Emsworth singer-songwriter lets the spirit soar

Emsworth singer-songwriter Julie-Anne Shapiro – whose music name is Julie-Anne Grace – is working up to an album release, a recording which puts the emphasis on healing.
By Phil Hewitt
Published 23rd Feb 2023, 08:05 BST
Julie-Anne Shapiro - pic by Bob DoyleJulie-Anne Shapiro - pic by Bob Doyle
Julie-Anne Shapiro - pic by Bob Doyle

The first single was released on January 20; the second was on February 14; the third will be on March 8; and the album release will be April 14 with a performance/launch on April 23.

Julie-Anne, an abuse/trauma therapist, says she is here to tell you that there is hope after despair and love after pain. As a musician and a therapist/coach, she aims to “empower women to rise above their situation and let their spirits fly free through the power of song.”

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“I write songs about my own experiences and healing journey from abuse to give hope and inspiration to others suffering. My latest album is a celebration of the human spirit and how we cannot just survive abuse but can live our dreams with the love we deserve.

The album is entitled She Sings, She Soars: “Following my enormously successful debut, Met By Grace, this ten-track collection traverses the worlds of pop, contemporary jazz, melodic spiritual beat, and elegant piano arrangements which when wrapped up in the bow of lounge music delivers an aural experience like no other.

“Originally from the valleys of Wales, I have been travelling the globe to find the answers to overcome the challenges so many women face in the modern world. Having suffered abuse and coming through to the other side, I have devoted myself to using my experiences and healing journey to provide hope and inspiration to others.

“She Sings, She Soars represents that nomadic journey to find myself again and set my soul free. It is the music that reveals the truth of my story, my joy in the present and my path to the future. That voyage of self-discovery started on the Indonesian island of Bali and I pay tribute to that cleansing experience with a track of the same name.

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“Despite the subject matter, my songs are full of cascading beauty and rich textures that get to the very essence of the soul. Stripped back tracks like Your Life Has A Special Meaning sit perfectly alongside the more up-tempo, Dance To Each Others Beat which was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. She Sings, She Soars is just a mere stepping stone on the waters which cast their translucent healing ripples to my audience.

“(The album) exudes empathy and a way forward for women to discover their inner spirit and love themselves again. It provides a sounding board to escape the trauma of the past, to evolve from their experiences to grow and live the life they were born for.

“With my experiences of abuse and having travelled and lived around the world extensively, I love to create relatedness with humanity. I feel I am now doing what I was born to do – producing music that soars into the souls of those who listen. Music that touches the hearts of those who need it most and are moved by a lyric or melody that lets them know they are not alone and they too can heal and be free.”

julie-annegrace.com

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Related topics:EmsworthWalesBlack Lives Matter