A native of Harlem, NY, Tara grew up in a household filled with music. "There was always music played in my house, from Dad's Sam Cooke albums and my mom blasting gospel on Sunday mornings, to my grandfather's scratchy Lightnin' Hopkins and John Lee Hooker records; on down to my brother's funk album collection...I absorbed it all!" she says. Inspired by the sounds heard in her home and on the radio, Tara was drawn to songwriting. "I've been writing little ditties since I was 8 or 9 years old. Some of the artists who have inspired me include Sister Sledge, Jonathan Butler, Cassandra Wilson, Àngela Winbush and Prince. Their songs tell amazing stories and teach great lessons and that's what I set out to accomplish with each song I write." Her family’s love for music exposed her to a diverse and rich musical background that inspired her own musical aspirations. She took vocal and piano lessons with Ms. Leavata Johnson, an opera singer who has performed on Broadway (Porgy and Bess) as well as in Europe and Russia and joined New York’s All-City High School Chorus in 1988. She auditioned and was accepted to various colleges (including Ithaca College School of Music, Susquehanna University, Shenandoah Conservatory and Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Music) to study music and ultimately enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Music in 1989. While at VCU, she majored in vocal performance and performed with the Choral Arts Society. During her sophomore year she changed her major to broadcasting while still studying music at VCU. She earned a BS degree in Mass Communications from the university in 1993. As a BMI songwriter and publisher member, she pours her heart out in song. She says, "Music is therapy for the spirit, I like writing songs that touch people's lives and express the condition of the heart." Indeed, her songs are a true testament of her beliefs. Currently Tara produces, arranges and records her own material out of her home studio consisting of the Roland VS-2480, a Yamaha Motif-6 and an Ensoniq TS-10.
