Photo Courtesy of Tara Trinity

By Brian Ossip, DC Music Live

Tara Trinity is a local singer/songwriter and performer who took the stage recently as part of Crystal City’s Artomatic, a month-long art festival that is “by artists, for everyone.”  Trinity, for the first time showcasing her original music, put on an amazing performance that left everyone in attendance breathless.  She played a number of songs, switching seamlessly between keyboard and guitar.  Her songs are the perfect platform for her amazing and powerful voice as well as her expert songwriting.  After her set, DC Music Live had a chance to sit down and chat with her about her music, her inspirations and her thoughts on the local music scene.

Tell me a little bit about your sound.  How would you describe it to someone who’s never heard your music before?  

It’s a more soulful and less boring singer-songwriter style.  Most singer-songwriters are extremely talented but don’t know how to exactly cater to the general ear.  I try to do just that so people can understand what I am trying to express.

What are some of your influences, style-wise?

Definitely India.Arie, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Carole King.  I’m a huge fan of Adele, Brian McKnight, Sarah Vaughan and Sara Ramirez.

Where does the inspiration for your lyrics come from?

For years I was unsure of how to deal with negative or positive issues and situations that arose in my life.  I finally realized that by writing them out and putting music to them, I was able to release those emotions and file them away for later use.  I write about everything.  I am not ashamed to put it all out there.  It’s therapeutic.

You said last night was your first time showcasing original music…were you nervous?  How do you think it went?  

I always expect the worst and hope for the best.  As for nervous, I don’t ever get nervous.  Being on stage is the only place in the world where I feel a mutual respect between the listener and myself.  If people aren’t nervous to see me, why should I be nervous to see them?

Have you thought about trying out your songs in a full band setting?

Yes!  This is the next step I would really like to take.  I laid down tracks for a 3-song demo, which is currently being mixed by a friend in L.A.  I wrote the tracks for ALL of the additional instrumentation – Latin percussion, stand-up bass, cello, violin and back-up vocals in addition to my vocals, guitar and piano.  It has so much of a fuller sound, I am excited to try and piece together a live band for my music.

Tara Trinity performed at Artomatic on June 20.
Photo By DC Music Live

What are your aspirations or goals for your music?

As a child, I always thought I’d want to be rich and famous.  As I grow older, I have realized music is not about that for me, as those are all of the wrong reasons in my opinion.  It’s a God-given talent I was blessed with, and I just want to share it as much as possible since it’s where I find my inner true self and feel the most at home.  Most of all, as cheesy as it sounds, I want to bless my son with them.

What are your thoughts on the D.C. music scene?

It’s not as eclectic as somewhere like New York City, where I lived as a teenager.  However, in D.C. I’ve met many musicians from around the world and there is more of an international music scene here as well as indie rock.  Through this exposure I know I can create even more depth to my sound in the future.

Have you performed at other venues around the area?

Unfortunately, I am only just beginning with my original music, so no.  I performed with a band – SixPlay – around the D.C. Metro area and through Polynesian Dancing, Aloha Island Revue and Shades of Polynesia I have performed at other venues dancing around the area.

Are there any other D.C. area artists that you like, or any that you would like to collaborate with?

Christylez Bacon, a Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and I have spoken about collaborating with beat box and Tahitian drumming, as I am currently being trained by a Polynesian friend of mine in Virginia. Also I am hoping to collaborate with Regie Cabico, a spoken word poet and SULU DC co-founder, to write a one-woman show with spoken word and compositions within the next year.  Like Regie tells me, “It is the year of Trinity.”

For more information, you can check out Tara Trinity on Facebook and at TaraTrinity.com

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or shoot us an e-mail at DCMusicLive.info@gmail.com