Eastman School of Music and New York University graduate Julia Vari graced Crowell Hall with her bubbly personality and soothing voice on Oct. 4.
passion for harmony in diversity
As a Latin-American woman, Vari expressed her passion for harmony in diversity through the various styles and languages in which she performed her music.
Vari’s on-stage presence drew the audience closer emotionally, as she sang in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Hebrew. Vari’s confidence shone through her talents and ability to sing in multiple languages, appealing to diverse audiences.
Some songs featured in Wednesday’s concert include covers such as “Besame Mucho” by Consuelo Velázquez and “Chorshat Ha’ekaliptus” by Naomi Shemer, as well as originals like “Once Again I Begin.”
“Once Again I Begin” expressed Vari’s feelings about being turned down from her audition for being an actress. The piano melody strongly exemplified her pain and disappointment, while the lyrics themselves showed that the experience made her stronger and gave her a chance to pursue a different path.
Vari’s musical experience began at a young age growing up in Mexico, due to her parents being musicians.
“My mom is a pianist and my dad is a guitar player,” Vari said. “I was raised in a musical environment. I was playing the piano since I was two, so it was kind of like I had no choice.”
Music always inspired Vari because of how often it surrounded her, so cultivating her talents to pursue a professional career seemed inevitable to her.
“I was always inspired by music, it was always my passion,” Vari said. “I never really wanted to do anything else.”
Even though her vision of the future focused solely on music, Vari had moments that made her question her path.
“At one point in my life I was like, ‘What would it be like to do something else?’ so I studied psychology, and I did communications,” Vari said. “But then I thought, you can’t just leave music. Once it’s [in your heart] that’s it.”
Ya like Jazz?
Vari has been performing in front of audiences her whole life because of her background with musical theater as well as piano recitals as a child, but during the past several years she found herself performing more often as a solo artist.
Being a solo artist and songwriter, Vari has released multiple albums, including “Lumea” and “Adoro,” which have made the “Top Five” jazz-world music charts in Latin American music stores, where she is very well-known.
Vari is currently working on preparing her album, “Borderless,” which will be available in hard copy, and on iTunes and Spotify.
Even though she writes most of her music herself, Vari’s previous albums contain covers of popular songs. Her fans can expect to hear her own work in “Borderless.”
Vari strongly believes that in order to pursue a career in music and grow as a musician, aspiring artists must network themselves by spending as much time with other musicians as possible.
“Go to as many jams as you can,” Vari said. “Even if you can’t play in them, go to just listen. Just network. That’s the most important thing you can do.”
