Tara, a fifth generation fiddler, began playing mandolin at the age of four years, taking her place beside her cousins and siblings in the family band. Her father Ted spent an hour with each of his children every morning before school, gleefully coaching their musical studies on various instruments.

With an understanding that the desire to play in the family band would undoubtedly dissipate by the dreaded teen years, Ted took to forming youth bluegrass bands for his children. He took the role of agent, promoter, manager, roadie, driver, “adult supervision” and patient parent to a bunch of ungrateful and obnoxious children, unaware of the intense exposure to traditional music they were receiving whilst doing their best HotRize and Newgrass Revival covers on festival stages across the country and world, including Telluride, Rockygrass, Four Corners Folk Fest, Greyfox, Wintergrass, Hof Germany's Ogden Festival, Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival and IBMA Fanfest. String Fever was part of the Utah Arts Tour, recorded 3 albums, shared stages with Allison Kraus and Union Station, Nickel Creek, Ralph Stanley, Tim O'Brien & the fabulous O Boys, Strength In Numbers, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Martin and many many more.

After this kid band died, as kid bands should, Tara took a hiatus from music, embarking on adventures that spanned the world, many university stints, jobs, life lessons, realizations and parties. After crashing back in SLC, her sister Bonie suggested she become an illustrator and gave her a job at her firm Girl Friday Design, where she quickly learned to use a Mac. Tara now does freelance design for many small businesses and nonprofits throughout the USA, as well as custom art by commission. Tara is also editor of the online acoustic music publication ValleyTan.org.