jillian goldin

Jillian Goldin’s music, both earthy and ethereal, reflects the awe and passion of timeless nature.  Its soul-touching alchemy has attracted attention and award-winning acclaim, deriving from her talent both as a classically trained vocalist and burgeoning songwriter.  In Jillian’s debut album, Origins, new age and contemporary world music meld to create lush and inventive sounds unique to her, heralding the arrival of a vibrant new artist.

Hailing from Boston, Jillian began singing in her father’s home studio at the age of six.  She recalls with a laugh, “He had me record a song about saving the rainforests!”  But her love of music was sparked, and she soon committed her life to the field.  Developing herself first as a vocalist and performer, Jillian graduated with honors from the prestigious Peabody Conservatory of Music, winning the George Castelle Memorial Award in voice.

But a wandering eye led Jillian to the arena of computer music, and she began to supplement her classical studies with compositional ones in the form of video game music.  Actively participating as an arranger, podcaster, and submissions evaluator at OverClocked ReMix (an online community dedicated to the genre), Jillian’s music began to garner an impressive fan base eager to hear her original work.  In 2007, she even performed on the popular video game Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword.  “Those who first found me through my video game arrangements have been so supportive,” she says appreciatively.  “The community is largely what drove me to start writing original music.”

It also drove her right into the hands of zircon (Andrew Aversa) – fellow remixer, composer, and producer of electronic music.  The highly lauded artist quickly became Jillian’s frequent collaborator, and has since served as her engineer and assistant-producer on Origins.  From the first few notes, Jillian’s debut album is her singular vision of where new age music can, and should, go.  Relying upon her stunning voice and lyrics not only as the soaring lead, but also an amalgam of other backing instruments, the result is a texture that envelops the listener in her warm sound.

Much of the material on Origins is nature-themed, reflecting Jillian’s longtime love and concern for the environment.  The album itself was released on Earth Day 2008 in conjunction with a fundraiser for The Nature Conservancy’s Plant A Billion Trees campaign.  “My parents instilled those beliefs in me starting with the rainforest song,” Jillian notes, “and now that I have released my own music, I feel empowered to actually make a difference.”  Aversa is similarly concerned with social causes. Two of the duo’s collaboration tracks, “Red July” and “Shadows”, deal with issues of war and homelessness – smartly and passionately displaying the artists’ mutual commitment.

Already, the reception of Jillian’s Origins has been overwhelmingly positive.  In March, “Hajime” won the $5,000 Grand Prize awarded by OurStage.com, triumphing over twenty thousand other song submissions.  The same track received Radio Mystic’s Best of 2007 award, third place in the Indie International Songwriting Contest, and both “Red July” and “Avalon” have since won the OurStage.com New Age/World Prize.

Jillian Goldin is a rare artist whose talent matches her passion.  Committed to impacting listeners with her music, she is set to be both a critical and popular favorite, redefining what people think of the classification “new age.”  With Origins, that mix of irresistible talent and passion is on display, and Jillian leaves little doubt that she is an artist people will be hearing for years to come.

(Origins is now available through the music page here, as well as CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, and other major distributors.)