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“Every time I hear her (Julie Kinscheck) sing, she moves my heart!”- Gail Scott-Key, TV Announcer.
Dear MySpace Surfer!
Singing and writing songs about things that matter to me is my passion! I have just released my debut solo artist CD entitled: Grace With Jazz On Top. I hope you buy it and LOVE it! See also: www.julieksings.com
As for genre- I am hard to peg- you decide. A sizzle of jazz with folk roots upon a warm bed of country, well seasoned with God and spiced with just enough humor to allow the messages to get through to your heart!
Born in the college town of Ithaca, NY to a radical minister and a feminist poetry teacher turned suicide prevention counselor; exposed to the craziness of the 70's on a commune in the country, yet very loved and cared for... I had an interesting start- lending lots of fuel to my beginning songwriting career. I began writing and performing my own songs at age 9! I played a folky mix at churches and school talent shows; I even wrote a musical theatre production which was put on by my girl scout troop! . The commune was on a beautiful farm surrounded by wildflower fields and apple orchards- maybe that's where the country comes from in some of my songs.
My Dad had a gorgeous baritone voice which he used in local operas; Mom wrote stunning poetry and my brothers Chris and Gary played bass and drums in a popular local rock/funk band Crossroads- it was no surprise I went into music.
After singing with the folk group, Rye Bread, and completing high school, I took off for a street tour of Europe. I supported the trip by playing Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Beatles' songs in public squares and pedestrian zones from Rome to London. I even almost got picked up for a rock-n-roll deal by X-ABBA producer Richard Gillison in London... the first of many "ALMOST's" making it to the big time in my career!
So I am in independent artist, breaking the stereotypes and going after it with all my heart. Did I ask you to check out my new CD yet?
I spent a couple years getting traditional music training and my liberal arts education at Oberlin College in Ohio. Then I transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston for jazz. I LOVED Boston! I Loved Berklee- and I LOVE to SCAT sing! You'll hear it peppered throughout my new release. That’s why a fan called me “The Queen of SCAT”!
I graduated Berklee Cum Laude with the Cleo Laine Jazz Vocal Award and big dreams! I launched an 80’s cover band called Centerpiece; We played a lot of Gloria Estefan, Madonna and Bette Midler etc. I was pushing my originals on the side, going to NY a lot and working my tail off!
But after a while I started to get bitter about the music industry. I felt alone and discouraed. I was now tough, hard and had an absolutely psycho boyfriend! Then I got my first flair up of vocal nodes. I had to start canceling gigs and eventually my band fell apart. I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me after all my years of training. I was terrified my career was over! I eventually had surgery, learning valuable lessons about vocal health that I now pass on to all my private vocal students!
Another way to look at it all was that God made me stop and pay attention. He does that sometimes! The collapse of Centerpiece and my vocal troubles, combined with some other personal factors, led to an awakening of my Christian faith. God, promising to prosper me (Jer 29:11-14) gave me some new and exciting opportunities. I was chosen one of the best unsigned songwriters in 1991 by the National Academy of Songwriters in NYC! I got to sing in front of many industry professionals at the Loan Star Road House in Manhattan! But as the fired up new Christian I was, I shared my faith from the stage- I don't think that my boldness for Christ went over very well for my career at the time - but I'm sure God was pleased!
Since that time I've had the chance to play as a featured artist at some of Boston's best venues from the Fleet Center to the Hatch Shell to the Wang Center and countless clubs and coffee houses... I released a Christian rock for kids CD; The Force (www.ptbtheforce.com) with the band: PTB in 2006 (all songs co-written with my talented husband Ralph Kinscheck) and had the honor of singing on TV with Bobby McFerrin with my old A cappella/ Gospel/ Jazz group Faith in Actiion culminating in a live CD (www.fia-boston.com) also in 2006 - but I never had a finished project as a solo artist... until now!
My new CD breaks genre boundaries down combining influences from country, jazz, folk-rock and my faith... but it's heartfelt, good songs with a great cast of musicians! This was also produced by my husband Ralph- and cheered on by my twins every step of the way! Grace With Jazz On Top is from my heart. There is even a song: “Precious” which chronicles both the anguish and the gratefulness of infertility and eventual twins! Another one: “American Memory” was written on September 12th, 2001… full of the intense emotion, powerful gratitude and deep loss. Even my conversion story comes to life set to tenor banjo, Clarinet and jazz violin, with a gospel choir thrown in “Get in the Water”!
And by the way- have you ever met a woman who broke through the ranks of the music business to success at my age? Me neither- so I guess I'll have to be the first! Never give up your dreams!
Love,
Julie
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life”- Proverbs 13:2
“Your revelation is the tune I dance to” - Psalm 119:17 (the Message)
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