On My Mind: Picking with Sierra
By Nancy Cardwell
November 2006
One of the cool things about following bluegrass music for a long time is
discovering new talent. I freelance on bass when I get the chance, and the first
weekend of August I was honored to perform with the Scott Partridge Band in
upstate New York, and to share the stage with mandolinist extraordinaire Sierra
Hull, age 14.
I first heard Sierra several years ago in Louisville, Ky., but the got the
opportunity to know her better a couple of years ago when she and banjo player
Ryan Holladay hosted IBMA’s educational DVD, Discover Bluegrass, now in more
than 3000 schools, libraries and home school families world-wide. There is
nothing that sells bluegrass better to kids than seeing musicians their own age
playing it well. Ryan and Sierra, who were both 13 when they taped the project,
have been booked to reprise their roles as Discover Bluegrass hosts in a live
performance at Carnegie Hall in May, 2007, during a special concert series for
families. (I can’t wait!)
“Ryan and I had a blast making that DVD,” Sierra says, “and I was very
honored to be asked to help host it. I think it is very important for young
people to get involved in bluegrass music and keep it alive. Also, it is
important to keep the history of the music alive.”
Sierra is currently at work this fall on her debut album for the Rounder label,
produced by Alison Krauss and Ron Block.
A sophomore in high school, she has been playing the mandolin a little over six
years. “My dad bought his first bluegrass record, a Larry Sparks album, and
became a big fan of the music,” she recalls. “He eventually started to learn
to play the mandolin and he already knew some chords on the guitar. The mandolin
just kind of caught my eye and looked like a lot of fun, so I asked him if he
would teach me to play.”
Sierra says her “main mandolin hero” is Adam Steffey. “I just really love
how clean and tasteful his playing is. Chris Thile is another big
influence—it’s amazing how creative he can be.” She also credits “Bill
Monroe, of course,” Sam Bush and Andy Leftwich, among others.
For some reason women who can flatpick guitar are as rare as hen’s teeth, but
Sierra, who started playing guitar at nine, is already an exceptional lead and
rhythm player. “When it comes to guitar heroes, I would have to say Tony
Rice is at the top of my list,” she says. “He kind of created that sound
that, to this day when I hear him play, gives me goose bumps. Cody Kilby is
someone I listen to a lot, as well as Bryan Sutton, Clay Jones and Ron Block.”
In addition to being a gifted instrumentalist, Sierra has a pure, sweet vocal
tone. She credits her friend and mentor, Alison
Krauss as her main influence, there. “She is so amazing, and I've always
been taken away with her voice,” Sierra notes.
Endorsed by Gibson three years ago, Sierra plays an Adam Steffey Signature
Series Model mandolin and she plays
Fans have seen Sierra guest on stage with Alison Krauss & Union Station on
the Grand Ole Opry, on the PBS All*Star Bluegrass Celebration television program
and also on the multi-artist “Down from the Mountain Tour.” Chris Thile
introduced her to Krauss the first time at MerleFest. “Later that year I met
Ron Block at the IBMA convention,” she continues. “He told Alison about
meeting me, and then I got a call from her a few weeks later asking if I wanted
to play at the Grand Ole Opry with them. We have just been very great friends
since then. They have done so much to help me, and I just love them to death!”
What has she learned from Alison and the guys? “The main thing is to never
stop having fun with it,” Sierra says. “Alison tells me all the time,
‘Sierra, you go to all the ball games you want. You be a regular teenager, go
to dances and have fun with your friends at school. Music will always be here
for you, and you don't want to miss out on those things.’ Jerry Douglas (the
father of teens himself), always says, ‘Girl, don’t forget to finish
school!’”
Sierra fronts her own band, Sierra Hull & Highway 111, which also features
her brother Cody Hull (17) on guitar and vocals, Cory Walker on banjo and Dobro,
and John Fox on bass. “We have a lot of fun together, and they are all so fun
to travel and pick with,” Sierra says. “My brother Cody keeps laughter in
the air all the time. Keith Case and Associates represent us and do all of our
booking.”
She also hosts the Sierra Hull Bluegrass Festival in her home town,
Byrdstown, located about two hours east of
Aside from being a bluegrass prodigy, Sierra is a normal teenager. She likes to
listen to rock and country music, specifically mentioning James Taylor, Kelly
Clarkson, Journey, Def Leopard, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago and Dolly Parton as a few
of her fav’s. She also enjoys hanging out friends, going to church, going to
ball games and playing softball. She says one thing she would like fans to know
is that her faith in God is very important to her.
On the gig last August, Sierra was listening to everything from Air Supply to
Kenny & Amanda Smith on her computer, and she kept us laughing with
personally “decorated” digital photos of the band on her Mac, drawing in
features like Burger King crowns, purple hair and hysterical t-shirt slogans for
us all. (I think she was also the one who suggested we do a “rock star pose”
in a cornfield.)
At 15, Sierra already has the right combination of poise and talent to feel
comfortable on stage and relate well to an audience, but she’s quick to thank
the ones who have put her there. “I have such a wonderful family, and there is
no way on earth I could do anything that I have done without their help,” she
states. “I love them so much, and if it wasn't for them dedicating a large
amount of their time and encouragement, I wouldn't be able to do any of this.”
The future looks bright for Sierra Hull. “I trust God to help me make the
right decisions and guide me through,” she says. “Music is such a big part
of my life, and I wouldn't want to do anything else for a living. I love it!”
Check out Sierra Hull’s website at sierrahull.com, where you can order her
first album, Angel Mountain (recorded at age 10), as well as keep posted on her
upcoming release on Rounder in 2007.