Zarah (television personality)

B InTune TV (TV series)

Zarah is best known for her role as the host of a nationally syndicated daytime television show B InTune TV, which premiered on September 10, 2005 on Viacom and CBS Television Group and UPN Network stations in the United States.

Though many years active in the music industry as a musician before she played the face of the popular television series as a TV personality, Zarah was working on different music projects when she was approached to host and join the B InTune TV team for a half-hour (26 episode) weekly show to help advance children's music education through an educational excellence program. Zarah's musical background and heavy involvements with both 501(c) 3 non-profit and for-profit sectors on Music and Arts Education for children like the B InTune Foundation and the GRAMMY Foundation over the years, led to projects that fulfilled her interest in educating youth while entertaining simultaneously as an artist. These events included introducing former President Bill Clinton to Michael Nobel of the Nobel family, where she also presented a Peace Book to a social and political activist Bono of U2 from Nobel and eventually, co-developing of what was yet to become a hit television series for teens (13 to 18 years old) and their music called, B InTune TV.

In 2005, Zarah's break in television came when the show debuted as a nationally syndicated TV series in broadcast television and was well received by its teen audience all across America. In December 10, 2007, Zarah was invited to the Led Zeppelin's Reunion Concert by Robert Plant's management at the O2 Arena in London. She covered the only hour-long television special for B InTune TV introducing the classic rock band Led Zeppelin and their history and accomplishments.

With its popularity on the rise, the show reached 120 million households in the United States and had a growth of 54 countries worldwide. B InTune TV celebrated events in 2008 that commemorated its global success of totaling 200 million television homes in the United States and other countries around the world, promoting new and upcoming artists for the television show and renewed repeatedly for more seasons to come. Zarah was one of the many celebrity attendees to have arrived at the red carpet celebrated event, which was held at the world-famous Viper Room in Hollywood.

Apart from being the host and her responsibilities overseeing the production team and other departments involving the process for B InTune TV as the co-executive producer alongside Emmy Award-winning creator and executive producer Eugene Maillard, Zarah is also the contributing screenwriter of the show.

She has featured various guest appearances such as Rihanna, Avril Lavigne, Chris Brown, Clint Eastwood and The Rolling Stones just to name a few, supported by B InTune Media's music industry collaborators like Warner Bros. Records who partnered at Where Music Meets Film at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and other labels like Universal Records and Capitol Records.

Other television shows

Following B InTune TV's success were guest-starring roles for Zarah as an actress appearing on other popular television shows.

Influences and style

Zarah's influence in music came from listening to classic to modern rock genre and at times, popular music that began at an early stage. This enabled her to explore and develop her songwriting ability and worked on her vocals with legendary vocal coach Seth Riggs. Zarah honed her craft by writing and working with diverse musicians recording and performing live on different scenes.

Since then, her collaboration list of known artists grew namely, bassist Ricky Phillips of Bad English (now a Styx member), lead guitarist Howard Leese from the Heart, the Goo Goo Dolls and many iconic figures on music-related projects such as the son of the famous Beatles member (Ringo Starr), Zak Starkey (now with The Who), the late Patrick Swayze, record producer David Foster and rock bands that influenced her growing up like U2 and Collective soul, where she met lead guitarist Ross Childress.

Goo Goo Dolls

Zarah's notable performances include concert shows with the Goo Goo Dolls. Her first performance with the famous rock band took place at the 9:30 Club concert venue in Washington, D.C. known for its gold standard for rock clubs in the country. Subsequently, Zarah met with members of the United States Congress, which included former United States Senator John Breaux at Capitol Hill with John Rzeznik pertaining to music piracy issues in the music industry. Bringing success to her previous concert, Zarah followed-up on other performances with the Goo Goo Dolls in other locations like Los Angeles. She also worked with the band on similar projects toward youth like inviting them to appear as her guest stars in B InTune TV. In 2006, the recurring episodes featuring the Goo Goo Dolls gave Zarah the opportunity to share with her teen audience what goes on behind the scenes on learning how to launch a major rock concert, conducting many interviews with the band and their crew during rehearsal for their upcoming tour.

