Sierra

Verified teacher profile

5 (9 reviews)

Hourly rate $60
Response Time 2h
Number of students 13

1^st lesson free!

Los Angeles based songwriter and graduate of Berklee College of Music teaches songwriting lessons through customized programs

- Los Angeles
- webcam

Super Prof

Sierra is one of our best tutors Music Theory. They have a high-quality profile, verified qualifications, a quick response time, and great reviews from students!

About the lesson

Hello! I have a unique approach to teaching songwriting and can’t wait for you to join me. Lessons are for everyone. Whether you’ve never written a song in your life or you’ve written hundreds, I will work to develop a plan that works for you!
- We start out with a FREE 30 minute lesson where we get to know each other
- After, I will analyze your areas of growth based on my evaluation and your goals to develop a *customized* plan for you
- Potential topics include lyric writing, melody writing, form, harmony, rhyme, music theory, guitar for songwriters, the business of songwriting, and more. Each topic will be catered towards your experience level.
- If you are not ready to commit to a full program, you can also opt for a lesson-by-lesson plan that is less structured and best for those who would like to feedback on one or two songs
- We hit the ground running and get you writing the songs you’ve always dreamed of!

subjects

Music Theory
Songwriting

languages

English
Spanish

levels

All Levels

About Sierra

I am a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in Songwriting and Music Technology. I have been writing songs for 10+ years and am currently based in Los Angeles working in the music industry.

My songs have won multiple awards over the years including the 2021 Songs for Social Change Contest (showcase), the 2021 Annual Earthapalooza Concert, and for two years in a row, the Michigan Music Education Association Songwriting Contest.

Review

All of our reviews are collected by us and are 100% reliable. They correspond to a real experience lived by students with Sierra.

5 (9 reviews)

L
Luiza
- 5
Perfect! Sierra is Very patient, lots of knowledge and I definitely have learned so much after just a few classes with her. I’m so grateful I chose her to be my teacher !!
See the response from Sierra Read more Read more

L
Luiza
Perfect! Sierra is Very patient, lots of knowledge and I definitely have learned so much after just a few classes with her. I’m so grateful I chose her to be my teacher !!

Sierra's response
Luiza is a wonderful student! She's very attentive and works hard between classes.
- Sierra's response : Luiza is a wonderful student! She's very attentive and works hard between classes.
J
Joseph
- 5
Perfect! Sierra is extremely knowledgeable and insightful. She knew just the right info. and exercises that I needed to get past where I was stuck. Her methods and tips were new to me and have helped me immensely. I highly recommend Sierra as a teacher/coach.
Read more Read more

J
Joseph
Perfect! Sierra is extremely knowledgeable and insightful. She knew just the right info. and exercises that I needed to get past where I was stuck. Her methods and tips were new to me and have helped me immensely. I highly recommend Sierra as a teacher/coach.
D
Donald
- 5
Perfect! Sierra is a real professional. She is very organized and helpful—a good listener. I was very pleased with our first session.
See the response from Sierra Read more Read more

D
Donald
Perfect! Sierra is a real professional. She is very organized and helpful—a good listener. I was very pleased with our first session.

Sierra's response
Donald is eager to learn and has a great instinct for lyrical concepts. He'll be writing full songs in no time!
- Sierra's response : Donald is eager to learn and has a great instinct for lyrical concepts. He'll be writing full songs in no time!
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Recommendations

Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher

L
Luiza
What a great teacher !!! So patient with me especially that I’m so new to lyric writing ! Sierra is so experienced and definitely knows her stuff ! Lots of knowledge ! So grateful I chose her as my teacher, I have been learning so much.
Read more

L
Luiza
What a great teacher !!! So patient with me especially that I’m so new to lyric writing ! Sierra is so experienced and definitely knows her stuff ! Lots of knowledge ! So grateful I chose her as my teacher, I have been learning so much.
Ily
Sierra is a very organized, experienced teacher with a lot of tools and exercise to help anyone at any level. I highly recommend her!
Read more

