My Passion With Julia McInally

Singing and music have been my passion for as long as I can remember. My dad recalls pushing me down Blackpool promenade in my pram with me singing Bye, Bye Baby by the Bay City Rollers as loud as my little lungs would allow.

I was in the choir at school. I used to sing along to pop songs round the ‘record player’ with friends at home and I was always performing for my grandma and granddad in their lounge on Sunday afternoons. They would record me on an old-style cassette player and my mum still has the tapes – she often gets them out at Christmas to play to friends and watch me die of embarrassment.

I grew up listening mainly to folk music. My mum, Chrissy Waldron, ran a Rochdale folk club when I was younger and we often invited guests to stay with us, who were touring the UK. Mum bought me my first classical guitar for my eighth birthday and her many musical friends then taught me to play. I think they just wanted to get rid of me – as soon as they taught me a new chord or strumming pattern I’d disappear to my bedroom for hours until I’d mastered it.

I remember appearing at my mum’s club for the first time when I was 11– I sang my own take on James Taylor’s You’ve Got A Friend. I got a great reaction from the audience and from then on I was a performance addict. I learnt a new song every week to share at the folk club.

When I was about twenty, I started writing my own songs. I’m not a prolific songwriter as I only write songs that really matter to me. My songs are very personal and usually focus on love, laughter and loss. It still astounds me to see strangers crying at some of my lyrics. That’s also what keeps me focused on being genuine and keeping my songs close to me. Since moving to South Yorkshire 12 years ago, I’ve been performing as a solo artist.

One highlight was appearing at Sheffield City Hall in 2010 supporting Boy on a Dolphin in front of 2,000 people. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the ‘Hello, Sheffield’ moment and the fantastic applause.

It was a truly momentous evening as I also met my future partner, Rob Dickinson, backstage. He’s a fantastic musician and I’ve roped him into being my musical partner too! Luckily for me I don’t have to leave my passion at home when I go to work. Cornerstones produce curriculum planning resources for primary schools and I input practical ideas for the musical element of every learning project we produce. I love helping to incorporate music and creativity into the classroom.

I’m also recording my first album at Club 60 studios in Sheffield with Paul Blakeman. The album preview is booked for February 28 at the Greystones pub in Sheffield. I can’t wait.