Fundraising events and projects

In support to further advance Music and Arts Education causes, programs and projects for youth, Zarah worked with several Congressional leaders leading to former United States Senator like Tom Daschle, United States Senator Harry Reid and United States Congressman Steny Hoyer. She offered support by delivering live performances with her band for Fundraising events, which took place across the country. On her press interviews, she frequently expressed how "being able to help educate and entertain teens both at the same time, is very powerful".

Zarah also worked with frontman Bono in association with the GRAMMY Foundation on a special project for children's music, where she got invited to a U2's soundcheck and spent time with Bono and bassist Adam Clayton in one of their concert tours.

Album soft-launch

By early 2008, Zarah was at the highest peak of her global audience in B InTune TV show running in two separate network line-ups with 120 million homes in the United States on one and another for its rerun syndication and TV specials, totaling of 200 million households and 54 countries around the world.

Brewing to make music, Zarah decided to take the time off and get back to her roots as a musician. Within the same year, she wrote an entire album conveying meaningful and relevant subjects in her work, evolving into a seasoned artist. In late 2008, Zarah recorded with musician Robin DiMaggio, keyboardist Alex Alessandroni and bassist Chris Chaney among others, on self-written tracks she co-produced at the Henson Recording Studios (formerly A & M Studios) in Hollywood, California. The record was engineered by Julian Chan and mixed by Grammy Award-winning mix engineer Mark Needham. She soft-launched her rock recordings in 2009, by performing live with guitarist Devin Bronson and invited a few aspiring artists from a local high school to join her, where Adam Gaynor of Matchbox 20 guest-starred and introduced her at the show. Fender, Where Music Meets Film at the Sundance Film Festival, Bel-Air Entertainment Group and B InTune Media, sponsored the jam-packed showcase event.

Zarah finds her purpose through a positive impact in music as she once told Charley Daniels from a Television Week interview saying, "I think music has healed a lot of my past".

In 2011, Zarah began working on finishing her debut album with multi-platinum selling and multi-GRAMMY Award-winning duo producers Jean-Claude Olivier (Poke), after taking a notice from soft-launching her album and his partner Samuel Barnes (Tone) of Track Masters Entertainment, who sometimes are credited as 'Poke and Tone' in the music industry. Her production team also included additional GRAMMY Award-winners, record producer Cory Rooney and mix engineer Jason Goldstein.

Radio career

In addition to her television show and music, Zarah started a radio special for syndication back in early 2008. She co-hosted a voice-over doing one-on-one interviews with Bono and the whole U2 covering the thirty years of their life story detailing from their dream of being rock stars where they started in Dublin, Ireland, all the way to becoming one of the biggest rock bands known today.

Awards and recognition

As a longtime advocate for Music and Arts Education for children, Zarah has worked her way through a variety of projects lending her skills and talents in all aspects of her music, television and radio career.

She continues to dedicate herself towards similar causes for children in different fields and describes, "working with kids combined with music is no short of saying: it truly is a dream job."

Trademark

Zarah has been largely popularized for inspiring youth through her work. She highly supports advancing children's Music and Arts Education as well as Peace, Tolerance and Non-violence cause-related projects and concerts. As a songwriter, Zarah often writes songs that have 'meaning and purpose', stressing the importance of conveying good messages.

After dropping her last name several years prior, Zarah started carrying her one and only name after her father left the family. She officially became known in the public eye as Zarah both professionally and legally.

Entrepreneurship

In early 2011, Zarah designed her very first couture gown (ZARAH Couture) she was seen wearing at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. Her evening ensemble was recently covered in a number of GRAMMY red carpet arrival articles that included Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and many other celebrity-driven news such as Life and MSN.

Zarah is the founder of a styling and branding company Straum Limited, which designs a T-shirt and hat line company GodsandGoddesses and fashioned by celebrities among others, she also founded earlier.