Eileen Flynn, Story Editor
@eileen_courant
Connecticut’s Got Talent is an exclusive talent competition held by the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk among the most exceptional individuals in the state. Junior Julia Weitz not only entered the competition, but her singing impressed the judges enough to qualify her for the finals competition along with only 15 others.
Julia’s success is also showcased through her new album “Release Yourself” which premiered this past December under the stage name “Julia Jewels”. Julia’s album was inspired by her own emotions and experiences. “I’m a very emotional person and have always been a bit shy. I really channeled that into my songs,” she said. “The album really focuses on breaking free of your own restrictions on yourself and learning to truly thrive.”
Although Julia has been singing since she can remember, her songwriting journey only started about a year ago. “I never really thought to combine my love for singing and my love for writing, but once I tried it out I realized that it really works for me,” she said.
Senior Andrew Weitz, Julia’s older brother, has watched her grow as an artist over her life and has recognized her skill from a very young age. “I first knew Julia could sing when she was eight and performed at a camp musical,” Andrew said.
The dream of being a singer was something that took Julia a while to accept. “It’s really hard to accept a dream like this because a lot of people think this dream is crazy, but I knew I had to try,” she said. “I knew that if I never tried I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”
Julia is not only a singer, but an artist as well. Advanced Studio Art teacher Kimanne Core has had Julia as a student this past semester and has been helping Julia experiment with different mediums. “ Julia is very gifted and talented,” Ms. Core said. “She is able to see beyond the photo and put her own mark in her work. She’s brilliant with bright colors and portraiture and is able to pick up on the subtleties of expression.”
Julia uses her art as another way to express herself and her emotions. “I love drawing people because I like to create their expressions. When I draw people’s faces I feel as though I can really feel what they’re feeling and understand what they’re thinking” she said.
The range of Julia’s talent promises for success in whatever she decides to pursue. “I think that she really has the innate skills to be incredibly talented in all different forms of art and expression,” Ms. Core said.
Check out the video below for a sneak peak of Julia singing one of her original songs live!
