Platten and my original 'Distracted'."
The momentum from the Mendes show didn't stop in Ohio. It carried her across the Atlantic to Dublin. If you want to know if an artist has "it," see how they handle a room of strangers in a foreign country. Haggarty went from Cleveland to a radio station in Ireland without missing a beat.
"My wish happened with the teamwork of Make-A-Wish SWO, Canada and America," she explains. "It took place in an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Then, weeks after my wish came true, I was invited to Arizona to represent SWO and myself, as a wish kid. I had the privilege of meeting Make-A-Wish workers internationally and met some workers from Ireland. I kept in contact and months later they invited me to sing at a big yearly gala that they were putting on. The Chief Executive from Ireland, Susan O’Dwyer officially invited me and before I knew it I was on my way to Dublin to sing two songs at a big, fancy and loud Crystal Ball! As soon as I landed, I went straight to Classic Hits 94-105FM in Dublin and shared stories about my health and my wish. There is no doubt that I gained fans and support in Ireland and world-wide… I am pretty lucky!"
When you listen to her vocal delivery, the influences are obvious but not derivative. There is a smokiness that hints at Adele and a rhythmic sensibility that screams Ed Sheeran. But she is also looking at the new vanguard—the Billie Eilishes and King Princesses of the world who are currently dismantling the pop machine from the inside.
"I listen to all artists and it’s hard to say which one is the most inspiring to me," she says. "Adele definitely inspired me when it came to songwriting and performing. Ed Sheeran is astonishing and Shawn is a very captivating performer. They both are incredibly inspiring to growing artists including myself."
She continues, showing her hand as a true student of the current charts: "There have been endless artists of all genres that I have followed in the past year such as Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi, King Princess, Maggie Rogers, Phoebe Bridgers and Lizzo. Listening to all these artists and hearing how much of their music stands out is interesting and makes me want to find the best sound I can. They’re mostly pop but put their own unique stamp on it."
Behind the accolades and the international trips is a support system that is deeply rooted in London. Musicality runs in the Haggarty blood. Her cousin, Julia Haggarty, is another local powerhouse. It’s a family business, and that provides a safety net that most young artists lack.
"I am very fortunate to have my family by my side and be supporting me since the beginning," she says. "They come out to all my shows and inspire me to keep at it. My cousin, Julia Haggarty is awesome and dedicates everything into her music abilities. She always has exciting things on the go and she is certainly an inspiration for myself and many more."
As we move into 2020, the focus is on the data. Her single "Want You So Bad" has cleared 10,000 plays on Spotify. In the grand scheme of the internet, that might seem small, but for an independent artist in London, it is a signal of real traction.
"I have so many plans for 2020—lots of surprises ahead!" she says with a grin. "Want You So Bad will definitely be involved and I am so thankful for all the streams and followers!"
Haggarty isn't looking for a quick exit or a viral moment. She is playing the long game. When I asked where she sees herself in 30 years, she didn't mention Grammys or mansions. She mentioned the work.
"I see myself writing songs and improving my skills as an artist," she says. "No matter what happens, I am interested in working in the music industry and there are endless opportunities so I want to continue working hard and see where life takes me. I think if I keep waking up every morning and make things happen, that’ll make me happy every time I look back. I want to inspire people with my story and my music too so that is one thing I hope I am able to look back on in 20-30 years."
The reality is that Sarina Haggarty has already done the hardest part. She survived the operating theatre and the terrifying silence of a 22,000-seat arena before the first note. Everything else? That’s just music. And she’s got plenty of that left to play.
