Tara Oram

Tara Oram nabs another award
Crowned rising star at Canadian Country Music Awards

BY ANDREW ROBINSON
The Beacon

Hare Bay's Tara Oram can add another award to her ever-growing trophy case following her trip
to the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMAs), held last weekend in Vancouver, B.C.
Ms. Oram walked away with the Rising Star Award at the 2009 edition of the awards show last
Sunday.
"I grew up as a little girl in Newfoundland just watching this show," she said while accepting the
honour during the awards show, which was broadcast on CBC Television.
"To be recognized as a rising star is obviously a dream come true," Ms. Oram wrote in an e-mail
to The Beacon. "But it's also such an incredible accomplishment to be recognized by the CCMA
organization. Thank you to my loyal fans for getting me to this point."
She was also up for Female Artist of the Year, which went to Crystal Shawanda, and Country
Music Television (CMT) Video of the Year for "Go to Bed Angry." Johnny Reid, who won five
awards overall, took that category.
The awards show was the culmination of a weekend event celebrating the country's home-grown
talent. Ms. Oram said she was particularly pleased to meet some Vancouver fans.
"Another highlight of my weekend was playing at FanFest and being able to spend some time
with the fans. Its always my favourite part," she wrote.
Next month, Ms. Oram will get another opportunity to treat fans to her musical talents when she
hits the road for a tour of arts and culture centres across Newfoundland and Labrador.
The tour will feature eight stops, including an Oct. 24 concert at the Joseph R. Smallwood Arts
and Culture Centre in Gander.
"The best thing about the tour will be the fact that I will be home, and I have waited so long to
have the opportunity to perform across our beautiful province," said Ms. Oram, who last
performed in Newfoundland and Labrador this summer at Salmon Fest in Grand Falls-Windsor. - The Beacon

Tara Oram to star in new TV series

Updated Tue. Jul. 22 2008 11:38 PM ET

Sheri Block, CTV.ca

Tara Oram is like the poster child for how Canadian Idol can 'change your life.'
A brand new television series, an upcoming album and a serious relationship with current Idol
winner Brian Melo, she can't imagine what her life would be like if she hadn't tried out for the
show.
"I honestly don't know where I'd be," said Tara, who finished Top 6 in Season 5. "I would
probably still be playing covers in a band, which I loved to do, but I just wanted to take that next
step in my career and luckily, I've been blessed with everything that's happening and I feel very
fortunate."
After CMT caught wind of the video blogs she had posted on her own website as a way to stay in
touch with her fans, she was offered her own series called "The Tara Diaries."
"It focuses on the making of the album, what's going on in my career in music and just the whole
process of being a new artist, recording the album, doing the video, songwriting, and there's also
that aspect of my home life but with a sense of some humour in there," said Tara, who originally
hails from Hare Bay, Nfld.
The six-week series is set mostly in Toronto, Ont., with a few segments filmed in Nashville, TN.
There's also an interactive component for her fans where they can log onto the network's website
and vote for everything from what they want Tara to wear, how they want her videos to look and
even what songs she should choose for her upcoming album. It's something CMT is calling an
"unprecedented experiment."
"I just think it's a new way to get fans involved. I'm a fan of music and I know if I had the
opportunity to be a part of someone's career, I'd feel awesome; I think that's so much fun," said
Tara. "It's just my way of giving back to them and saying thank you for all your support since
Idol, thank you for sticking with me up until now and continuing to support me."
And with the relationship between Tara and Brian no longer a secret, the Canadian Idol will be a
key part of "The Tara Diaries."
"His role is basically, he's my boyfriend, he's there to support me on rough times and good times
because this business is like a rollercoaster ride sometimes, you'll have great days, you'll have
bad days, you'll have sappy days, he's just such a great support because he knows everything that
I'm going through and we try to help each other as much as possible," said Tara.
"My family's not around - my mom lives in Newfoundland, my dad's working out in Calgary, so
he's my backbone right now."
Since Idol, Tara signed a record deal with Open Road Recordings and a management deal with
Ron Kitchener. Her first single "Fly Girl" can currently be heard on the radio, her video can
currently be seen on CMT and her upcoming album is set to be released this fall.
And if that wasn't enough, Tara and her gorgeous blonde locks were also featured in a Pantene
TV commercial earlier this summer.
"It was such an honour to do this because I never knew how hard it was to do a commercial like
that until we filmed for like 11 hours that day and my head and my neck were pretty sore at the
end from all the head flicking and the hair flicking," said Tara with a laugh. "It was such a great
experience and I gained a lot of exposure from that and so many people have loved the
commercial. It was so much fun; I got to be a girl."
Tara credits Canadian Idol for getting her name out there and for preparing her for everything
she's doing now. She recently visited Canadian Idol's new Top 10 at the Idol mansion and had a
bit of advice for them.
"Just try to be yourself. I know sometimes you can get caught up in the whole TV show aspect
but just remember that it's about the music as well and at the end of the day, honestly, just have
fun, you only get to do this one time in your life and it will be the best summer you've ever had
so just enjoy it while you can."
"The Tara Diaries" will premiere Sunday, July 20th on CMT at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT. - CTV.ca

