This new record was crafted as a collection of songs centered around the topic of believing in love. In creating this record on the heels of heartbreak, Tavonna set out to compose material that she could perform as way to manifest a common dream of timeless romance. By writing out a rough literary narrative of a classic love story with a happily-ever-after ending, the songs from “The Beauty of Believing” are the soundtrack to what unfolds between two characters who fall in love. Each sequential song on the record chronicles the different stages of the relationship budding between the two characters & is part fantasy (with songs like “In This Room”, “Fit Right In”, & “Magic”), yet grounded in the reality of some of the challenges of everyday, modern relationships (with songs like “It Ain’t All About the Money” and “Where You Been?”).

As the record comes to a close , Tavonna writes in a wrench to the happily-ever-after plot with the song “Is This Really Love?” written with Nashville songwriter, Frank Maroney, accompanied by raw vocals, piano & a stellar string section. The song allows the main character a moment of vulnerabilty where she questions the authenticity of this new romance she has manifested since it doesn’t include her previous lover she still deeply cares about who, in breaking her heart, was the catalyst for her setting out on the journey to find love again in the first place.

In step with all that is classic & romantic, the entire album, was recorded to analog tape to reflect the warmth of positivity and the nostalgia of vintage Rhythm & Blues.
The record features award winning players from Grammy Award-winning, Experimental band, Snarky Puppy, Brooklyn-based flute duo Flutronix as well as Grammy Academy-recognized arrangers Omar Thomas (Dionne Warwick), William Wells (Imagine Dragons) and Avi Gunther (Snarky Puppy). 

released July 25, 2016

CREDITS
Produced by Tavonna Miller & Avi Gunther

Tracking Engineer: Avi Gunther
Tracking Engineer for Brass & Woodwind Instruments:
Diko Shoturma
Assistant Engineer at Bunker Studio: Todd Carder
Assistant Engineer at Q Divison: Joel Edinburg
Mixing Engineer: Avi Gunther
Mastering Engineer: Leon Zervos at Studio 301 in Australia

Drums, Bass, Guitar, & Piano for every song except
“Where You Been?” Tracked at
Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, NY

Additional Drums Tracked at
Wellspring Sound Studio in Acton, MA

Brass & Woodwind Instruments Tracked at
Atlantic Sound Studio in Brooklyn, NY

Strings Recording at Q Division Records in Somerville, MA
Album Printed to Analog Tapes at
The Garden in Brooklyn, NY

All Vocals except for “Where You Been?”
Tracked at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, NY

For “Where You Been?”, Drums, Bass, Guitar, & Piano
tracked at The Record Company in Boston, MA

Musicians:
Rhythm Section-
Tavonna Miller- Vocals, Piano, & Synth
Sara Cristal Pena- Bass
Maddie Rice- Guitar
Jazz Robertson- Drums

Brass & Woodwind Section-
Chris Bullock- Flugelhorn & Tenor Sax
David Gibson- Trombone
Mike “Maz” Maher- Trumpet
Allison Loggins-Hull- Flute

String Section-
Melissa Bull- Violin
Egle Jarkova- Violin
Oliver Chang- Viola
Miguel Vasquez- Cello

All Songs, except for “Fit Right In” & “Is This Really Love?”,
Written by Tavonna Miller

“Fit Right In” Written by Tavonna Miller & April Bender
(Song of Substance Publishing, BMI
& April Michele Publishing, ASCAP)

“Is This Really Love?” Written by Tavonna Miller & Frank Maroney
(Song of Substance Publishing, BMI
& Pioneer Ridge Publishing, ASCAP
& Sony/ATV Music Publishing, SESAC)

All Songs, except for “Magic”, Arranged for the rhythm section
by Tavonna Miller

All String Arrangements by Avi Gunther

Horn Arrangement for “Straight Up Poetic” by Avi Gunther

Rhythm Section Arrangement for “Magic” by William Wells

Horn Arrangement for “Magic” by William Wells

Horn Arrangements for “Deliver” & “Fit Right In” by Omar Thomas
Art Direction: Roland Le Fox
Caligraphy: Emily Weiss