Nashville recording artist Julia Neville just released her new single, “Survivor,” to spread an important message.
Growing up in Logan, Ohio, Neville had dreams of becoming a musician one day. After receiving positive feedback from several karaoke competitions, the musician finally decided to pursue her lifelong dream. There are hundreds of musicians trying to make it in the industry, but Neville’s story is unlike most of them.
Combating abuse as a young girl, Neville used her passion for music as an outlet to cope with these conditions. “Survivor,” her new single, is especially significant because it not only gives women who have experienced abuse and rape a voice, it also helps them feel like they are not alone, she said.
“I want to inspire other women through music by the abuse that I have been through and that is why I wrote the song ‘Survivor’,” Neville said. “To relate to other women who have been through or are going through the same thing.”
Now married with a family of five, Neville is debuting her single and shedding light on a difficult topic.
“Women don’t talk about being molested or rape. I know the statistics are 1 in 5 women are raped and that is nuts to me,” she said.
Neville will be performing her new single at the first mile marker during the third annual Athens Race for the Cure on Oct. 15. Not only will she be singing, but she will also be present to provide support and advice to the other women participating.
Conshea Brown, a junior studying music production, said she also believes in the power of the arts as a coping method for people who have gone through traumatic times.
“The main reason (why) I am a music production major is because of my passion for music and the change that can be enacted through the arts,” Brown said. “Music is not just a combination of sounds and words. It helps people feel emotions that words simply cannot provide.”
Even though Brown has never experienced abuse, she relates to the therapeutic capacity that the arts provide. From music to dance, the act of free human expression can help anyone cope with difficult times, she said.
“Just like Neville, my top goal in life is to change the way people feel and think through the use music.” Brown said. “I want my music to be able to help others when they feel like nothing else can.”
