Meet Tara Simon of Tara Simon Studios

I started singing on stage since I was 3 years old. My first ever performance was at my church, and I still remember to this day being up there singing, how it felt, and how (even then) I knew music was going to be my life. I was heavily influenced by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Sandi Patti, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Christina Aguilera growing up. I love singing with soul, with a big presence and commanding the attention and emotion of an audience. I sang regularly for many high profile events locally growing up, attended a prestigious performing arts high school (Dreyfoos School of the Arts), won best vocalist in state in 10th grade, and moved to NYC the day I turned 18 to attend a performing arts college and audition for Broadway. Less than a year later I found myself performing the lead role in the European tour of the Broadway musical “Fame”. Everything really started snowballing for me after that.

I never set out to coach. My plan was to be a singer my whole life and that alone. But no matter where I went, every time I would sing somewhere, people would come up to me after and ask if I taught lessons. My answer was always “no” until one day when I finally decided to say “yes”. I began coaching during the day and started small in my house. Once I had so many people in and out that my carpet was getting black, I rented a space from the church I was attending. Then I hired and extensively trained my first coach to work under me. After a short time, I had more coaches working at the church for me than the church had working in the music ministry! At that point I finally got a space of my own and we have been flourishing and thriving there ever since. But none of that was easy and it took a lot of courage, a lot of risk and a lot of grit to see it all through. Out of all that sacrifice came the greatest gift…and it keeps on giving! I have had coaches and students come to me saying how the environment and culture at TSS is special. That they feel at peace and at home here. It makes my day every single time. TSS is more than a business, it is a family. My coaches stick around after they’re finished working just to chat or jam or work on their craft like they’re in their own living room. Students post about how excited they are about coming to lessons and all the wonderful new things they’re learning. It’s a really special place. Hearing a singer who once sang quietly with no confidence, belt out a power ballad with their arms raised to the sky never gets old and is such a special sight to see. It’s what we as coaches live and breath for.

I don’t think any road to success is smoothly paved, nor do I believe it should be. Look, you can ask most successful business men and women out there. If you have to name the top 3 most difficult businesses to make a career out of, the music business would not only be on that list, it would most likely be number one. I think there is a misconception that artists fall victim to not only of what “making it” is, but also how life will be once they do. I admit I had my own misconceptions starting out as well. I think that’s where the real struggle lies. Unrealistic expectations of where you “should be” as an artist and how life “should be” once you finally get there. I have learned that there is no “there”. There is only here and now. As a woman, I struggled often with having to turn down opportunities to advance my career because they came with sexualized strings attached. I had to make the decision that if it took me compromising myself to get past the gatekeepers of opportunity, then I would just have to pave a new road and make my own gate. It took much more time, a lot more effort, and it cost me all of the ambition and drive I could muster, but I would never have it any other way looking back now.

Tara Simon Studios is the highest rated performing arts studio offering online and in-person voice lessons, piano lessons, guitar lessons, songwriting lessons, artist development, industry consulting and more. Our professional coaches are active in the industry; devoted to helping you reach your full artistic potential. At Tara Simon Studios, you’ll learn how to improve every aspect of your artistic ability from well-rounded, business savvy, working professionals. We offer lessons for all ages and experience levels, from professional singers to beginners, and our coaching techniques are proprietary and highly sought-after. We take our training very seriously, and clients trust Tara Simon Studios to lead them in the right direction to make sure their performance is at optimal level.

What sets us apart is the results we bring to our singers. Currently I work with Angelica Hale (America’s Got Talent) and Loren Lott (Once On This Island Broadway, American Idol Finalist, Young and the Restless) who are a joy and both have such great things happening for them. I have quite a few students who are very close to landing roles on Broadway and are working hard towards booking those callbacks. I am most proud that we will do anything short of illegal to reach into a singer’s voice and pull out the very best in them. It’s a high calling in our lives as coaches to not only transform peoples voices, but to instill confidence, hope and inspiration into their spirits.

My definition of success has changed with life experience. At this point in my life, I measure success by answering one simple question: Did I positively impact others around me today? If I can honestly answer “yes”, that’s success to me. I am humbled and grateful to have to opportunity to impact millions globally on a daily basis with the platform I have been given, and because I love what I do so much it is really easy for me to loose sight of balance and just keep taking on more students, creating content, filming with no stops in between. This year I promised myself to become more intentional with finding balance to ensure that I am not overdoing all of those good things to the point where they then become a drain on me. So balance for me is also a huge marker of personal success. For those reading this, I want to encourage you not to measure your level of success to anyone else. This is easier said than done when you go to any social media platform and you are inundated with everyone else’s “perfect life”. Don’t look to the right or to the left. Stay focused on YOU. Hold yourself to YOUR standards, and rest in small victories along the way.