Music shares the embodiment of emotions and can act as a powerful source of comfort for those going through hardships. Tara Beier, singer-songwriter, talks about her process of grief while creating her upcoming album, “Mourning Doves of Joshua Tree.” 

Beier is a Filipino Canadian singer and artist based in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, California. A woman who wears many talented hats, she has always incorporated creativity into her life. Between directing films, acting, playing instruments, dancing, writing and singing songs, her passion for creating shines brightly. She not only wants to create for herself, but wants to help her audience feel, heal, and embrace the emotions we may experience. 

Her previous songs have woven threads of hope and healing that resonate with listeners. In 2021, Beier released her debut album “Hero & the Sage.” The title track of the album saw notable success, as it was also selected to back President Joe Biden’s Nurse Campaign during the presidential inauguration. 

Her personal belief that music has the ability to turn sorrow into joy helped her write her upcoming album. After losing her grandmother, a notable figure in Beier’s life, she took time to process and heal. During the journey, she left Los Angeles to stay in Joshua Tree, where she found necessary peace and comfort. The serene landscapes of Joshua Tree helped inspire her to produce the sounds and write the songs in the album. 

Intentionally slowing down

Those who live in LA may agree that living in busy cities comes with the constant motion of people and tasks. It can be hard to slow down and process life events and stay present. Joshua Tree gave Beier an opportunity to welcome peace, as she found calmness in an area that inspired the sounds of her new album. 

“I was getting all these signs from the desert that everything was going to be okay and everything was working itself out,” Beier recalled. “The album started off as ‘Mourning Dove;’ the name of the album is now ‘Mourning Doves of Joshua Tree.’ I wanted to add in the location Joshua Tree because I felt the area where I wrote the album for about seven months really affected the entire music process.” 

While Beier was in Joshua Tree, she found two mourning doves sitting outside the window of her Airbnb. Seeing them inspired the title of her album. She passionately explained that she took the time to research the birds. As a mother of twins, she found it interesting that mourning doves always lay two eggs at a time. Through further investigation, she also found that for many, mourning doves can be a spiritual sign of peace and hope. She took these as signs that her grandmother was still supporting her. 

“A lot of my music is inspired by overcoming things and giving hope and this album in particular is about grief,” she said when asked about her creative process of creating the album. “It gives reassurance that the people on the other side are great, and there was a sense of peace in all of it.” 

When asked about her heritage and its connection to the music industry, Beier was open to sharing her thoughts. Her father had immensely high standards for his daughter and originally didn’t want her to be involved in the music industry, even though he is an artist himself. Beier still chose to pursue her passions and is happy to see more diversity in America after moving from Canada. She notes that she was especially impressed with the diversity in LA and New York. She supports fellow Asian artists and says that so many of them are talented. “Jo Koy, the comedian, has made crazy strides for the Filipino community,” Beier stated. 

“Let the art speak beyond your cultural representation,” Beier explained. “I’ve always tried to overcome race and let the music, let the art become so big and so powerful that it overrides your race. People will judge you, but I think it makes you tough.” 

Beier expressed her gratitude for audiences that have followed along in her journey. She hopes when people listen to her album, they enjoy the sound of the music and let it flow. “I don’t like to throw lyrics down people’s throats,” she said. “I’m excited to make people feel good and hear the great sounds of the music and the lyrics come on afterwards.” 

“Mourning Doves of Joshua Tree” possesses a new sound, one that is true to Beier and what she felt at the time. “A lot of the songs are individually unique and my genre is a multi-genre: indie, folk, country, Americana,” Beier noted about how this album has a new vibe. “It’s tighter. The music reflects me. It’s where I’m at right now and I hope people really relate to grief and processing the grief and have hope and faith in the universe. I want people to feel peaceful when they hear it. I want them to feel better.” 

“Sometimes grief and peace go together, like black and white photography,” Beier stated. “There is so much beauty in the contrasts.” 

Balancing music and twins

Right now, Beier is taking time to be a caring, devoted mother to her twins, although she hopes and wishes to be on tour soon. “I’ve created my own bubble where I have people who are really rooting for me and enjoy my music. And right now because of the babies, I can’t tour properly so I’m able to use social media more to connect with my fans.” She expressed her gratitude toward social media, as it’s given her an outlet to still film and connect with her audience. 

Tara Beier’s journey through grief and creativity culminates in her latest album, a powerful testament to the healing nature of music. Beier invites listeners to embrace their emotions and find solace in her unique sound, reminding us that even in sorrow, there is hope and peace to be discovered.

Check out Tara Beier’s single “Rainbow,” released on Oct. 4, 2024, followed by the release of her album on March 28, 2025. Follow her on Instagram at @tarabeier, listen to her on Spotify, or check out her website, www.tarabeiermusic.com. 

Images by photographer Jessica Castro