ARTIST FEATURE: From Eurovision Song Contest, to holistic healing, from singing to acting, meet Tajci (Tatiana Cameron)! We are so happy that she decided to join us this week!

1) How do you practice your rhythm and sense of time?

For 15 years, I performed mostly story-telling music (dramatic) where the only time-keeping instrument was the keyboard I played. I practiced without a metronome, relying more on the ‘feel’ for tempos. I loved the fluidity and how, as a singer, I was able to lead the musicians by using my breath and following melodic phrases. However, during that time, whenever I would go into the studio to record songs, and sing to the click, I’d struggle. I would practice with a click at my home demo studio. When I moved to Nashville and started working more with mainstream and classic country musicians (and bands) I really had to ramp up my game and do more practicing with a click track or a metronome –  and enjoy it, because being able to play to a click makes me a better artist.

2) What are your favorite rhythmic exercises?

Two of my sons are percussionists. They blow my mind with how they read drum music and play incredibly complicated rhythms. As a classically trained musician, I am a pretty good sight-reader, but I had no clue how to read music written for the percussion instruments. They tried to show me a few exercises, but I stick to the basics – playing scales, or something from classical repertoire (Bach’s preludes), or even pop songs, for as long as the intention of the exercise is working on the rhythm.

3) What exotic rhythms do you like and what can we learn from it?

I love Native American dances. The steady beat underneath the singing reminds me of the pulse of life and it’s changes. The speed of the earth traveling around the sun, the length of a daytime, the seasons’ changes, that doesn’t change – even as we experience time ‘going faster’ or ‘slower’ depending on the situation we are in. The singing to me is our life experience – that’s emotional, loud or soft, faster or slower, warrior like or healing. The most beautiful part that I’m trying to learn – as an artist and a spiritual being is how to live fully (peacefully and joyfully) with both the unchanging rhythm of life and the fluidity of the experience of it. 

4) Can you name one thing that you like about the metronome on metronomeonline.com?

I love reading about featured artists and their stories and recommendations. What I love most about being a musician is that it’s a constant growing experience – and we learn best from each other, in a supportive community. Thank you for providing that!

VIDEO: Keep Your Head Up is the title of the song by Tajci – what a good message to convey these days, don’t you agree? Check it out: