Sarah Coco

Bitter Jester Music Festival Judge

Sarah Coco is a guitar player and singer from Chicago, IL. A native of Johnsburg, IL, she performs originals as well as covers that span myriad genres and decades. Sarah is also a voice, guitar, ukulele, and piano teacher.

“I was a Bitter Jester judge for the first time in 2021 and really enjoyed it! Working as a music teacher, I look forward to giving helpful and well-delivered critique on young people's performances and musicianship.”

- Sarah Coco

Sarah’s music is described as ‘beach folk meets Midwest country.’ She gathers inspiration from the likes of Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, and John Prine. As a teacher, she hopes to encourage her students to use music as a lifelong creative outlet.

Along with writing, her other passion is to help promote and empower women in the music industry. Sarah strives to connect with all people through meaningful lyrics about love and life.

Her degree in Music Education from Illinois State University has allowed her to teach music at several different schools in Chicago, the Chicagoland Suburbs, and in California. In addition to her time at ISU, she also studied at Uppsala University.

Sarah loves how music lets you freely express yourself and how it builds community - one of the biggest things that appealed to her about participating as a judge in the Bitter Jester Music Festival.

She has written and produced two full length albums and regularly performs throughout the Chicagoland area as both a solo performer and in various ensembles. Check out her Spotify here!