Interview by the SPEED Editorial Staff
Twenty-three year-old Julianne Tarroja sings sweet music and when we first heard her, we must admit her engaging voice cast a spell on us all. After winning the grand prize at the Nescaf? Dewired acoustic competition in 2003 and being nominated for "Best New Group" (with Cruxada where she was the vocalist) in the 18th Awit Awards, Julz is slowly but surely making a name for herself in the music scene - and what's admirable is that she's doing it her way, without selling out and by staying true to herself.
Who is Julianne Tarroja?
I'm an only daughter to Philip and Rica Tarroja, a sister to two talented younger brothers, Christopher and Immanuel, a child of God who happens to be an artist/musician.
I took up Interior Design in college at the Philippine School of Interior Design, but
I have one year left to finish. I'm currently not enrolled because it's hard to balance time with me pursuing my music career at the moment. But I plan to finish it in the near future.
What are you busy with at the moment?
Right now I'm busy cultivating my craft, writing more songs, recording slowly but surely, self-producing my songs. In a nutshell, I'm laying down the foundations, making sure I'm not building my career on sand but on rocks. I'm also busy doing gigs/show around the metro.
What's a typical day for you like?
A typical day for me would be sleeping during the day because I come home pretty late from gigs in the evening. I usually spend the afternoon at home with my family or out with friends, go to the gym, then off to a gig at night.
How did you get started in music?
My dad was the first one who influenced me with music. He was a musician himself, singer, songwriter. He taught me how to play the guitar and piano. So I grew up with music as part of the family. That helped me really develop a passion for music. Ever since I was a kid, all I could imagine myself doing when I grow up was to be onstage performing. So when the opportunity presented itself for a professional career, I immediately grabbed it. I started out singing in church, in the choir, and I played guitar for the band too. I still do.
My professional music career started three years ago with a group of friends from church. We formed a band, Soul'em, a four-piece acoustic group. I was the vocalist together with another girl, Telay. We did gigs around the metro. From Soul'em, I branched out to Cruxada, an acoustic duo. We joined the Nescaf? Dewired competition and bagged the grand prize. That opened a lot of doors for me. Our first record deal was with Vicor; it was a compilation album for the competition. As a result, the list of contacts and connections got longer and a lot of those benefits I am still reaping until now.
Eventually the tides turned, and with a huge leap of faith, I decided to go "solo." In the whole process of things, I was given the privilege to work with a lot of well known artists in the music industry. I've done a lot of stuff from being backup vocals to playing session guitars. I've collaborated with song writing and just making music with a lot of independent artists as well. All of these experiences inspired me more to excel in my craft. It fueled my passion all the more to pursue music.
What kind of music are you into?
I like all kinds of music, from classical to hard rock. Being able to appreciate all genres of music is important for my growth as an artist. There's always something new to learn. And nowadays there are no rules when it comes to music, genres are fusing with other genres, there's always a new kind of music being created everyday. I grew up listening to the Beatles, Frank Sinatra? Some of the artists who inspired my music to what it is now are Jewel, India Arie, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, D'sound. I would classify my kind of music as "neo-soul."
