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We are celebrating our tenth anniversary in 2006 at EarthStar! It has been a great journey, and I am grateful for the many friends, family, musicians, retailers that have embraced our music and made us part of their lives. My latest album, As Far As the Heart Can See celebrates my love of the land, especially the tallgrass prairies of Kansas. When I travel across plains, the feelings and emotions of my life at the time seem to blend with the beauty of the land. The title song expresses this. As Far As the Heart Can See 

For those new to the website, I will tell a little about how EarthStar and the music began. I am definitely a romantic, and I have always loved the stars and music. Astronomy is my hobby. I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but now I live in Topeka. Something as simple as night and day inspired my first two albums of my original songs: One Starry Night and The Kiss of the Sun.

As for my album One Starry Night, it all began one starry night the summer of 1996. Jupiter was in Sagittarius. Cygnus, the Swan, was making his never-ending journey down the Milky Way, and the Summer Triangle sparkled overhead. Antares, the heart of the Scorpion, blinked fiery -red, and the Perseid Meteors softly showered the pre-dawn sky. The crystal-clear skies of that rare summer held black velvet nights of diamond-studded splendor that slowly turned towards autumn. And·song by song the music came.

The pieces for Starry Night were written at a very exhilarating time in my life. Meridian Crossing, shows how I felt then, like crossing over the very top of a star-filled sky! I believe the creative energy of the universe is within us all, and I like to think we each have a special star that reflects back to us when we let our light shine. That was the inspiration behind the piece, Starpool. Walk With the Moon is about how we walk with the order and harmony of seasons, planets and constellations during our lifetimes. The whole album explores the moods and hours of a romantic starry night Aphrodite, Midnight Blue, Soul Thoughts and others.

I love being outdoors. The Earth and nature were the inspirations for The Kiss of the Sun. A New Day, How Sweet is the Meadow, Sad Birds, Daystar, I'll Give Myself to the Wind. They all reflect my feelings and love for the earth. I heard an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem, and knew I would write a song about it someday. It said" God, I can push the grass apart / And lay my finger on Thy heart." The song I wrote is called Heartbeats, and it is on Kiss of the Sun.

With the EarthStar Recordings release of her third album, One Starry Night, pianist and composer Julie Rivers captured the hearts of new and old fans alike with her luxuriously romantic music of the night. Then followed the world premier of The Kiss of the Sun, the much-anticipated sequel to One Starry Night , which celebrates the dazzling romance of the day, and Christmastide, and As Far As the Heart Can See.

Radio Kansas selected all of Julie’s albums for continuous rotation on their popular new age, Hearts of Space-type program, Night crossings, and two of her albums were listed simultaneously on the Hastings Books Music and Video "Top Ten." In April 1998, it was announced in St. Petersburg, Florida, that Julie won first place in the nation in the National League of American Pen Women composition contest with music from One Starry Night. She was recognized by the Kansas Arts Commission with one of four state Fellowship Awards for composition and has received special awards from ASCAP every year 1998 through 2006.

She is called a "treasured Kansas artist" by Linda Graves, former First Lady of Kansas. Classically trained, Julie has performed with the Saint Louis and Dallas Symphonies, among others, in addition to many pops, casual and intimate venues. The daughter of a Swedish immigrant, she began playing the piano at age two. At the University of North Texas, where she graduated with high honors, she won all awards offered to pianists by the School of Music. She was Top Coed on Campus and is included in Who's Who in Entertainment. Julie plays solo piano concerts, performs with her trio, The Starry Night Trio, appears as soloist with symphony orchestras. She has two sons and lives in Topeka, Kansas, where she composes, performs, records and teaches.

Photography by Nathan Ham. www.whataham.com

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EarthStar Recordings
PO BOX 4462
Topeka, KS 66604-0462
1-800-473-0743

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