Tara Anne

This month’s Artist Spotlight features Tara Anne, singer-songwriter based in Seattle.

With her breathy tones, soulful harmonies and vibrant outlook on life, Tara Anne believes that music is the key to feeling each emotion to its highest potential. She’s been a life long musician who only recently decided to take a chance on herself. Her music is her way of bringing to light the struggles that women face but are too afraid to talk about. She released her debut EP called Eleven Eleven on November 11, 2018 followed by her debut music video for her song, Break Away.

Tara Anne will be the first to tell you that her tunes don’t necessarily follow the rules, which makes her music stand out. She is uber passionate about sharing life lessons, struggles, and wins through her music. After overcoming a miscarriage, struggling with infertility, and being in the background singing backup vocals for so long, Tara Anne has finally come into her own and she is here to talk about it.

What first inspired you to pursue music?

There was a piano player (notable pianist, Juan Perez) at Nordstrom’s and instead of shopping, I would sit and watch him while my Mom shopped for hours. I was practically mesmerized and knew I just had to play. I was also very fond of every Disney princess when they would sing. I always wanted to sing like Princess Jasmine so I looked up the artist and found that she was also Filipino like me (Lea Salonga). I memorized her songs even though most of them were in a language I couldn’t understand. I ended up performing Tagalog songs for my Mom’s friends even though I had no clue what I was saying.

What do you write about? What makes your music unique?

My music is unique because it doesn’t play by the rules. Although I consider my album to be indie-pop with a dash of contemporary soul, I also find that sometimes my sound can have a little folky pop or neo-soul. I feature a blend of electronic midi sounds mixed in with real acoustic strings. My harmonies would be my signature sound for sure. I don’t plan my harmonies; I just record them on the fly to whatever feels right in the moment.

I write about my life experiences or about something that inspires me. Bring Me Back was written about a long distance relationship only because the melody and rhythm of the song made me think of driving long distances. Break Away was about an abusive relationship I was in. I didn’t realize how much of myself I lost until I broke free from it. For those 2-3 years, I completely dropped music, had feelings of unworthiness and had the lowest self-esteem. Your Soul was about my first child I lost in January 2018. I wrote that song shortly after my miscarriage at 11.5 weeks. We are going on 4-years on our struggle with infertility but we are still staying strong and hoping to start our family soon. I want people to know that infertility is nothing to be ashamed of and that they are not alone. I created a lyric music video with a message towards the end. The message tells others about our lost angel and a few facts about infertility.

What types of shows do you play?

I typically play at coffee shops, wine bars, weddings, private parties and once a while the local music venue. My current musical performance includes singing/playing keys with my local worship team.
What has been your biggest money maker in music? (Types of shows? Teaching? Session music work, etc)

So far the biggest money makers for me would be the private parties and wine bars. I sing a lot of ballad type music, which is perfect for weddings. My soft tone and soulful style on the piano is great for wine bars and low-lit restaurants. I also had a solid group of students teaching at the School of Rock.

How long did it take you to become a full time musician?

Since I started working full time at the age of 18 and now I’m nearing 32 years old, it took me about 13-years to get to this point as I quit my corporate job about a year ago. It’s hard to make that leap because you think everyone will judge you for it. But guess what? No one is living your life except you! I found that reading music business books really helped me.

How do you deal with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy?

Occasionally I’ll get the comment, “your music is cool, but what’s your real job?” I always have to bite my tongue and just remember that every great music artist probably got this same question. I meditate daily and read books that keep me on track. A book I really resonated with is Mastin Kipp’s, Claim Your Power. Having a wonderful husband as my biggest supporter is also a huge help. He believes in me and I’m so grateful for him. We’ve been together for 8 years and married for 4. Lastly, I stopped asking advice from people who didn’t believe in me. I stopped talking about my goals with people who clearly didn’t believe in their dreams. I found myself a few mentors; people who are living their music dreams and I found that it helped with my self-doubt tremendously.

How do you deal with the financial uncertainty that comes along with being an independent artist?

