Tazmin Barnes, a fourteen year old firecracker

by Tony Collins, 01 Mar 2017 Tazmin Barnes releases her Debut EP.

How busy do you reckon is the average fourteen year old? Whatever answer you come up with, I think I can top it. Consider for a moment Tazmin Barnes from near Tewksbury. Like most teenagers Tazmin is studying for her important exams at school, whilst taking part in school theatrical productions, even soon to be directing some of them. Pretty busy then huh? But hold on, add in a burgeoning music career, writing her own songs and performing several times a month throughout the midlands. This is all apart from things like hockey, debating and F24 motor racing, (on tracks such as Castle Combe and Rockingham.)

I had a chat with her recently about her singing and song writing. Her debut EP is available to pre-order here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/trapped-ep/id1205650479?app=itunes right now and is officially released on March 17th It is doing well in the pre-order charts currently (at the time of writing), sitting at number 12. I recommend you have a listen and press the "buy" button as this is a superb step towards a recording career. She has lots of fans in China, but sadly the Chinese internet protocols make it very difficult for them to buy from western music sites. Three of the four songs on the EP are Tazmin's own The title of the first track, "Trapped" is one of the songs she wrote herself. The recording was overseen by the eminent record producer Alex Hart and the video was shot and edited at Strawhouse Studios in Rugby.

Born in Cheltenham, Tazmin moved to Beijing with her family when she was two years old, returning to the UK in 2014. So she has a great affinity with the people of China and is fluent in Mandarin. Whilst living and being brought up in China she was modelling for some well known international brands, such as Disney, Li Ning and Paclantic names, indeed as they left to come back to the UK, her face was emblazoned on the billboards on the Beijing subway. Her interest in music started when the family bought a Nintendo Wii, which had a Karaoke facility and Tazmin was soon singing along and taking the first steps of her singing ‘career'. At the age of 7 she entered her first talent show at school performing Mercy by Duffy (which ended with a one handed cartwheel into the splits position !).

So impressed were the school music teachers that she was invited to join the middle school band as lead singer. The band became known as the Delinquent Aces and aided by her experiences from modelling of facing a barrage of camera's and large audiences, Tazmin gained confidence as a stage performer. One year later her brother Jordan joined as lead guitarist and soon the Band were playing at events all over Beijing including to a crowd of over 1000 people at the Canada versus Finland Ice Hockey match.

Upon returning to the UK, Tazmin entered Teen Star and in 2015 finished Runner Up in the UK National Final held at the NEC. Amongst the judges that day was Dutch Van Spall, who invited her to join the Big Help Academy in order to help further her career as only Dutch and his team can. A daughter to a classical pianist and a sports consultant, this serious minded young star has her feet firmly on the ground and is very interested in environmental issues, especially around climate change, but her immediate goal is to promote her EP and develop her musicianship so she can accompany herself on piano at gigs. However as she likes to move around on stage, I can see a dichotomy here. Inspired by the likes of Adele, she writes at the piano,. Her fulfilment will be in being successful. Her Facebook page holds a quote which is the key to her outlook, "She believed she could, so she did."

This likeable, compelling and energetic young lady who has had quite life already, intends to travel (including back to China) but not before she has completed her education and made her mark on the music industry. A night at gig where Tazmin Barnes is on the bill is guaranteed to be a good one, check her out. - Oh, and buy the EP. If you are looking for her on Facebook, search Tazmin Barnes Music.