FALL 2026 Ransom Everglades LOG 11 By Leah Borromeo When she arrived at Ransom Everglades as a sophomore, Arlene Sierra ’87 found her lifelong passion for the arts stirred by the natural wonders populating RE’s bayfront upper school campus. Even as she honed her musical skills with instructors largely off campus, the connection between nature and art that developed at RE would serve as the creative foundation of a career as an internationally acclaimed composer. Yet what actually launched her career was neither her passion for music nor her love of nature. It was the recognition that few women worked in the field of musical composition – which she described as “the rocket science of music.” When she listened to the pieces produced by some of her college classmates at the Oberlin College-Conservatory, she was not impressed. She believed she could excel in the field – and that she must try. “These young composers – who were all guys – had so much attitude and were considered the ultimate cool kids, the ‘rocket scientists of music’ because they could write musical compositions,” she recalled. “I was intimidated when I met them, and then I heard their music, and I thought: I could do better. “Being one of the really very, very few women who were doing it inspired me,” she said. “It made me more determined … You have to learn harmony, counterpoint, all the notation, and you have to learn all the instruments, understand their ranges and how they work, a lot of technical knowledge.” Arlene Sierra ’87 navigates the exciting world of musical composition The Rocket Science of Music “Being one of the really very, very few women who were doing it inspired me. It made me more determined.” – Arlene Sierra ’87
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