Julie Arsenault’s ethereal voice tied together modern art and Kingston’s history when she made her debut at Kingston’s oldest operating museum, the Murney Tower Museum.
Arsenault, an indie-folk musician, performed a 45-minute show at the top of Murney Tower on Sept. 7. Standing on the historic gun platform, the musician played guitar and sang various songs from her discography.
Opening with “Mr. Golden Sun,” a gorgeous twist on Raffi’s nursery rhyme “Mr. Sun,” her voice was enchanting, switching from an occasional moving belt to a soft, flowery lilt.
In between songs, she spoke to the audience, providing personal anecdotes about her journey as a self-taught musician and the inspirations behind her lyrics.
As an individual on the autism spectrum, Arsenault finds music to be a powerful means of self-expression and connection with others. Her experience with echolalia—where she naturally repeats words and mimics sounds—plays a significant role in her deep connection to music.
“Music is truly a lifeline for me. It’s a way for me to process and articulate my emotions that would otherwise remain trapped inside me. It is what connects me to other people in a way that nothing else can,” Arsenault said. “I really do live and breathe it [music].”
Most of her discography is made up of emotionally intelligent, personal, and introspective short songs, tackling concepts like motherhood, reproductive rights, and femininity. One of the songs she performed, “Pretty Dirty Habits,” reflects on the juxtaposition of herself. She shared that performing it leads her to reflect on the growth she has experienced and her gratitude for pursuing her ion.
“The power music has over your emotions is so magical. It’s a universal language that unites us. It’s our birthright as human beings to make music,” she said.
Her ion for music and her ability to sing from the heart made it easy for the audience to feel touched and connected throughout the show. Her ability to create such all-encoming, beautiful music while standing in front of a live audience simultaneously continuing to maintain her dedication to personal human connection is a rare talent.
“Being able to glance into someone’s eyes as I perform feels discombobulating in the best way possible. We know from the pandemic that face-to-face interactions are more important for our health than we previously thought, and it really does have a positive impact,” she said.
Arsenault’s record label, Son Canciones, based in Barcelona is dedicated to bringing performances and concerts to unconventional spaces like Murney Tower to help connect communities that otherwise wouldn’t be connected through music and art.
“For myself and my label Son Canciones, performances in unconventional places like museums, art galleries, local bookstores, and cultural centres are important because they help bring communities together. It encourages people of all ages to engage with their city’s history in a unique way that they might not otherwise,” Arsenault explained.
Watching Arsenault perform, one feels nourished by the soft magic of music that comes from within her. Her ability to unite human connection, history, and music is inspirational, fulfilling, and deserves to be engaged with.
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