A bit of Tara’s past…
Tara was raised outside of Albany, New York. She traveled often to Nova Scotia and Vermont, taking part in short and long term meditation retreats. She spent time outside of school practicing piano, helping out at her parents meditation center, or in the ballet studio where she studied under David Otto, a former principal of the New York City Ballet.
She graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 2011 with a degree in Music Business. During her college years she studied in London and New York City for a period of time, expanding her growth and awareness of societal culture. Her time at Fredonia birthed her passion for writing and producing electronic music, both compositionally and singer/songwriter based. With her school mates Kat Casale and Suzanne Bonifacio, she formed a three piece female electronic band known as Chromakid. Inspired by the music of Junior Boys, Radiohead, and Caribou, the three piece was a transformational experience for all members, leading her and her bandmates to pursue music post-college.
After graduation she moved back to New York City. For six years she spent her time playing music live, recording music and making ends meet in the hospitality industry. She fell hard into the speed and intensity that New York offers: rarely sleeping, socializing and working all hours of the day. On her days off, she enjoyed people watching in Washington Square Park or soaking in the Manhattan skyline view from the Williamsburg Waterfront Park with a cup of coffee in hand. She continued writing music under the moniker Rook, along with joining the dream pop band Belle Mare on keys, synthesizers and back up vocals. Belle Mare recorded at the renowned Electric Lady Studios and played gigs at prestige venues like Music Hall of Williamsburg, Poisson Rouge, and Webster Hall. She was beyond passionate with her role in the music industry, but also became enthralled with the restaurant industry, falling in love with the formalities, care, and structure of hospitality. Tara took trips to visit her family in Portland, Maine and deeply connected with what Portland had to offer, specifically in the hospitality industry. After many visits to the wonderful and quaint city of Portland, she decided to move in pursuit of a quieter and humble lifestyle.
Upon her moving, Tara’s life shifted drastically. She found herself struggling with internal conflicts and emotions caused by anxiety and depression. In an attempt to clear these emotions, she sought structure to inner mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation and worked towards creating a formal space in her life to draw and illustrate. Drawing and illustrating brought a tranquil peace of mind and she found great joy in sharing her art as gifts for family and friends. She questioned her role in the hospitality industry due to its late nights and the emotional and physical demand. She inquired about becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist, a career interest of hers since she was fifteen, believing that this career path would give her the opportunity to continue working on art and music. Tara attained a massage therapy license in 2019 and has been joyfully practicing massage since then.
After she acquired her massage therapy license, she decided to book a lengthy trip around the world: Italy, Thailand, Taiwan, LA, and a road trip from Florida to New York. This became a trip of further self discovery and appreciation for what she can provide the world with. In her travels she met different artists, musicians and bodyworkers from all over. She received Thai yoga massage training in Chiang Mai, Thailand and offers this in her bodywork services. These months of traveling shifted and solidified her perspective that we are all similar at the core despite our differences of where and how we live. We are all looking to connect to ourselves and to one another in many different and beautiful ways.
Tara is a provider and a nurturer. She fully believes in helping all beings attain states of mind that help release their inner conflicts and bring them peace. She cares immensely about the climate and is exploring ways to live with little environmental impact in the world. She envisions her role as an artist, musician and bodyworker will take her in the direction of environmental activism.
