Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Harper.
Tammy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and started playing the piano at age three when my mother passed away. I have musical roots as my grandfather’s middle name was Mozart and he played piano and organ and sang, and so did my mother and so do I! I moved to Atlanta, GA to attend Spelman College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music (concentration – piano) and have lived here ever since! I wanted to be in a superstar and I was in an all-female band Hip Chic and we did a Department of Defense Tour in the Caribbean which was awesome and next was in the band VanGo led by national recording artist Van Hunt! Once this second band disbanded I decided I should work a regular job and do music on the side which I did for 20 years! Then the voice of God said it’s time and I left my job of 15 years in Human Resources at Boys & Girls Clubs of America to do music full-time!
So here I am – a single mommy with a five-year-old starting Kindergarten but now I am a female entrepreneur and professional musician – yay! About eight years in, I prayed and told God that I wanted “more”…not sure what more looked like but help me! I saw an ad for A&R Global Talent Scout and applied! Two interviews later, I was hired as Senior A&R, Artist Development with Wealth Nation/Sony and Empire/Universal! Now, I am Executive Vice President and Director, Leadership Development and super proud to have recently celebrated my two years anniversary and lead a team of A&Rs and have several talented clients! And I celebrated ten years of entrepreneurship on March 30, 2022! My daughter is 15 and an amazing dancer and our life is super sweet!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not always smooth…definitely figuring things out when I don’t have a bi-weekly paycheck, Figuring out insurance and with my daughter as a dancer, figuring out how to pay for a dance each year which is thousands of dollars. I am a very spiritual woman and my faith in God is unwavering and through His guidance and the support of family and friends whether advice or sometimes even financially helped me along the way. I am definitely resourceful and the talent that I have with piano and singing as well as in Human Resources has helped a lot and being connected in the Atlanta community in the music scene, college friends and former co-workers and continue to be a resource. The pandemic truly was a way to have time to myself but also to move from in-person lessons to virtual for several months and to this day for many of my students and did several performances online like my Friday Night Tam Jam which was so much fun and a way to make money. Faith truly is the key – have the faith, do the work then pass the baton to God to finish the race!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
On a day to day, I am a professional musician (pianist/vocalist) and a music executive (Executive Vice President, A&R with Wealth Nation/Sony and Empire/Universal). I am most known for playing the piano and singing as I have decades of that and two years as a music executive. On a day to day on the musician side, I have piano and voice students, play and sing at the nursing home twice a month, teach a weekly music class to the elderly, play for church on Sundays and a variety of special events where I perform (weddings, funerals, gigs, etc.). On the music executive side, I spend a lot of the time on the phone on internal team meetings, strategy meetings with clients and interviewing A&R candidates and scouting for new talent.
I am most proud of one of my senior recital pieces I played in college to graduate – Variations Serieuses by Felix Mendelsohn which is a 25-minute piece memorized! And proud to have participated in a Play USA Music Educators Conference at Carnegie Hall! Also proud of the two awards I received from my company – MVP Award in 2021 and Visionary Leadership Award in 2022. And a fun fact I am proud of is playing the keys in Kenny G’s band in the sequel – Bad Moms Christmas starring Mila Kunis! And in saving the best for last, being mom to my amazing daughter, Gabrielle! What sets me apart from others is I dare greatly, want everybody to win and have FUN and my unwavering faith as I believe in the possibilities of God! I am a Black female classically trained pianist who has close to perfect pitch and can work some harmonies!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Yes! Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
The Go Giver
Impact Players by Liz Wiseman
Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
Unapologetic by Emmanuel Acho
Super Soul Sunday podcast – Oprah and guests
Dare To Lead podcast – Brene Brown and guests
Work on Your Game podcast – Dre Baldwin
AND MORE!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tamtunes.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tamtunes
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/TammyHarper and www.facebook.com/TamTunes
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/tamtunes
Image Credits
John Stephens
