Sarah De Vallière is an award-winning songwriter who’s music cuts through the clutter. Her music deftly weaves influences of roots, folk, jazz and pop, creating a singular sound that is uniquely her own. Lyrics that are thoughtful, quirky, and honest, are matched with a signature musical vocabulary that is equal parts complex and catchy. Sarah De Vallière performs these songs with skillful piano playing, a powerful voice, and a stage presence that pulls her audience in and keeps them coming back
In an industry that can feel oversaturated with stale soundscapes, lifeless lyrics, and predictable patterns, Sarah De Vallière’s music cuts through the clutter.
The Backstory
At the early age of 3, Sarah De Vallière took the piano in her home, thumbing out melodies to her favorite nursery rhymes. Her father’s encouraging enthusiasm kept her glued to the keys daily. Soon enough she was enrolled in weekly classical piano lessons with distinguished pianist Mari Panosian, a graduate of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
As a PK (Pastor’s kid), Sarah began playing piano weekly for her father’s congregation. The songs were notated as chord charts rather than fully transcribed music, giving her the freedom to interpret each song in her own way. In a span of 7 years her musical aptitude had grown so much that she began competing in classical competitions in her hometown of Providence, RI – some of which she won.
By the age of fourteen Sarah was writing her own original compositions, and by sixteen she was the go-to musician for high-school musicals, orchestra, and special events. It was then that she decided to go to Berklee College of Music – a decision that would later expose her to jazz, American roots/folk, and world music.
While Sarah’s father is responsible for introducing her more seriously to the piano, she credits her mother’s commitment to her faith as a heavy influence in her songwriting.
“My mom spent a lot of time teaching me stories from the Bible as a kid. She always made them applicable to the real world by explaining the relevance they have to our relationships with others and God. Even though I’ve spent a lot of time questioning my life (and continue to), I’ve always held onto these stories as life lessons.”
It’s these stories and the questions they’ve brought that have helped developed Sarah into the thoughtful lyricist she has become known for – never afraid to ask the big questions. Admittedly she states,
“For me, writing a song is a way to dig deeper. Deeper into an idea, deeper into an experience, deeper into a feeling. Hopefully by the end of that process, I’ve uncovered something meaningful, even if it’s just more questions.”
“Sarah — whoa! Oh my God. She came in here with her band, and I was in my no-alcohol mode, so I was dead sober. I just kept going, ‘Stop it, Sarah, you’re making me cry.’ Her voice, and her keyboard technique, and her songwriting — those were all her songs.”