Taylor Tarn has found a passion for singing
Taylor Tarn has found a passion for singing
Taylor Tarn is from the military town, Virginia Beach, Va. She never really studied music and had no vocal training but says her older sister was an inspiration. Taylor says her musicality comes from rhythm and dancing. Her mother was a disco dance queen. Taylor studied ballet and dance at White Oaks Elementary and attended Salem High School which has a performing dance school.
Her first formal dance studio study called “Attitudes” was in 2004. She attended a six-week Governor’s Summer Program at Radford College in 2011. 
She was accepted to college dance programs in Manhattan University in New York and Philadelphia University but she chose to attend George Mason University in Virginia. She was in the exceptional Modern Dance program. The class structure was overwhelming and she felt too constrained so she left after one year.
While growing up, Taylor’s family often vacationed in Key West so after leaving George Mason, she moved to Key West for a year. Later, she returned to school along with her mother, training as an emergency medical technician. Her family was very supportive in all endeavors and are her favorite people.
She says her older sister is a guiding force. Taylor also rode motorcycles with her father and loves the outdoors. The family always encouraged her to sing but her primary focus was dance. They all felt that Taylor was meant to sing but she would not pursue vocals until much later.
Taylor returned to college at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. to study modern dance. She joined a Latin dance club, learning rumba, bachata, salsa and entered several competitions. Taylor left college again, this time for good.
After traveling around for another year. Taylor moved back to Key West and trained with Pamela Connelly learning Lambada. She studied with Latin dance master from Brazil, Braz Dos Santos. The dance group traveled to Oregon and California and later Spain and Brazil performing.
Taylor began working with the Coffee Mill Dance Studio and became friends with Penny Leto and daughter Belle Jampol, an amazing vocalist. A friend got Taylor a guitar and she began to learn to play. Now she’s considered extending her musicality by singing.
The Tarn family was very happy that Taylor was trying vocals for the first time. She was never opposed to singing. She just loved dancing and stubbornly felt she didn’t like being told what to do. Taylor now has a passion for singing, very similar to that of dancing.
One evening, she was invited to sit in with Martin Sedlak, Raven Cooper, and Jimmy Starshine (aka Shine) at Mangos. Her family was in town and she wanted to sing her father’s favorite song “Wild Horses” for the first time. The haunting ballad, written by Mick Jagger, was first recorded by the Rolling Stones at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama and released in 1971. Taylor almost cried twice during the song – her father loved it. She began to sit in with Martin and Shine every chance she got. During one Sunday afternoon gig at the Green Parrot, Taylor joined Martin and the Howdy ‘Bout That band. She sang for over thirty minutes with the group and the audience loved it.
She is quickly learning how to communicate with the musicians, learning the sound systems, and is ready to learn how to talk to the audience and entertain. Martin soon offered her a debut paid performance at one of his Viv Wine Bistro shows. Her family was still in town and enjoyed her first full performance in the small intimate venue.
Taylor loves the very supportive Key West music and dance community. She met other local musicians and is trying to learn and grow. Good friend Rick Fusco gave her a guitar lesson on White Street Pier. Jimmy Starshine is helping her learn stage performance techniques. She’s learning the variations in sound systems at different venues, how musicians utilize “their space” when on stage and is trying to study/learn different techniques and sort out what works best for her.
Taylor Tarn will be performing with Jimmy Starshine this summer at various locations and then will travel to the Czech Republic to perform with Martin Sedlak. She’s also working on an all-female vocal group that would include Belle Jampol, Kari Wolf, Elle Haley, and several other Key West entertainers. Fasten your seat belts.
There are no comments yet, add one below.
Leave a Reply