Local artist profile: Tara Muscatello

THIS week we chat with up-and-coming dynamo singer/songwriter (and rapper) Tara Muscatello.

What motivated you to become a singer/songwriter/rapper?

I will always remember the exact moment where I realised that singing and entertaining people was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. We had just moved from Mildura, I was 12 years old and it was my family’s first New Year’s Eve in Bendigo.

The local pub we went to had two musicians playing who at the time who I now know as James Hollands and Jay Critcher.

During one of their breaks Jay and James kindly invited me to get up and sing a song of my choice with them. This would be my first time performing on a stage and singing to anyone outside of my immediate family.

That was it for me. The joy I felt during those four minutes was a joy that I had never experienced before and from then on it became my goal to establish myself as an artist.

How would you describe your style?

I like to describe my style to others as ‘crossover pop’. It is a combination of a lot of different genres with pop undertones. As well as singing, I also rap, so instead of trying to fit into any specific genre I instead created my own!

I am now 21 so I’ve had a lot of time to find my voice and discover the kind of artist I want to be. I think the way that I developed my style was mostly by going with what brought me the most joy and accepting the fact that I don’t fit in any box.

Which other musicians inspire you?

My three biggest musical inspirations are Amy Winehouse, Ray Charles and Lauryn Hill. I know that you would probably never hear those three names in the same sentence, but they have each inspired me both musically and personally.

They are three incredible musicians that faced many obstacles throughout their lives and careers, but have each left a longstanding legacy of incredible music.

What are some highlights you have from your career so far?

One highlight that springs to mind is opening for Reece Mastin on NYE last year. It was such an amazing experience to get to not only open for, but chat with someone who has been in the game for a while now and the gig was so much fun!

How can people find your music?

I can be found on both Facebook and Instagram at @taramuscatellomusic and my TikTok is Tara Muscatello. I also have links to my linktree in all of my bios with more platforms that my music can be found on.

What would you say to young regional aspiring musicians who are thinking of making a go of the creative life?

If it brings you joy and you are passionate about it, go for it 100 per cent!

It can definitely be scary to put yourself out there and the creative life can seem daunting, especially if you’re just starting out, but I am a firm believer in doing what you love and that no dream is too big. It may take some time, I’m still working towards my ultimate dreams, but it is the most crazy and fun journey and I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do.