July 24, 2019

Meet Tia Lambirth of Tia’s Top 5 in Cumberland

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tia Lambirth.

Tia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to Atlanta in 2010 from Indianapolis, IN to pursue my career in the music business as an artist manager. Growing up, I was exposed to so much music in every genre. My parents were a little older so they listened to soft rock, soul, funk, jazz, and everything in between. I didn’t really catch on to R&B and Hip-Hop til my teenage years, but I was definitely a teenie bopper!

Over the years, my peers and family have always sought out my musical opinion. Whether they were looking for new talent to book, musicians wanting feedback on their projects or friends just wanting to find new music to listen to. When I discovered that you could customize playlists on Spotify, I jumped on it! Playlists weren’t really that popular yet, but I knew I could share the music that I was listening to with my friends instantly. In July 2017 started putting up five songs per week and called it Tia’s Top 5. I added various independent, popular and local artists from Atlanta to the playlist so that everyone could find something new.

My goal was to never do “pay for plays” and to never add music that I didn’t actually listen to just to please other people. Over the past couple of years, I’ve branded the heck out of the playlist, conducted interviews with some of the artists on the playlist, and received so much amazing feedback from listeners who have discovered so many new artists and sounds.

I’ve heard that good music is dying but I disagree. There is SO much music out there, you just have to look for it. My goal is to find it for the listener and bring light to the many talented musicians in the world. My mission is to “Make Good Music Cool Again” with Tia’s Top 5.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No lol. Digging through Spotify and social media for new music TAKES TIME. Making sure labels don’t take my posts down because I want to share their artists’ music on social media, is a thing. Coming up with new content weekly can be challenging, but I honestly love the process and that makes me feel fulfilled.

Please tell us about Tia’s Top 5.
Tia’s Top 5 is my playlist that is exclusively on Spotify. I am an independent playlist curator, meaning I make playists on a streaming platform but not on behalf of it. I’m known for my “good ear” and finding a plethora of quality music. I’m so proud of the amount of people the platform has reached and the impact it has had on their musical palette. My genuine love for music and appreciation for the process sets me apart from other music based platforms. Tia’s Top 5 is so diverse in sound, but it all makes you feel good.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to have opportunities to meet and interview some of my favorite artists that are on my playlists, such as Benny Sings, Yebba, Duckwrth, Lucky Daye and many more! My goal is to reach as many artists as possible so that they can also share their musical taste with the fans.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Mike of Iameye Photos has been a HUGE support in the process of building my brand. From moral support to doing some graphic design work for me, he’s been a big motivator. My friend and fellow creator Jarilyn Ashley is literally my #1 cheerleader and definitely is there as my second pair of eyes when it comes to my brand and how it is received.

Contact Info:

Website: www.tiastop5.com
Email: contact@tiastop5.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiastop5/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiastop5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiastop5
Other: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1TdwafPd62paEQNKTkHWfm

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.