NEDERLAND -- Born in Austin and growing up in Dallas, Sarah Minto-Sparks has always been influenced by her Texas roots. Graduating from Highland Park High School, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend university.
After earning a bachelor’s in behavioral neuroscience at Northwestern University in 2021, Minto-Sparks took a gap year. At the age of twenty, she grabbed a guitar, and she hasn’t stopped playing and singing since.
Living in a van during her gap year, she traveled across the country, ultimately settling in Boulder. There, she found her community playing at a weekly open mic and developed her confidence.
Her connections through the open mic include Wesley Scott Smith, now a frequent collaborator, and Antonio “Tony” Daniel Reyes, now her manager.
Through these two connections, she expanded her performances into Estes Park, and in February 2024, she took the plunge into performing professionally. Continuing to develop her craft, she is one of five mixed-media artists selected for the 2024-25 residency at Boulder’s Oakley Art House.
Growing up around folk, bluegrass, and classic rock influences, including a father who loved the Grateful Dead, she has channeled those influences into her stylings over the last four years. Recognizing how her Texas roots stuck out in Boston, she’s connected with her Texan roots more than ever before, embracing the Western iconography and nature-loving culture of Colorado.
As an independent musician, she performs as frequently as she can, and as an artist, she designs and hand-draws her flyers and promotional materials. She also hosts community events such as open mics and jams, including an open pick at Gold Hill General Store.
In 2025, she, Smith, and Reyes teamed up to launch an independent record label, Busted Coyote Records, aiming to provide tools and support for any local musicians interested in recording and representation. Currently, the studio represents Minto-Sparks, Smith, and Ramblin’ Sam Perry as solo artists.
Busted Coyote Records also represents Wesley Scott and the Silver Dollars, a band featuring Scott on vocals and rhythm guitar, Perry on lead guitar, Dylan Brady on bass guitar, and Wolf Warner on drums. Through the studio, Minto-Sparks has recorded and released her debut EP Stoned I Left Rocky, and Perry is currently working on his debut EP.
Through her music career, the most important aspect to Minto-Sparks about her performances is the community surrounding her. While she has primarily performed and recorded solo over the last few years, she hopes to continue connecting and collaborating with other local musicians, advocating for independent artists, and finding resources to help push them forward.
Sarah Minto-Sparks will be performing at the Nederland General Store, located at 112 East Second Street in Nederland, on Sunday, August 17, 2025, starting at 1:30 p.m. You can find her social media profiles and music at linktr.ee/sparkytexan and her record label at bustedcoyoterecords.org.
Correction
The column highlighting Sarah Minto-Sparks on July 31, 2025, the article incorrectly cited her alma mater as Northwestern University, not Northeastern. We apologize for this error.
