Becoming TaRee
Niayana Recordings artist finds her song
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
dastolfo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Singer-songwriter TaRee has come a long way in a short time.
A year ago, she was playing her guitar in her bedroom so quietly that her parents couldn’t hear her.
These days, she’s playing three shows a week at churches, cafes and community events.
The 2003 graduate of Chaney High School will be on the bill at Sunday’s Pure Music concert at Victory Christian Center. The concert will showcase the nine acts who have been signed to Niayana Recordings of Youngstown.
TaRee has always had music in her blood and sang in choirs all her life. But it wasn’t until after she graduated from Geneva College that she began writing songs.
She had always been a writer and even won writing contests. But she never played an instrument and had never been part of a band.
“After college, I bought a guitar and began writing songs,” she said. “Then the pieces just came together — singing and creative writing,” she said.
TaRee works in the Upward Bound program at Youngstown State University and maintains her performance schedule in the evenings and on weekends.
At first, she was interested only in the management side of the music business.
While in college, she interned at a music-management company in Nashville, Tenn. She also studied at Contemporary Music Center in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
“I never considered becoming an artist,” she said.
Her first performance as a solo artist was in June at her church: Rising Star Baptist on the East Side.
She began posting her songs on YouTube and soon was discovered by Jere Beulah of Niayana Recordings.
With a folky sound and introspective and uplifting lyrics, TaRee makes an immediate impact. She credits her time in Martha’s Vineyard with introducing her to folk, country and rock music. “I fell in love with folk there,” she said. “Before that, I was in the R&B and hip-hop box, coming from Youngstown.”
Even though she’s been at it for less than a year, her music career is taking shape. “Becoming a full-time artist is my goal, and I am starting to see it,” she said. “It’s scary and exciting.”
Beulah said TaRee is going to get a marketing push in the near future. Her songs will be available for download by June, and a CD will follow.
“She has a lot of [musical] gems,” said Beulah. “Her sound is fresh and invigorating, and her voice and guitar will cut through the clutter.”
Sunday’s concert also will include performances by the eight other Niayana acts. Each possesses a different style but a common goal: to perform “pure” music that sends a positive or Christian message.
The other acts are SounDoctrine, Jim Couchenour, Phillip K. Jones II, Jon Austin, Allison, Divine Soldiers, Stefano and Joe Thomas. Each act will get 20 minutes on stage to show what they are about. “We want everyone to walk away with a favorite,” said Beulah, who noted the show will be great for families.
Beulah said Victory Christian Center is a 2,000-seat auditorium with professional-grade sound and production equipment. Sponsors of the concert are Home Savings, Hubbard Music, Vocal drink, Coca-Cola and Youngstown City School District. Niayana is partnering with Relay for Life.
Sunday’s show is also a coming-out party for Niayana Recordings. The label was started in 2002 solely to release music by Beulah’s band, SounDoctrine. About a year ago, it began signing other acts, and in January it released a compilation CD, featuring songs from all of its artists.