Two years into moving to Los Angeles, married with one child and another to come, Ed Tar had just quit his steady job to become an Independent producer of corporate films and live shows. And the phone wasn't ringing. Such was the first rocky step in the remarkable journey detailed in these pages, a journey that, much like two musical cords finding harmony, chronicles the professional and the personal, the creative and the technical, the intimate and the inspirational. With his wife, Pat, also forging her own path in Hollywood, Tar went about building his business one hard-won handshake at a time. Together, they weathered the inevitable difficulties of balancing life, family and work -- particularly trying when work was hardly the typical 9-to-5 -- while availing themselves of not just career opportunities but soul-filling experiences, whether white-knuckling up a rock-face, summiting a mountain, or running multiple marathons. Many fear stepping boldly toward what they truly want in life. Can I pursue my path, they might ask, and still be a good parent or spouse? Should I even be a parent? Can I still enjoy life, when faced with the uncertainty of working for myself? How will I face unforeseen challenges? What if I fail? Tar's story serves as a rebuttal to these fears, as well as a reminder that life can be our own epic story -- if only we open the curtain, run the music, and stride with confidence onto the stage that awaits us.