Ily
Sierra is a very organized, experienced teacher with a lot of tools and exercise to help anyone at any level. I highly recommend her!
A
Arciella
Sierra is highly responsible, organized and clear with her teaching, as well as being personable and really fun to work with. I definitely recommend her!
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A
Arciella
Sierra is highly responsible, organized and clear with her teaching, as well as being personable and really fun to work with. I definitely recommend her!
Fiona
Sierra is a well-rounded artist and an excellent teacher. Her compositions demonstrate a depth (both musically and lyrically) that I consider a rarity and a treasure. I have seen her collaborate with a diverse pool of artists seamlessly and I admire that her understanding of her craft is not limited to her own personal style. She has provided me with amazing insights in my lyric writing while remaining inspiring and encouraging. I really feel like she's on my side and I look forward to continuing my work with her :)
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Fiona
Sierra is a well-rounded artist and an excellent teacher. Her compositions demonstrate a depth (both musically and lyrically) that I consider a rarity and a treasure. I have seen her collaborate with a diverse pool of artists seamlessly and I admire that her understanding of her craft is not limited to her own personal style. She has provided me with amazing insights in my lyric writing while remaining inspiring and encouraging. I really feel like she's on my side and I look forward to continuing my work with her :)
Ben
Sierra is a very experienced songwriter who is currently working with industry professionals and labels. She writes for many of the artists I work with and they are all very happy with her work ethic and knowledge! Anyone who decides to learn from her will definitely end up a better writer for it!
Read more

Ben
Sierra is a very experienced songwriter who is currently working with industry professionals and labels. She writes for many of the artists I work with and they are all very happy with her work ethic and knowledge! Anyone who decides to learn from her will definitely end up a better writer for it!
Andrea
If you are looking to make composition a passion, a daily challenge of exploration and creation? Sign up for Sierra classes today! 100% Recommended!
I share with you that I started my classes in October 2021 and to this day, I have created my first two songs, simple but very heartfelt, and I am starting to write the third one!! :D
From the first day I received theoretical and practical knowledge that motivated me to investigate, tell a sincere story and little by little understand the complex but exciting world of composition.

Thanks a lot for reading!
Gratitude Sierra! Keep going with your career as a teacher and composer!

Hugs from Ecuador,
Andrea
Read more

Andrea
If you are looking to make composition a passion, a daily challenge of exploration and creation? Sign up for Sierra classes today! 100% Recommended!
I share with you that I started my classes in October 2021 and to this day, I have created my first two songs, simple but very heartfelt, and I am starting to write the third one!! :D
From the first day I received theoretical and practical knowledge that motivated me to investigate, tell a sincere story and little by little understand the complex but exciting world of composition.

Thanks a lot for reading!
Gratitude Sierra! Keep going with your career as a teacher and composer!

Hugs from Ecuador,
Andrea
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Rates

packages

5h: $300
10h: $600

webcam

$60/h

free lessons

30mins

Video

Find out more about Sierra

01
1) When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?
One of my earliest memories as a child is my mom telling me that songs were written down.

I was amazed by music when I was little. I would sing nonsense for hours and hours until my parents begged me to stop. Because I sang whatever came to my mind, I just assumed that's how everyone else did it. It caused me to be blown away by people singing together. "How do they all think the same thing at the same time and then sing it all together?!" I remember thinking. Asking my mom this question she looked at me and said, "well, they write it down." And just like that, massive lightbulb! I'm pretty sure I wrote my very first song after that. "Well, if they can write it down, I can too!" and thus was born a songwriter. Putting words to melody for as long as I can remember and I don't ever plan on stopping!
02
2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?
Lake Street Dive, Lianne La Havas, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Khalid, Julia Michaels, and Taylor Swift are some of my favorites! I listen to a wide range of music, so this list is constantly changing.
03
3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.
I think the most difficult thing about songwriting is often not writing the song itself, but the stories we tell ourselves about what we're writing. Self doubt, perfectionism, and shame are always present at every level of songwriting and hinder us the most when trying to producing our best work.

If I were to design a difficult (yet transformative) course for a student, I would have them write one terrible song a day for a whole month, interspersed with deep dive lessons on song form, rhyme, melody, literary devices, and other songwriting techniques. The goal is to get the student out of their own head and unafraid of failing to write a masterpiece, while giving them the tools and practice to eventually be able to make the masterpiece a reality.

