Biography
Sarah Siegler grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the youngest of four in a musical family. She played piano, trumpet, and violin growing up, participating in everything from marching band, jazz band and choir at school, to the La Crosse Youth Symphony orchestras in the community. However, during these busy days of performing, she always admired composers and secretly wondered what it would be like “to be John Williams”...so, she wrote her first song on violin called “Caterpillar Boogie”, and, the journey began.
After graduation from Luther High School in Onalaska, WI, she received a BA in Music Education from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, in 2001. She followed her dream to move “out East” and taught elementary and middle school orchestra in central Connecticut for nine years. During that time she was also active as church choir director and performer in the Farmington Valley Symphony. She also pursued and received her Master of Music Education, with a string emphasis, at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL in 2009. It was during her time in graduate school that she started carving out and dedicating more time to write music, and hopes to continue to do so.
Sarah moved back to the Midwest and taught the grade school and high school orchestras at Shoreland Lutheran High School in Somers, WI, for eleven years. After twenty years of teaching orchestra, she is channeling her passion for composing into a NEW CAREER! Sarah is now the owner of Grand Mesa Strings Publishing, formerly the string division of Grand Mesa Music, and is looking forward to working in the field of string orchestra publishing.
After graduation from Luther High School in Onalaska, WI, she received a BA in Music Education from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, in 2001. She followed her dream to move “out East” and taught elementary and middle school orchestra in central Connecticut for nine years. During that time she was also active as church choir director and performer in the Farmington Valley Symphony. She also pursued and received her Master of Music Education, with a string emphasis, at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL in 2009. It was during her time in graduate school that she started carving out and dedicating more time to write music, and hopes to continue to do so.
Sarah moved back to the Midwest and taught the grade school and high school orchestras at Shoreland Lutheran High School in Somers, WI, for eleven years. After twenty years of teaching orchestra, she is channeling her passion for composing into a NEW CAREER! Sarah is now the owner of Grand Mesa Strings Publishing, formerly the string division of Grand Mesa Music, and is looking forward to working in the field of string orchestra publishing.
Composition Philosophy
I enjoy reading studies about the brain and creativity, or listening to talk radio debates on “Where does creativity come from?” However, as fascinating as the brain research is and the debates are, they usually bring me a quiet smile because, as a Christian, I know where creativity comes from, the Creator himself! And I am so grateful God has blessed us with his gifts of creativity and music.
In that light, I think of composing as my favorite way to “paint the sunset”. I know God created the sunset, no artist would say, “look, I made the sunset”, but God does give us the ability to view each sunset in our own special way, or paint or photograph it for others to see with new insight. In a similar way, I know God is the author of music, but he gives us the ability to hear and ‘paint’ melodies with different colors and contours. He gives us the inspiration to create new and meaningful ways for others to hear and perform his gift of music.
As far as the style of music I most enjoy writing, I usually prefer simple, singable melodies. Of course, I appreciate every type of music you can imagine - atonal, dissonant, soundscapes, anything interesting, and I would love to challenge myself to write some atonal or dissonant music in the future - perhaps finally get to that "Requiem for 7th grade choir, piccolo, bassoon and tuba" that I've been thinking about...but for practical life, for school orchestra music and choral music for church choirs, I tend to choose singable melodies. For me, at the end of the day, songs I can hum are like warm hot chocolate, while non-melodic or atonal music is like kale - good for the mind, but not nearly as comforting.
It is truly one of my greatest blessings and joys to hear the sounds in my head performed out loud by others , so thank you to anyone who has or will perform my music! I hope to continue to write both choral and instrumental, both sacred and secular music, which all ultimately gives glory to God.
In that light, I think of composing as my favorite way to “paint the sunset”. I know God created the sunset, no artist would say, “look, I made the sunset”, but God does give us the ability to view each sunset in our own special way, or paint or photograph it for others to see with new insight. In a similar way, I know God is the author of music, but he gives us the ability to hear and ‘paint’ melodies with different colors and contours. He gives us the inspiration to create new and meaningful ways for others to hear and perform his gift of music.
As far as the style of music I most enjoy writing, I usually prefer simple, singable melodies. Of course, I appreciate every type of music you can imagine - atonal, dissonant, soundscapes, anything interesting, and I would love to challenge myself to write some atonal or dissonant music in the future - perhaps finally get to that "Requiem for 7th grade choir, piccolo, bassoon and tuba" that I've been thinking about...but for practical life, for school orchestra music and choral music for church choirs, I tend to choose singable melodies. For me, at the end of the day, songs I can hum are like warm hot chocolate, while non-melodic or atonal music is like kale - good for the mind, but not nearly as comforting.
It is truly one of my greatest blessings and joys to hear the sounds in my head performed out loud by others , so thank you to anyone who has or will perform my music! I hope to continue to write both choral and instrumental, both sacred and secular music, which all ultimately gives glory to God.
