Matthew Morgis

When it comes to music, it’s refreshing to come across someone like Sarah Blacker. In a society where worth ethic seems to dwindle more and more, Blacker pushes along through the thick and thin just to keep doing what she loves most: Performing on stage.

“When I was very little, I would have dreams every night of performing,” Blacker said, phoning in while traveling from Boston to Philadelphia. “I was not only singing and dancing, but I was doing acrobatics as well. So every night that I get to play music for people, I’m living my dream.”

Blacker doesn’t do acrobatics anymore, but her show — which she brings to the River St. Ale House Monday, April 25 — is full of her impressive voice and melodic picking on both a guitar and mandolin. Although she does travel with a band at times, this particular show will be a solo performance.

Blacker’s start did not come easy. She never took a guitar lesson, but instead taught herself how to play in a very unconventional way.

“I learned to play through writing songs,” she said. “I used to write three or four songs a day by sitting down and putting my hands on different places on the guitar. I was basically making things up as I went.”

After an exponential amount of songs written, she decided to take her life after high school to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where Blacker learned the most about a song’s structure and how to really captivate an audience with a tune.

“At Berklee, I was disclosed to more music than I would have been anywhere else,” Blacker explained. “Not only do you listen to more music, but since the environment was so competitive, it made me want to practice more.”

Now, Blacker tries to perform anywhere. She’s shared the stage with countless other musicians such as Vince Welnick, the late keyboard player of the Grateful Dead, and Jason Isbell, a former member of Drive By Truckers. Blacker has also played venues far and wide, ranging from huge sites that hold festivals, to some of the best theaters in New York City. The most impressive part is that Blacker has done this all by herself, without the help of traditional management or promoters, and she explains that it is not easy:

“That hardest part is finding time to write songs between all of the booking and promoting,” she says. “There has to be a balance between the business end and creative side of things. It is really great that is there is so much you can do on your own, but there is also much more required of the artist because of that. You definitely get more opportunities. It’s changed over the years, and this is the new music model for most people now.”

Blacker’s recent release, “Come What May,” was funded by a new tool that is popular for “Do It Yourself” artists, Kickstarter. Kickstarter allows anyone from musicians and filmmakers to inventors and explores to raise money. The artist sets a goal that needs to be reached. Then, the fans pledge money to help the artist reach the goal. Blacker took advantage of this trend and raised a few thousand dollars.

“I really enjoy the social networking that comes with being a musician,” said Blacker. “I have an online family of people that I’ve met through traveling, and it’s a great way to stay in touch and keep them updated. It was great to get the money in advance.”

For now, Blacker is going to keep pushing along and living her dream. She continues to write songs when she can, and she hopes to jump on a few tours as an opener this summer. You can always expect her to play music, and you can always expect it to be powerful and stick with you — and she loves every bit of it.

“It’s all worth it: Performing, just being on stage, connecting with an audience, meeting new people, traveling and really just being an inspiration to people or giving something to relate to.”