Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Lynn Brown.
Hi Sierra Lynn, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Rockville, Connecticut but moved to San Antonio, Texas at the age of 6, and consider it home. Music has always been a huge part of my life. In my family there wasn’t a celebration, a holiday or even a car ride without some jams on. I started singing when I was 4 years old in our family’s church choir. Growing up I was always inspired by strong, powerful, soulful singers like Etta James, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Amy Winehouse and Jennifer Hudson. I listened to the Dreamgirls soundtrack probably thousands of times and had my own little performance I did to ‘And I’m Telling You’ dreaming of being on stage one day. All throughout my school years I was in choir and loved participating in the talent shows each year.
My senior year of high school, I had the best surprise of my life: my son was born. He was such a blessing. He changed my life for the better and made me even more determined to follow my dreams.
Once I graduated high school, I enrolled in college and also started taking voice lessons at Network for Young Artists (NYA). NYA is an organization that provides music education for young people and helps develop their talents in performing arts. Through lessons, I started to get more comfortable on stage and learned how it is more about the feeling on stage rather than having to do everything perfectly. For students who they felt were ready, could audition for opportunities to perform at various events around San Antonio, like Fiesta, Oyster Bake, the Rodeo, art festivals, parades downtown, and many, many more. I loved the feeling of being on stage and performing. I just knew it was what I was meant to do. In 2013, I auditioned for “The Voice” and had several callbacks. In 2014, I competed in “Karaoke World Championships” (KWC) where I went to regionals, then state, and later to nationals where I won 6th in the nation.
After receiving national recognition for my vocals, I had a strong desire to play an instrument and accompany myself, so I picked up the guitar and taught myself to play. This is the same time I also started writing my own original music. In 2015, I was chosen for a featured artist night at 502 Bar in San Antonio, which was the first time I debuted my original music. The San Antonio Express News interviewed me and wrote an article about the event. The experience of sharing my music with others and seeing the joy it brought them was truly incredible. I then decided to get into the studio, and I recorded my first all original album titled “Freedom,” which was released in 2017. Over the next few years, I started booking gigs around town and continued writing music. In 2019, I was so excited to be invited to perform on live television for the KENS5 “Great Day SA” morning show. I was also selected to be part of the City Council Music Spotlight Program, which is a program led by the San Antonio Music Commission to showcase local artists.
When the pandemic hit, all my gigs were canceled or rescheduled to an unknown date. It was hard and at times discouraging. So, I decided to start doing weekly livestream shows from home. It wasn’t the same as playing live, but I loved being able to engage with my audience again by reading comments, taking requests, and sharing new songs. Then in November of 2020, I recorded and released a single called “Fight.” In 2021, as the world started emerging from the pandemic, I was able to start booking some shows, and it was such a great feeling to interact with others face to face again. I had a newfound love and appreciation for everyone who stopped and listened, or tipped, or even just shot me a smile from across the room. In December of 2021, I recorded and released my latest single “I’m All In.” I continue to play shows throughout Texas, and I am working on my next original album.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it hasn’t always been an easy road. In the beginning, it was a huge challenge trying to balance college, single parenting, and work, with the pursuit of my passion for music. I was determined, though. No matter what else was going on in my life, I knew I had to continue to do music, as well. It’s a part of me. When I first started performing live, I had also just learned to play guitar, so I felt a little bit behind the curve with my guitar skills. I was lucky enough to meet a lot of amazing musicians who encouraged me and told me to keep going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a singer, songwriter and musician. I play solo, duo and full band shows. I have a wide variety of cover music, from oldies to recent hits, and I have my originals. I have been told I have a powerful, soulful sound and inspiring, uplifting lyrics. I am very proud of my choice to learn guitar, because it really opened up my musicality and led me to writing my own music.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
There have been many lessons I learned along the way. I think it’s incredibly important to always believe in yourself, your unique talent and your ability. I’ve learned to trust myself more during the songwriting process and not be so critical of myself. It’s also important to encourage others and always be kind.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: SierraLynnMusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierralynnsinger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SierraLynnSinger/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sierralynnbrown
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SierraLynnBrown/videos
- Other: https://www.reverbnation.com/sierralynn4
Image Credits
Sierra Lynn Brown
