As we all know from Nurse Kelley we lost a Kossack this weekend. There are so many of us that it is sometimes hard to keep track of everyone. But in Julie Waters case you most likely have read her posts. Posts that were as interesting and diverse as Julie was herself. In her short time here she was able to grasp the full meaning of the experience called life and worked hard to share with others her great talents. I'm sure I missed something so feel free to share in the comments your favorite part of Julie Waters nee Julie Wolf.
Musician:
Humanitarian:
Puzzle Maker
Geek
Photagrapher
Artist
Music Media
And Kossack also Julie Wolf Profile
Biography:
Julie learned how to read music at an early age, but didn't learn to understand what music really was until much later in life. Guitar was not an easy process for her, having short fingers and no natural sense of melody or rhythm. It was through years of difficult practice and effort that she became the musician she is today.
Conservatory training, and an interest in music from around the world pushed Julie to learn classical guitar, as well as latin, flamenco and jazz styles, studying ancient modal music along the way.
Diagnosed with diabetes in the 1990's, Julie Waters discovered that a nasty side effect is brittle fingernails which break easily, making it difficult to maintain the necessary nail strength to play the quality of classical guitar she'd learned as a student. This left her with a choice: adapt or give up the guitar. As with most things in Julie's life, giving up was not an option. She picked up a flatpick and redeveloped her right hand technique from scratch.
julie waters She expanded her guitar studies to include blues, rock, folk, bluegrass and new age, learning techniques from bass guitar, banjo, bass guitar, baritone guitar, mandolin, tiple and mountain dulcimer along the way. The result is nothing short of extraordinary: virtuoso performance which utilizes a blend of instruments, techniques and influences to create a truly unique sound.
Julie is a folk artist in the truest tradition, weaving stories, motion and rhythm, creating lyrical poetry through the strings of her guitar. This is more than simply a creative approach to music. This is performance which turns on a dime, first evoking ancient modal melodies, and then suddenly sliding into a rock and roll beat which takes you straight into the 21st century.
Share in the comments your thoughts and memories of Julie Waters.