Heather Sommerlad is a multifaceted musician, music educator, and writer. Her musical training began on the U.S./Mexican border, where she played the violin in public school orchestra. Heather’s Mexican heritage, coupled with her training as a classical violinist, led her to draw musical inspiration from groups and composers like Los Tres Ases, Arvo Part, and Maurice Ravel. Heather continued her musical journey with a degree in music from Bennington College, where she was exposed to experimental songwriters and composers, inspiring her own inventive compositions that break from traditional song form.

Heather’s writing has appeared on Ravishly.com, and as a Gateless Academy alumni, she is working on a literary memoir about her experience with emotional abuse and familial fraud. She is currently building a house with her wife in Vermont, dealing with grief, poverty, trauma, and healing every step of the way, which she writes about frequently via her Substack, “A Phoenix in Sheep’s Clothing.”

If you’d like to support Heather’s house building journey, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, buying her music on Bandcamp, or ordering from her wife Nataly’s Etsy Shop.