On this episode of Artistry with Heart, I sit down with multi-platinum artist and entrepreneur Tamar Kaprelian, co-writer of Rosa Linn's global smash "SNAP" (4 billion streams and counting) and founder of Nvak Collective, a record label built from the ground up to give musicians a better way forward in the industry.
Tamar takes us inside her early years signed to RCA under Clive Davis, who declared her entire catalog not good enough sparking a full year of rewriting alongside hitmakers like Max Martin, Kara DioGuardi, and Chantal Kreviazuk. She opens up about being dropped, not once but twice, over inappropriate A&R dynamics the industry around her failed to address, and how those painful experiences became the blueprint for a different way of doing business.
We talk about what it took to build Nvak Collective, a label with a 90% female staff, a zero-tolerance policy, artist-care stipends covering everything from therapy to rent, and license-based deals that put ownership back in artists' hands.
Tamar shares the story of discovering Rosa Linn in a small Armenian village and nurturing "Snap" from a back-burner song to a global phenomenon, proof that patient, artist-first development works.
She also reflects on the legacy of her grandfather, an Armenian genocide survivor who built a life from nothing, and how becoming a mother recalibrated everything about how she leads.
We close the conversation with her new song "Mirror" - a reflection on accountability, and what it really means to look inward before pointing fingers outward.
If you are a musician that needs resources in the music industry, reach out to Tamar, founder of the Nvak Collective, on her Insta: @tamarkaprelian and tell them Stephanie from Artistry with Heart sent you!
Also, please reach out if you'd like more information on Artistry with Heart's online musicians wellness course, running now! If you send me a message at artistrywithheart1@gmail.com, I'd happy share the recorded first section- includes body mapping for musicians, holistic wellness, performance psychology and more. Just let me know, we got your back!
I'd also just love to hear from you if anything stood out or was meaningful. Drop me a line at artistrywithheart1@gmail.com .
Be you and stay inspired!
