Meet The Team
Karen Laura Peters
Karen Laura Peters (she/her) is a Singer-Songwriter and Cellist. She founded the Tocando Community Music Project, an el sistema inspired after-school music program, in El Paso, Texas with the El Paso Symphony in 2012. Karen was the Program Director of Tocando for over 3 years while growing its reach and influence to the low-income, immigrant community along the Texas-Mexico border. The program is still thriving
and growing from the successful foundation she helped to establish. Karen has over 2 decades of experience teaching private and
group music lessons and performing.
Tara Chugh
Tara Chugh (she/her) is a Singer-Songwriter, Pianist and Music Director. She graduated with a BS in Business & Marketing, followed by earning her MBA in 2015. Tara worked in Academic Counseling for 7 years mentoring students throughout their degree program, and concurrently taught voice and piano at a local music school in Arizona. She worked for larger tech corporations in operations and logistics, and now runs her own business performing at corporate events and weddings. Tara became an official voting member with the Recording Academy, and soon after became a GRAMMY U Mentor for college students looking to further their experience in the music world.
The Story
how we created momentum
While waiting for our pho’ bowls and spring rolls, we started talking about our
music journey. We were both at a place in our lives where we performed music
at local venues, taught some lessons, but weren’t sure what the next step should
be. One thing we missed about working at a 9-5 was our weekly team meeting
(and jeans day haha jk). Those team meetings gave us an opportunity to catch
up with peers, set goals, and address concerns. Sometimes we had special key
note speakers, and would leave feeling inspired and empowered
.
As solo artists, we’ve found that we are often our own manager, marketing
director, PR agent, graphic designer, videographer/photographer and when we
don’t want to do everything ourselves, finding the right person is a large task.
YouTube can be so overwhelming and online reviews are hard to trust these
days. Being a musician is amazing, but can sometimes be isolating and
overwhelming. How does one find the right producer? How can we talk about our
struggles as musicians to a therapist who played the flute in 2nd grade band?
How do we find a music mentor that truly has our best interests in mind? How
can anyone afford all that?
What we’ve heard, is that many musicians and aspiring artists are asking the
same questions and experiencing similar challenges in their music journey. So
we've created a community with monthly meetings to set goals, talk about
struggles and celebrate wins. We host in-person classes with industry experts to
help build momentum towards individual and collective goals. We will be here
every step of the way so you don’t have to do this alone. Being a musician is
possible because we’ve created a system that supports networking, growth, and
goal setting. Our promise to you is that we’ll be a reliable asset you can count on
to support your artistic dreams.
The Mission
Our mission is to help independent musicians feel inspired, connected and empowered to build momentum on their music journey. We partner with music educators and industry professionals to provide monthly masterclasses and meetings to grow confidence and improve access.
Our Vision & Values
Momentum is working towards a future where musicians feel supported and confident. We value Integrity, Diversity, Kindness, Commitment, Open Mindedness, and Respect.
The Why
We recognize that many independent musicians are asking the same questions and experiencing similar challenges in their music journey. Momentum is a safe and reliable space for musicians to come together, share knowledge, and build musical, mindset, and practical skills.
What is Momentum?
Momentum offers monthly in-person meetings to set goals, talk about struggles and celebrate wins. Each meeting focuses on how to navigate the music industry as independent musicians through skill building mini series. We host in-person masterclasses led by industry experts to help you build momentum as a musician. Momentum offers personalized mentorship to support you in your growth.