Oram on the road
Kicks off first provincial tour in October

DANETTE DOOLEY
The Telegram

Tara Oram is ready to bust. The 25-year-old country music singer from Hare Bay has been
keeping a secret for several months now - exciting news she's shared only with her mother
Wanda.
Oram's secret - to be revealed today - is that plans have been finalized for her first provincial tour
which kicks off at the Arts and Culture Centre in Stephenville Oct. 19.
"I wasn't really allowed to talk about it and I didn't want to get my hopes up because it wasn't for
sure," Oram says of being tight-lipped about the eight-stop tour which ends at the Arts and
Culture Centre in St. John's Oct. 26.
For a musician who once described herself as "starving for the stage," the tour in her home
province is something she felt could possibly happen after she placed sixth on CTV's Canadian
Idol in 2007.
"Newfoundlanders support their own like no other country or province or anywhere else in the
world. I appreciate my Newfoundland fans. They mean the world to me."
Oram is delighted that two performances in Labrador have been included in the tour. She's never
been to the Big Land, she says, and can't wait to perform in Labrador West and Happy Valley-
Goose Bay.
"They always say, 'Be a tourist in your own province' and that's what myself and my band and
the people I work with are going to get to do."
A plus with the tour, Oram says, is that her mother - who she describes as her "backbone" - will
get to come along for most of performances.
"My mom is the one who had the dream of being a singer ... She always said, 'You know if I had
talent I would want to be on the Opry and do what you're doing now.' She always said, 'You're
living my dream.' And that's why I wrote that song (with Carolyn Dawn Johnson)," Oram says of
"Living the Dream" - a song recorded on her debut album "Chasing the Sun."
The album earned Oram an ECMA earlier this year for Country Recording of the Year.
Oram has also been nominated for three Canadian Country Music awards: Best Female Vocalist,
Rising Star Award and Video of the Year.
While there are songs that she performs regularly, Oram prefers not to follow a script.
"Every night is different for me because every audience is different. And it's going to be extra
special in Newfoundland because I'm home and I'm super excited about being with my own
people."
Oram has been writing songs for her second album as well as performing with her band at
numerous festivals, sharing the stage with country music artists such as Johnny Reid, George
Canyon, Beverly Mahood, Doc Walker and Randy Travis.
"I don't get to be onstage a whole lot but when I am up there, that's the time we enjoy the most."
Former Canadian Idol judge Zack Werner says during Oram's time on the show, some folks,
himself included, mistook her "openness and genuine simple heartfelt style" as "show bizzy."
"Turns out she is quite simply herself at all times. That, combined with real country pipes and
great management, is giving Tara a real shot at success," he says.
Fans who support Oram during her Newfoundland tour can expect to hear titles from her album
as well as some cover songs.
She has a tendency as well, she says, of talking to her audience in between songs.
"I'll be on stage and my tour manager will look over at me and give me the slicing of the neck
telling me to shut up because I like to gab a lot ... and I have a lot to say," she laughs.
Oram's parents Wanda and Albert Oram live in Hare Bay.
Like many Newfoundlanders, her father works out-of-province.
Her parents have supported her in every way possible over the years, she says.
"Financially, it's so hard to be a musician ... to literally live. And one day I will hopefully buy my
dad a boat and buy my mom a new kitchen."
Nova Scotia singer/songwriter Dave Gunning is also joining Oram on tour.
Tour tickets go on sale Monday at Arts and Culture Centres where Oram will be performing.
In Carbonear, the show takes place at the Princess Sheila NaGeira Theatre.
For more information visit www.taraoram.com
danette@nl.rogers.com - The Telegram