I'm Zara, stage name: "Chasing Leaves," and I am a singer, songwriter and musician. In reality, I am still in the early stages of my career but I am already gaining traction within the music industry e.g. I have recently undertaken some larger stage live performances, and some of my original songs have already been aired on local radio e.g. ForestFM and BBC Introducing (Solent)
Highlights of 2025 include: -
My first outdoor festival performance (CrownFest).
Performing a set at the 'Into the Jungle' concert, staged at the Old Fire Station (Bournemouth).
Performing a set the 'Live and Unheard' concert, staged at the Lighthouse theatre (Poole).
Building up a catalogue of original songs (I hope to release an album in 2026), and I have been nominated for an Original Music Award 2025 (the award winners will be announced at the award ceremony in January 2026).
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the people who organise, promote and run the events mentioned above, and the many specialist sound and lighting technicians and logistical staff, who make these events work like a well-oiled machine.
Note: I would also like to give a big shout-out to both the hosts, and the venues, that run OpenMic events. They offer an opportunity for people like myself to get out of our bedrooms and home-studios, to practice and hone their performing skills. The support from the hosts, singers, musicians and audiences, has been truly amazing.
What's next?
For me, my aspiration to become a professional singer, songwriter and musician, is not just a whimsical and unrealistic pipe dream. In fact, it is more of a natural progression from when I first began piano lessons at the age of six. I enjoyed learning how to play the piano and over the years, I have simply enhanced the enjoyment by adding other instruments, singing, music recording and song writing. All of this has led to my most favourite aspect of music... "entertaining people by performing live"! Therefore, becoming a professional musician is just my way of extending the enjoyment for a significanlty longer period... maybe a lifetime.
Being realistic, I don't really know what my future truly holds... "all I can do is work hard, seek out opportunities, and try my very best to enjoy every aspect of the journey"!
Why Chasing Leaves?
Like most young kids, I really enjoyed larking around with my friends and on a windy day in Autumn, running around the playground chasing leaves was brilliant fun. On the face of it, this may appear to be a pointless and chaotic form of entertainment but in reality, it's an activity that is dynamic, energetic, exciting, noisy and *relatively harmless. However, it is an activity that makes young kids happy... and happy is good!
*relatively harmless - Ok, so there will be a few falls, scuffs, scrapes, bruises, crying, and the occasional holes in trousers.
Personally, I want to capture some of the spirit of chasing leaves in my music, hence the name, and I too want to generate happiness... but now that I have grown up a bit, I want this happiness to be for people of all ages.
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