Sarah Brindell

Position
Professor
Affiliated Departments
Telephone
617-747-2745

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Sarah Brindell is a songwriter, arranger, producer, musician, and full-time professor at Berklee College of Music. With touring credits around the world, she has shared the stage, written for, and recorded with many renowned artists, including Norah Jones, Carole King, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Ivan Neville, and Raul Midon. Her original songs can be heard on many television shows, including MTV’s Made. She was a finalist in the Song of the Year contest as part of VH-1’s Save the Music Foundation, as well as the Billboard World Song Contest. A summa cum laude graduate of Boston University, Brindell holds a master's degree in music education and teaches courses on campus and online in songwriting, harmony, ear training, arranging, and stage performance. She conducts clinics nationwide and internationally, and continually helps thousands of students to reach their full potential as professional musicians and songwriters. Successful former students include pop star St. Vincent, Amy Allen (songwriter for Harry Styles, Selena Gomez, and Halsey), Jake Torrey (songwriter for Charlie Puth, John Legend, and Maroon 5), and Nikki Glaspie (drummer for Beyonce and Maceo Parker).

Career Highlights
  • Solo and band performances of original material at countless venues across the U.S. and Europe
  • Band leader for Sarah Brindell Quintet, vocalist and keyboardist for Naya Rockers, vocalist and keyboardist for Pressure Cooker, and vocalist and keyboardist for Duppy Conquerors
  • Recordings include Dreaming Shoes (2010), Live at the Paradise Lounge (2005), and Piece of Mind (2003)
Awards
  • Finalist, VH-1’s Save the Music Foundation's Song of the Year Contest
  • Honorable Mention, Billboard World Song Contest
Education
  • School Name
    Boston University
    State or Province
    Massachusetts
    Degree
    Master of Music (M.M.)
    Field of Study
    Music Education
    Date Degree Received
  • School Name
    The New School
    State or Province
    New York
    Degree
    Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
    Field of Study
    Musical Theater
    Date Degree Received
In Their Own Words
I want students to come away from my class with joy, a sense of community, inspiration, and a newfound freedom to collaborateimprovising and creating words and music.

Growing up in theater, I took a lot of improv classes. The process of discovering and collaborating on ideas through improv/freestyle/improvisation, in the moment, provides a solid foundation for songwriting. In class, my students practice improvisation tools and techniques to explore effective processes of creating music and lyrics. I utilize action-based teaching methodologystudents are actively creating in class, and instruments include voices, hands, feet, and desks, as well as piano and guitar.

I grew up in an entire family of professional classical musicians. When I was 5, my father used to quiz me by playing notes on the piano and asking me to name themwithout looking. This intense ear training as a child led to my ability to easily get inside the melodies and harmonies of my students in order to effectively guide them toward making a beautiful song that comes to full fruition.