Tamara Rivelle

Tamara’s musical story begins in Pittsburgh, a city rich in jazz tradition, where she was surrounded by musicians from a young age. Raised in a multicultural church, she was immersed in a wide range of musical expressions, with a deep love for gospel, especially the layered sound of B3 organ, saxophone, and clarinet. She began studying flute in elementary school under a jazz musician, developing both discipline and musical sensitivity early on. But even then, her true calling was clear: she wanted to sing. As a child, she wrote songs in her bedroom and quietly performed them for her parents, often from the stairwell, where she felt safe but still heard. That tension — wanting to be heard but not yet ready to be seen — became part of her artistic foundation. At 13, she stepped forward to sing her first solo at church, performing an original song, and soon began singing regularly on the worship team, learning harmony and vocal blending. By high school, she was performing publicly, playing in a band, and recording her first solo project while singing throughout Western Pennsylvania. Her formal training continued in Nashville, where she recorded a project at 19 and moved to the city at 23, studying classical voice with professors from Vanderbilt University and Fisk University. Throughout the years, her musical path remained intertwined with her broader work in education and emotional well-being. From 1996–2013, she performed as an independent artist across the United States while leading Love In A Big World, recording albums in 1997 and 2003 that became soundtracks for her work. In Nashville, she deepened her artistry through: • Singer-songwriter rounds (2008–2015), often as a host • Jazz study at the Nashville Jazz Workshop (beginning in 2015) • Vocal training with Liz Johnson (2018–2019) • Performing with an R&B/soul band (2019–2021) Now, after decades of experience, study, and quiet refinement, she is stepping forward with clarity: an artist fully in her voice.