We would also intensely study other songwriters in the student's chosen genre. There is so much to learn from those who have been previously successful - there's so much to learn!
04
4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?
While each instrument has its own complicated path to mastery, I believe the voice is one of the most challenging. Unlike any other instrument, your voice is physically a part of you. It's constantly changing with the weather, your environment, and as you get older. It even changes based on the food you eat! Knowing your voice deeply enough to ride the wave of all these changes takes lots of time, attention, and practice.

The voice, however, is a very subjective instrument. There are plenty of garbage singers who consistently woo audiences because their emotional delivery outweighs any concerns for technique.

Every instrument has its ups and downs. Some have a steep learning curve, others are more intuitive. Mastery of all instruments takes dedication and consistency, but I believe journeying with the voice is one of the most rewarding.
05
5) What are your keys to success?
One of the most important keys to success that I've discovered is how to work regardless of your emotional state. Songwriting is an inherently emotional endeavor, but it is imperative that you are not tied to the whims of "inspiration" to create. Having a solid foundation with the technical elements of songwriting is essential, because when inspiration does strike, you want to be able to capture it expertly. Writing when not inspired is how you practice the technical aspects.

Other important keys to success are to eat right, exercise and SLEEP! The "starving artist" lifestyle is in no way optimal for creativity. It's a complete myth that you have to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to produce great art. Take care of yourself and you will be rewarded!
06
6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.
My first musician would be Joni Mitchell. She has had such an iconic career and is truly an artist through and through. I would love to talk to her about her journey and gain some wisdom from her many years of writing music.

My second musician would be Paul McCartney. To be a part of the most legendary band of all time must have been insane and I would love to hear some of his stories. He surely also has some amazing songwriting tips!

My third musician would be Stevie Wonder. He's a complete genius and I would love to hear how his brain works. People like him operate on different planes of existence and to get a look into his head would be amazing.
07
7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.
Before I committed to music school, I was at a different college studying theatre. This program was not centered around music, but did have a musical theatre writing class. I immediately signed up for this my first semester. It was taught by an eccentric man who's successful band had written a show on Broadway, to much acclaim, a few years prior. From the very beginning he put me and everyone in the class in unique positions to get out of our comfort zone to create weird, yet wildly rewarding art.

Nobody in the class except for me and one other girl new how to play any instruments. On day one, he passed around three guitars, some drums and a keyboard and said "okay we're going to write a song." The people who had gotten guitars quickly learned how to play two chords, the drummers started banging out a rhythm, and the keyboardist improvised a small melody. As they were getting in the groove, he told the rest of us to write some lyrics. I jotted down some random thoughts before he turned to me and said "okay Sierra, sing us what you wrote." My first thought was "No way! I wrote nonsense! This is going to be soooo bad." So I got up there and stood still for a few minutes in a panic. Sensing my distress, the professor said, "Just sing what comes to your mind. Don't worry about it, just listen to the music and sing." So I did. And when I tell you that what came out of my mouth was somehow a fully formed song I am not joking! It had loud moments, quiet moments, and a remarkable flow. Our hodgepodge group of amateur musicians created something beautiful.

This is a testament that anyone with the willingness to try can create beautiful music. Sometimes technique and music theory are irrelevant and what truly matters is connecting to the people around you. The experience taught me that when you release your expectations, magic can happen.
08
8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?
I have experienced it all! Since I've been writing songs for most of my life I doubt there is any struggle or question you could throw at me that I haven't seen or felt before. I'm very invested in my student's success and can't wait to help you realize your potential.

I'm always available between lessons for questions or feedback and I'll share a Google Drive folder where you can keep all your audio files and lesson notes organized in one place.

I can't wait to meet you!

Los Angeles based songwriter and graduate of Berklee College of Music teaches songwriting lessons through customized programs

Super Prof

About the lesson

subjects

languages

levels

About Sierra

Review

Recommendations

Rates

packages

webcam

free lessons

Video

Find out more about Sierra

1) When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

5) What are your keys to success?

6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

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