Nadine Zahr

With over 300 performances successfully completed, tens of thousands of digital downloads and albums purchased and distributed, performances with Ani Difranco and other internationally-known artists, continuous radio play, and songs on CBS Television, MTV, and Lifetime Television, Nadine Zahr has much to smile about.

"It's been a blast," she states, "completely fulfilling on all levels."

Nadine began focusing on a professional music career when she was 19 years old. Raised in the suburbs of New York City, her passion for performing started at the age of 6. Whether it was on a summer camp stage in Maine, belting out Whitney Houston hits, or crashing her older sister's living-room dance recitals, in her footsie pajamas and invisible microphone, Nadine found performing the most exciting place to exist.

In response to Nadine's uncontrollable restlessness, her Mother reluctantly enrolled her in local performing arts programs, at the age of 8 years old. She began performing in several musical reviews and shows each year, mentored and directed by the late Bertin Rowser.

"If it wasn't for him and his consistent encouragement, year after year, I would have never really known my full potential," Nadine recalls. "Every performance I do, from the 1500 seaters to intimate living room concerts, I dedicate to him. He was instrumental in my development as a performer and as a human being."

Bertin's guidance lead Nadine to the Broadway stage at the age of 12 as well as the black-boxes of the Julliard School during her high school years, right before Bertin's unexpected death in 1998. By that moment, Nadine found herself completely in love with the performing arts.

She did not, however, expect her life to take a more permanent turn to songwriting, until after Bertin's death.

"During the time I was on Broadway, my oldest sister was given an acoustic guitar for her birthday. Whenever she wasn't home, I would go into her room and play it. When she complained that she couldn't play her guitar because it hurt her fingers too much, I borrowed it again and never gave it back."

After only a few lessons, Nadine began writing songs as a sort of therapeutic hobby.

"It became my outlet. I was the youngest of three, so being heard and acknowledged was sometimes a challenge, but the guitar became my voice while writing lyrics fed my candid nature. I broke a lot of strings and cracked a lot of notes, to say the least."

At the age of 18, Nadine was accepted to a University in Washington, D.C. for Music Theater. That lasted about one year.

"After my freshman year, I had decided that I was old enough to, legally, be on my own, and I knew that this was what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be."

Prior to her withdrawal, however, Nadine sold her car to purchase the most expensive Taylor guitar she could find at Sam Ash, as well as, buy some studio time in the basement recording studio of the University's music school.

"It was a studio designed for opera singers and orchestras, but I was just elated to be singing into an actual tube mic as opposed to my big-button tape recorder, circa 1968."

She recorded her first demo, "The First Stage," in 2 hours, using only one take, per track.

"I was a kid back then, just wanting to have something to give to people. I wanted so badly to be noticed and recognized for something that was all me, the heart-on-sleeve-me."

She did just that and sold 750 copies of her demo in just 2 months, on campus. That was when her dreams began to shift from the performing arts to making music.

Offers to move out to Los Angeles presented themselves during the summer after her freshman year. Without her Mother's consent, and at the age of 19, Nadine dropped out of College and moved across the country, on her own.

"I had never been to Los Angeles before, so I didn't know where to go or what to do. I just knew I wanted to make music for the rest of my life."

After landing in Los Angeles, Nadine found the offers that enticed her to move there were all just empty promises, and she would have to start from ground zero. While sleeping on the floor for a few years and working odd jobs in the restaurant and retail industries, Nadine began to frequent the popular open mics that Los Angeles offered. Quickly, she became noticed for her four-octave range voice, her showmanship, and her candid lyricism. Booking agents and venue owners began to approach her for full-set performances. While working full-time, Nadine also pursued her career full-time, and was quoted as, "one of the hardest working female singer/songwriters in LA" by Music Connection magazine.

Building a local fan base from the ground up, Nadine began playing bigger and more reputable venues.

"There was a time when I would lie about my age to play basement bars and only one person would be in the audience - my best friend, who drove me there - but I would still play a full set and just ask if she ha