Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tar, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose naturally. That classic, cliché story of the kid who, as soon as he heard a rock ‘n’ roll record, saw himself doing that for the rest of his life. The purpose is to, through music, provide the listener a contact with their innermost feelings, which are intangible and often difficult to describe in words. Sometimes the listener didn’t even know they had such feelings within them. Upon discovering this, it’s up to the listener to reflect on it and move forward. If they don’t, at least I hope I gave the audience a good time when I performed my music.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Tarcisio Barsalini, but everyone knows me as Tar (yes, like the raw material of asphalt!). I’m an Italian-Brazilian rock guitarist, influenced by artists and bands like Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Rush, and many others.
I started studying music at the age of 11, graduated in music in Brazil, and was a member of many bands, playing in nightclubs and recording in studios. Highlights include the original music bands Anita Latina, a rock power trio with whom we released our only album on a major record label in Brazil at the time, and Cordillera, with whom I released two albums and a few singles and had the pleasure of touring Brazil. I’m also the guitarist for the oldest Queen tribute band in Brazil, a band with which I’ve played all over the country.
I have my own solo work, which I’ve performed throughout Europe in countries like Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. The single “Land,” the EP “What’s Left for Us?”, and the album “Made of Tar” are available to listen to on streaming platforms. The latter two were recorded in a 100% analog studio on 2-inch tape. That means there are no corrections or edits; everything you hear on these albums was actually performed.
I currently live in Los Angeles after being awarded a scholarship to study at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first skill to develop is patience. Nothing comes quickly; everything takes a long process to develop. We also need to accept things as they are, as it’s very common to create expectations about how things should be. In the end, no matter how well we achieve a previously established goal, it will never be exactly as we envisioned. We have to know how to deal with this, otherwise life becomes a burden.
It’s necessary to develop technique for your role, because you’ll need to know how to balance energy expenditure with high-level performance. Technique will allow you to have extra room, so you can present your work without thinking too much while doing it. To achieve this, my advice for beginners is to have a lot of discipline and always challenge yourself to study aspects of your field that you don’t feel confident in performing.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Exactly what I’m doing. I never want to be indebted to myself. It’s never been easy and never will be, but I don’t want to feel like I could have done things differently. I will do what is within my power to achieve my goals.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tar.guitarist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarcisio.barsalini
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tar.guitarist
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0iMtRpk9hUygyP8CNFk7jb?si=xz3vW7MiQFGAnAsnE1OTrA
Image Credits
Live concert pics: Daniela Aguiar, Studio pics: Manin Guettnauer