Budget budget budget. My husband works in the financial field so that helps but in all seriousness it’s all about the budget. I found that planning my year just like any other business helped me. I knew that the people in my life knew me as a musician, but not as a singer-songwriter so I had to front the money to produce my first album to show people what I’m made of, but that came with a hefty price tag. Talking about my budget and goals with my spouse helped with the financial uncertainty. Aside from the budget, I started cooking more at home, limiting my beloved Target trips, ordering from the appetizer menu and started to thrift shop which saved a ton of money on clothing. I also started teaching music again from my home, which gave me an extra budget for music expenses.

What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as an independent artist?

The biggest lesson is that no one else is going to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself. When I started working in the studio, I came in nervous and self-conscious about everything. As I studied some of my role models in the music industry and even artists who I didn’t think had the best vocals, I found that all of them had this certain swag about them; self confidence. I know that it’s okay to be scared or nervous but it’s about how to work through those fears and believe in yourself enough to do what you’re truly passionate about.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your debut album Eleven Eleven?

Eleven Eleven is based off the fact that I always see the numbers 11:11 wherever I go. It’s sometimes eerie how much I see this number and I’m not even looking for it. About a year ago, I walked into my upstairs hallway and stopped at a photo of myself in Treasure Island in 1988. The apartment number was 1111. I’m not even talking about seeing it just on the clock, it even goes as far as seeing it on the TV when someone pauses the TV at exactly 11 minutes and 11 seconds. Anyways, when I see this number I get the sensation that someone is tapping me on the back. I cannot accurately describe it but it’s happened since as far back as I remember. I decided to give that number a meaning. To me it meant that I was getting confirmation that I was on the right track. In a nutshell, Eleven Eleven was inspired because I knew in my heart I was tapping into my purpose. All of my life experiences led me to my life today and I can confidently say that I have a wonderful life.

What’s your fave song from the album and why?

Break Away is my favorite song on the album. Not only because it was the first song I ever wrote but also because I like the cinematic vibes of the song. I originally had added only electronic strings but knew it needed something a little more real. I found a talented cellist in Arizona who added that extra something to my song and I was in love! That song reminded me of the breaking point in my life where I found my voice again.

What was your production process like for the album? Self produced? Home Studio? Did you work with other musicians? Did you do any crowdfunding? How long did it take from start to finish?

I wrote all of my songs at home and was approached by a local producer at an open mic. He invited me to check out his studio and asked if I wanted to produce my album with him. I was ecstatic but then soon discouraged by the price tag. After a few back and forth emails, I was able to negotiate an hourly rate that better fit my budget as long as I wrote all of the songs by myself. I recorded my first song, Bring Me Back and found that this was going to cost me an arm and a leg. I took a small break and did some groundwork myself. I researched how to build a home studio and how to produce. Enrolled in some online courses and disciplined myself to take a lesson each day. That along with countless YouTube videos and Google searches helped me learn how to do basic production and recording at home.

The rest of my songs were all recorded at home and then sent for mixing and mastering. This drastically reduced the cost tenfold. I found the Washington Lawyer for the Arts (WLA) and attended one-on-one sessions for free legal advice on contracts and copyrights. I also attended several complimentary webinars on songwriting sessions and producing. It’s all out there; you just have to look I traded services with other musicians and also hired on some session musicians. I also had wonderful friends who helped me because they believed in me.
I did not crowdfund for this album, but plan on doing so for my next album. I wanted to show people my sound before asking them to support me financially. I was able to complete my EP 4-song album in about one year and under $1,600.00 (amount includes distribution costs).

Where do you plan on going from here?

I’m currently working on putting together a band for a full album performance and plan on performing throughout Washington State. I’m also getting into producing music for TV/Film. I’ve always dreamed of hearing my song in a rom-com or TV show; I want to make people cry (in a good way) I’m also composing a contemporary piano album to be released in 2020.

What advice do you have for artists looking to take the plunge to being a full- time musician?

Believe in yourself and put in the hard work. You need to teach yourself basic production skills, videography, music business and photography. I still have so much to learn but just having an entire year to dedicate to my craft has been life changing. Don’t compare yourself to other artists; we all have our own sound and that’s what makes us unique. Own your voice! - Anitra Jay