We were lucky to catch up with Julia Calvin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Julia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I was 7 years old, I told my parents I wanted to play the piano. I don’t remember that moment, but they tell me it happened. I was enrolled in a classical music program from my hometown in Turrialba, Costa Rica called the “Etapa Básica de Música.” By the time I was 11, I realized I could be a musician professionally, and I thought I might want to be a concert pianist.

The summer after my freshman year of high school, I received a scholarship to attend the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer camp as a piano major. There were a series of concerts throughout the summer, and I got free tickets to see a band I’d never heard of before – Five for Fighting. Halfway through the show, the singer introduced a song that he wrote for his daughter, and by the time it was over, I had full-on tears streaming down my face. I can’t even remember which song it was now, but I remember being so touched by it that I went to bed that night thinking “That is how I want to connect with people.” That’s the year I started writing songs, and the year I knew I’d found something I wanted to pursue.

Julia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a Costa Rican/American singer-songwriter. My music includes a combination of organic instrumentation, Latin rhythmic influences, and alt-pop/hyperpop influences. I write songs in English, Spanish, and ‘Spanglish.’ I love pop music hooks and thought-out lyricism, and I try to reflect that in my writing.

In 2019, I won BMI Foundation’s Peermusic Latin Scholarship Award for my song “Mi Amor.” Later that year, my song “Lilac Lullabies” won Best Song category in the September 2019 Florence Film Awards, for the short film ‘Lighthouse.’ These wins were proud moments for me, and a boost of motivation to keep going down this path.

After a couple of years of working on my artist project in the midst of the quarantine, I released my debut single “Getting Stoned,” on September 9th! I’m beyond excited to finally begin the journey of sharing my music with whomever wants to listen. Writing has always been a therapeutic process for me, and I hope to be able to connect with people who share similar experiences, so that we can connect through music and grow together as people.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is creating something that feels deeply personal, and having someone else relate to what you are trying to communicate. Whether your experiences are similar, or they’ve taken that piece of art and interpreted it in a different way than you intended, a connection was formed, and two people felt a little more understood in the process, and that is beautiful.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There is no right answer.

I’ve always been a pretty good student (at least a good music student). I liked being able to control the outcome of a situation as much as possible. Want to do well on the recital? Make sure you practice, practice, practice! However, there is no one-way to approach a career as a singer-songwriter. You can try to write with as many people as possible, until eventually you find yourself in your dream writer’s rooms. You can pitch your music for synch placements on TV shows, and hope to find an audience that way. You can spend a bulk of your time growing your social media and get a following there. You can pursue label deals and publishing deals, or be an indie artist/writer, etc.

I’ve heard industry professionals say that social media numbers matter more than anything, and I’ve heard other equally-qualified professionals say the opposite. At the end of the day, you have to figure out what your strengths are and make a path that works for you. Once you’ve jumped in and tried something, you can adapt and continue from there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juliacalvin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliacalvinmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliacalvinmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/juliacalvin
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliacalvinmusic