Conversations with Tiara Schaffter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiara Schaffter.

Hi Tiara, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi I’m Tiara J a singer/Songwriter from NE Ohio. I started writing after I lost one of my best friends in a car accident in 2014 and I had an intense experience of feeling his presence the night he passed. I sat down and wrote a poem about him, turned that poem into a song, and then from there I fell in love with the expression of writing. Through the years myself and my children have experienced many traumatic hurdles and have faced some monsters along the way and writing became an outlet for me.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have experienced some uniquely hard things in this life, as have my children. I grew up surrounded by broken people and learned to pick up the pieces at a young age. I have been in abusive relationships and was hurt and deceived in the worst of ways more times than I can count. The complications of being chronically ill, having HEDS and many other health problems, while raising 4 children alone has forced me to be very strong. I believe that singing and writing has been extremely medicinal for me as I’ve navigated treating my disautonomia and CPTSD. Re-wiring the pathways in my brain by writing out heavy feelings and singing them for vagal nerve stimulation. Music has been so healing for me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a singer songwriter based in NE Ohio. I write what I consider “moody music” some may consider it alternative or alt country, possibly because I have a bit of twang to my voice at times. I’m more known for my 8 year career as an editorial fashion makeup artist. I have just recently put down the brushes to focus more on my truest passion which is songwriting. I’m also completing a business degree and a realestate license, but that’s besides the point, back to the important stuff… Music has been a passion of mine for about 13 years. After losing a best friend in an accident when I was 20, I sat down and wrote my first song about feeling his presence the night that he passed. I have been writing and singing as an outlet ever since. It pulled me through some of the most lonely and heart wrenching times in my life. Song writing was always my safe place where I could just crawl into myself for a bit and release the inner turmoil that weighed me down. My music touches on topics like sexual abuse, trauma, utter loneliness, yearning, a mother’s wrath, and taking back your power. I’ve done writing projects with other local artists like @suffocatingundersorrow @apmelly @novembershawn and Australian musician @onlythebassplayer who have all inspired me so much.
My biggest influences as a singer songwriter are, the one and only big dog Matt Maeson, whose music and writing has been engraved into my soul and impacted me so much, Haffway whose vinyl is the peaceful background music to my life, and Jessie Reyez one of my favorite singers/Poets. I hope to one day find my people and touch someone’s soul the way these artists have for me.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Cleveland and NE Ohio are amazing. The music scene is fire and the people are so creative and talented. The thing I don’t love about the city is when the energy of the hustle gets to be too much. I’m from Wooster Ohio which is a more rural area. I’d much rather exist out in the country but am always down for trips to the city.

Pricing:

• I would love to work with other artists and help write songs. DM me @tiarajmusic and we can discuss pricing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tiarajmusic
• Youtube: @tiarajmusic

Image Credits
Rachel Martin