Bio

julia-barry-songwriter-composer-musicianJulia Barry composes songs and scores for the stage and film/TV.

She is a composer and bookwriter at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Songwriting and Librettist Workshops, and a recent recipient of grants from the NY Women Composers Foundation, Puffin West Foundation, The Pollination Project, and the Brooklyn Arts Council for her empathy-building arts project, “Habitat: Home.

She is active in the NY arts scene, performing with groups from rock bands to classical choirs, and taking part in programs like the New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio and Art-a-Hack which emphasize community, collaboration, and creative vibrance. She has been accepted to numerous artist residencies across the country including Chalk Hill, Brush Creek, and VCCA, and enjoys partnering on new projects with groups such as the New York City Master Chorale and KC VITAs. She is dedicated to highlighting diverse voices as she collaborates with artists and organizations nationwide. She has been an Advisor for The Pollination Project and Board Member at Threshold podcast.

Barry found her love of creativity through music at an early age, improvising songs on piano and constantly singing around the house. She began formal study of piano (inspired by her older sister’s lessons) and joined a children’s choir during grade school, beginning to write more seriously as she got older. She studied music, poetry, and women’s media studies at Sarah Lawrence College, and went on to get her Masters Degree in Interactive Media at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Her last EP, Just the Dear Ones, was co-produced with David Steinberg (Grey) and supported Music and Memory, a foundation for fighting Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia with the power of music. Her 2010 album, Once, or Twice, was acclaimed as “soulful, jazzy and deep” (Independent Music Scene), “poetic and haunting” (This Is Real Music), and “lush, rich…enigmatic” (Harmony Avenue).

Barry is also a designer for progressive causes and is passionate about the power of media and the arts to promote community, culture, and activism. Through UpRoot Design Studio, she uses illustration and green product design to inspire joyful sustainable living, and via Julia Barry Productions, she provides music and digital services for artists, educators, advocates, wellness practitioners, non-profit groups, and anyone putting goodness into the world.

Julia Barry is a member of ASCAP, AWFC, IAWM, NYWC, Maestra, SCI, and The Freelancers Union.