Tara Macri – Home

By starrymag | July 17, 2017

By: Nicole Dintelman

 

Q) Can you tell us a little about your background in music? How old were you when you started singing and writing music?

 

A) I’m told I really wanted to be a performer since I was a kid. I used to bug my parents all the time. They were hesitant at first, but when they saw how much I really wanted to pursue music they finally agreed to get me an agent. That’s when I started auditioning and working and having a really great time!

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Fun, feisty, girl power. I usually describe it to people as, not as soft as Colbie Caillat, but not as hard as P!NK…I’m somewhere in between.

 

Q) When you’re writing new lyrics what is your writing process?

 

A) It depends. It’s different every time, really. You never know when a song or beat is going to hit you. It can happen when I am driving or rather…sitting, in LA traffic. [smile] Sometimes, I have the opportunity to work with really great producers and we will build a track together and then write to the track. Other times, I will come up with the melody on the piano and then the lyrics come to me after the melody is set. And then there are the times that a title will start the whole process. The length of time it takes for me to write a song varies…it can just pour out and other times it takes a few weeks.

 

Q) Is “Home” based on any certain person or event in your own life?

 

A) Yes, I wrote the song for a friend who passed away unexpectedly and tragically. I wanted to let them somehow know that wherever they are, I will always hold them in my heart. We all have experienced and will continue to experience loss in our lives, but my hope is that through song the pain can soften a little more quickly and fonder memories can endure.

 

Q) What is your favorite thing about performing?

 

A) That people connect to the music. I love performing because it’s really cool to feel the energy of the audience and how you affect them. LA is full of interesting people from all over the globe and they have a lot to offer. There is a lot to learn from the people here.

 

Q) Besides recording music, you’ve been on Broadway and been the voice of animated characters in movies. Which do you prefer? Acting or singing?

 

A) I love the variety that each of them affords me. Sometimes everyday can be like Christmas. [smiles] I think working on different platforms – on stage, in the studio, on a film set, etc. can really help build you as an artist.

 

Q) Who is your favorite artist and what makes them so special to you?

 

A) It’s hard to pick just one because there are so many. [smiles] Michael Jackson because he was such a great performer. P!NK because I love her voice and I love all the uplifting messages in her music. Kanye West because of his drive and his groundbreaking music.

 

Q) Do you think music can make or break a television show or do you think it’s only the storyline that can do that?

 

A) I think music helps/enhances the storytelling and gives you the opportunity to tell the story in a different way. It can help elicit certain emotions from the audience and make them feel more attached to what they are watching.

 

Q) Do you prefer to write your music with someone or alone?

 

A) I like a combination of both. For me, sometimes I have a ton of verses or melody ideas and it’s great to write with another writer to get their feedback and create something new together. Plus, the energy in the room is different when there are one or two writers that is not the same when I am writing on my own.

 

Q) Is it easier to write music having life imitate art?

 

A) We live in a complicated and high-energy world where we are affected by many things all the time and I do my best to remain open to influences all around me. If something strikes me and resonates within me, it might find it’s way into a song. One thing is for sure, all of my songs come from an honest and authentic place inside me and each and every one means a lot to me. With “Prettiest Girl In The Room,” the title came first and, actually, the first chorus we wrote didn’t make it into the final version. So, as a songwriter it is best to be flexible as you never know when something better is going to present itself.

 

Q) What advice can you give to someone that wants to break into the music industry?

 

A) There are a lot of high highs and low lows, just like any other career, but I think if you can stay positive and level-headed through the highs and lows, that will help. In the end, if you love writing, performing and entertaining, you always have that to fulfill you—no one can take away the feeling that creating and performing music gives you.