about
I believe that each singer has an authentic voice—one that must be heard loud and clear. It’s my mission to bring out the true artistry in each voice I am trusted with teaching.
welcome to heather pierce vox + music
I’m a singer, a songwriter, and the frontwoman for my electronic band, Karmacoda. I’ve spent my life onstage. It started when I was five in church choir and multiplied with every school, regional, and state choir I could find time to join. I played “Marty” in my junior high’s production of “Grease.” I sang in the talent show—every year. At the University of Arizona I sang jazz with the Big Band and majored in music, theatre, and photography. Over the last decade I’ve been playing shows, writing songs, and making albums in San Francisco.
Vocal coaching called to me in 2004 after I’d been studying the Speech Level Singing method with Dave Stroud for four years. I loved the changes I’d been able to make in my own voice, and I wanted to help other singers take their voices to the next level. Plus, the idea of singing all day long really appealed to me! I’m constantly learning and discovering—knowledge I offer my clients daily.
education + training
I’ve studied voice—a lot. Here are some official credentials:
Bachelor of Fine Arts: Music, Theatre and Photography, 1997
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Stanford Jazz Workshop Residency Vocal Program, 1997
Speech Level Singing Instructor Certification Program, 2004 to 2011
Additional private studies under:
Alyce Brodoff, Vocal Technique
Jeffrey Haskell, Vocal Jazz Style
Kitty Margolis, Vocal Jazz Style
Raz Kennedy, Contemporary Style
Dave Stroud, Vocal Technique
Greg Enriquez, Vocal Technique
day jobs past create the future
I was the Assistant Coordinator for the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy (The GRAMMYS) from 1998 to 2000. Yes—I did get to attend the GRAMMY Awards (Yes—it was extremely fun!)
The music industry really is a business, and artists are seen as commodities. You can play the game, not play the game, or you can create your own game. I left to do just that, create my own game.
I walked into my voice lesson with Dave and declared that he needed someone to run his studio and I was the woman to do it. For six years I worked as the Studio Manager at the Dave Stroud Vocal Studio. Dave taught me how to run a business—a business in music. He also helped me become a highly skilled vocal coach.
since then, i’m happy to say i’ve had some successes
Karmacoda’s music has been licensed for placement on television (Burn Notice, MTV Real World/Road Rules Challenge, Spike TV), in independent film (Neverland, Paris, The Last Run, Voyeur) and on various compilation albums (San Francisco Under a Groove, Destination Lounge SF, Below Zero Minus 1).
Songwriting awards include:
“Swan”
(Best Independent Song used in Film & Television—2003 Independent Music Awards)
“Make Like Mine”
(Best Dance/Electronica Honorable Mention—2008 International Songwriting Competition)
We’ve gotten radio play (San Francisco’s ”Chill with Alice” 97.3 FM, Live 105 105.3 FM, Energy 92.7 FM), as well as regular rotation on internet stations (Below Zero, Groovera, SOMA FM) and electronic music podcasts (The Chillcast, Dave’s Lounge).
Heather Pierce Vox + Music went from being my job-on-the-side-of-my-day-job to my full-time gig in 2006. For this, I am uber grateful.
and most importantly
I get to be my authentic, creative self, perform, and work with passionate singers like you!
xo + music,
