Julie DiOrio
Musician | Educator | Creator
Bio
Hi! I'm Julie! I am an award winning multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, aerialist, dancer, and visual artist in Boston, Massachusetts! I work as a private music educator, Jewish cantorial soloist, and I compose original music and perform in New England and beyond. My heritage is Italian and Jewish and I have made several pilgrimages to Italy, particularly the north. While my work is not specific to the region, I have always felt a deep connection with Italy and my curiosity and creativity are often kicked into overdrive when I am there! I would be very grateful for the opportunity and challenge of writing my next album of music and creating its accompanying visual components in a location that is both new to me (southern Italy!) as well as near and dear to my heart.
THE DIRTY DOTTYS
(2012-2020)
My involvement in this project was as the songwriter for all material. I wrote the songs, created demos, and played all the parts for the band to learn. I was also the creative director for the project, planning the wardrobe, promo material, and all visual components including album art.
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New England Music Awards Winner: Last Band Standing 2015
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New England Music Awards Winner: Pop Artist of the Year 2016
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Limelight Awards Nominee 2016
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EVERFINER
(2021- )
I started this project on the heels of the pandemic in 2020. I was writing songs in my home and occasionally playing my partner (acclaimed Boston trombone player, Austin Arroco), but was seeking to create something new with others. This was a particularly vulnerable moment for me creatively as my previous project came to a close and I was ready to write about new topics and create music that had a different feel. The music at that time was largely about family, boundaries, and mental health.
As I brought other musicians into the project, I challenged myself by releasing some of the creative control. Now I write about 85% of the songs while our other incredible singer, Lizzie Greenwald, writes the rest. Other roles of mine in this project include lead + backup vocals, harmonies, guitar, and helping to arrange the songs on which I have not taken lead. I also take great pride and joy in creating the album art, and I am currently finishing up editing my first music video which will be released later this month.
VISION FOR RESIDENCY PROJECT
My vision for this residency is to create new music and visual art under the EVERFINER umbrella. As the primary songwriter for this project, as well as a multi-instrumentalist I have the great fortune to be able to not only compose the songs, but also to create their composite parts. Whereas a typical singer-songwriter may write the chords/ lyrics/ melody, I take great creative joy in writing various combinations of bass lines, groove, vocal harmony parts, and horn lines. I like to weave these together in the form of a recorded demo. This way I can "conduct" the band during the creation process. Then at the conclusion of each composition I am left with a demo that I send to the band. It is a beautiful process to then watch as my original intentions in the demo are taken by each talented band member and blossom into something that is truly more than the sum of its parts.
As a person working with mild neurodivergence, I find that it can be a superpower to stay hyper focussed on a project in flow state for hours on end. It is important focus on creating the song in a location that is simultaneously free from distraction as well as sensorily inspiring. I believe that this residency in Roseto Valfortore would be just that!
Earlier in month, May 9, 2025, the band released an EP including 5 songs, this year we added a horn section, and will be releasing a music video. As my teaching seasons comes to a close for the summer, I would like to use this time to focus on creating some brand new songs, visual art, and possibly a music video.
I have written a couple of new songs for this next body of work. These songs defy genre, but I would like to work on making them more cohesive and discovering how they fit into the EVERFINER universe. I would like to create the full instrumentation, create demos of each song, and uncover their true flavors. I hope to complete the two songs that are already written as well as create as least 2-3 more during this residency, which would be enough for another EP.
My intention is to also create a multi-media framework for visual components that will become the album art, promotional materials, and possibly video. I will use my skills in watercolor painting, photography, collage, and digital design.
The two songs that are already in the works right now are demoed below. "Nothing To Do With You" is explores the concept of trauma. Trauma is stigmatized to mean something massively impactful and horrific, but this song boils it down to simply acknowledging that even something from the past that had seemed relatively insignificant can be brought back up in a disruptive way by a similar event in the present. The lyrics navigate shame around this as well as neutral acceptance. I have started to flesh this one out in the form of a demo, but am hoping to re-work this demo to fit the energy and new instrumentation of the band better.
"Plane Emissions, " still in the acoustic phase, is about genuine communication, meeting expectations, as well as navigating climate change in an age of travel and the drive to explore.
Availability
July 28- Aug 20, 2025
Ideally I would love to stay 7-10 days total within the above dates! Because I have shows on either end of this time period and would love to travel a little bit beyond this residency, slightly less than 2 weeks would be wonderful. A short period of focussed time would be a fantastic way to create this project.
