As a young girl listening to her mother play classical piano at home, Julia Belanoff fell in love with the music of Beethoven, Bach and Chopin, while simultaneously enjoying more modern artists as diverse as Madonna, Taylor Swift, Judy Garland and Nat King Cole. Now, the 16-year-old Bay Area actress and soprano has released "Goodnight San Francisco," the first single from "Winner In Your Heart," her upcoming album of original songs, each a unique hybrid of classical and contemporary styles, performed with an angelic voice that soars, while it soothes.
"It's classical-pop," she said. "Some songs on the album have an operatic feel, but they are more introspective than that. It's the kind of music that a grandmother can listen to with her grandchildren. This is soul music that touches everyone."
Belanoff describes "Goodnight San Francisco" as a love song to the City by the Bay, as well as an ode to merely being in love. Backed by lush orchestral music, she sings, sweetly and slowly: "Windy streets where we meet, free to be you and me, summer chills on the hills, fog's embrace, wind in my face, San Francisco, where so many dreamers go, love of all kinds, people all with beautiful minds."
Ironically, the inspiration for "Goodnight San Francisco" began 2,900 miles away, while Belanoff was enrolled in a summer program at Columbia University in New York. Late one hot, humid night, feeling homesick, she lay awake, pondering the things she missed about her hometown.
"I thought about how cool and nice it is in San Francisco, even during the summer," she said. "New York is where I will probably eventually live, but I will always consider the Bay Area my home."
A straight-A high school junior, Belanoff divides her time among studying, writing, rehearsing and performing. An accomplished actress, she first appeared on television at age 4, as an extra on ABC's "What About Joan," which starred Joan Cusak. Belanoff has since co-starred in many stage productions with some of the Bay Area's most prestigious theatre companies: San Francisco Playhouse, Coastal Repertory Theatre, Stagedoor Manor and others. Soon, she will co-star as the pathologically shy Tillie in
Paul Zindel's "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," which is scheduled to run November 11-December 4 at Custom Made Theatre Company.
But it is music about which Belanoff is most passionate. Not the frenetic, techno-pop dance tunes most often associated with performers her age, but lovely, lingering ballads with insightful lyrics that paint vivid pictures in the listener's mind. Her upcoming album was produced in Los Angeles by Max DiCarlo. Although known for his work with such pop artists as
Elton John,
Donna Summer and the two-time Grammy-nominated Latin group RBD, DiCarlo is a classically trained musician and composer, equally adept in all musical genres.
"Max DiCarlo has an amazing gift for producing exquisite melodies out of nowhere," Belanoff said. "He has taught me about embracing my own musical style. I love writing songs with him. He's from Italy, so we take a lot of European breaks while working in the studio, where we just talk about art and music, and really connect with each other."
With the self-confidence needed to succeed in a difficult business, Belanoff remains humble, grounded with a sense of positive values imbued by her parents. In spite of her accomplishments, which include several awards for music and acting, her ambitions have as much to do with helping others as they do with any drive she might have to achieve commercial success. "Goodnight San Francisco," she hopes, is a step in that direction.
"Right now, people are going through very sad times, and they need something that is sweet and will touch them," she said. "My music is about melody, not drumbeat. It is based on simplicity and beauty."
"Goodnight San Francisco" is now available on iTunes. The album, "Winner In Your Heart," is scheduled to be released in January, 2012. More information about Julia Belanoff is available at
www.JuliaBelanoff.com.
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