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Julia Shuren

NYU Steinhardt Songwriting Scholar Award, 2021

Just a few years into her musical journey, Julia Shuren has already made quite a mark. As a singer, songwriter, and pianist, she:
  • caught the attention of legendary Motown arranger/songwriter Paul Riser, and developed a mentorship
  • has been featured on PBS Television and CBC News for songwriting achievements
  • wrote instrumental compositions for iHeart Media podcast “Hitman” which reached #1 on Apple Podcasts
  • was chosen to attend the Buddy Holly Songwriting Retreat in Lubbock Texas 
  • accompanied GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Alessia Cara on piano 
Julia’s musical instincts kicked in at the age of seven, learning to play the piano by ear, and composing instrumental jazz. Growing up she was heavily involved in competitive sports, and songwriting came into play only about three years ago.
 
As a business major at Rollins College, she took a songwriting class as an elective and from there everything clicked. With a limited background in music theory, she attended the Detroit Institute of Music Education for two years, and from there she decided to take her education further. Attending NYU Steinhardt for a Master’s in Music Theory & Composition is a dream come true for her. 
 
Her musical inspiration covers a diverse range, including, Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin, and Joni Mitchell to name a few. As a firm believer in breaking the boundaries of musical genres, she proves to do exactly that in her unique cross-genre blend. Her layered background vocal arrangements, complex chord progressions, and soaring melodies, immerse you in the raw emotion and authenticity of her art.
 
Currently, Julia is working on her debut EP which will be released in the summer of 2021. She is regularly co-writing and toplining with other artists and producers, and has teamed up with Italian producer duo “WAMI” for multiple upcoming projects.
 
“The creative process entails a great deal of rawness, authenticity and just pure freedom…from there everything else becomes second nature. For my next project, I’m about to go beyond all boundaries musically and lyrically, I can’t wait for the world to hear what’s coming next…”