Juliana Cole-Sheppard was born and raised in Crescent City, California, the youngest of three siblings. She is currently working towards an associates in General Studies, and hopes to graduate by 2023. She hopes to go on to receive a Peer Support Specialist certificate in order to pursue a love of helping others who have gone through similar trials in their lives.
Music has always been a part of Juliana’s life. She has been singing since before she ever learned to read. In her middle school ages, she was introduced to choir through the Summer Youth Choir Camp in town. The camp prepared her for early auditions for the high school choir program. She was one of four incoming freshmen that made it into the top choir of the school, the Madrigals. While in high school, Juliana participated in several honor choirs, including 2 years of the California All State Honor Choir. In addition to singing, Juliana has played trumpet and french horn. Her proudest achievement was premiering and conducting her very first choral composition, Glass Waters, as a high school senior. Due to health issues, her second semester of college was cut short, but during Spring of 2018, she got to participate in the Echo Luminos Chamber Choir as well as the BYU-Idaho Concert Choir. She joined Vocal Affinity in 2019, and has been with them since, and will soon be singing Soprano 1 with Anam Cara in Idaho Falls.
“Through good and bad, music has been there for me. My sophomore year of high school, I was forced to make the decision that I was going to stay in music for myself and no one else. That decision blessed me with the necessary endurance to handle the trials that would soon follow.”
“I recently discovered that singing has always been a stress reliever for me, and that has rekindled my love.”
Juliana strongly believes in the power of music on an individual’s mental health, and that it is the job of musicians collectively to leave the audience feeling uplifted. She hopes someday to hear that she got to be a part of that. When she is not singing, she loves to go on drives, and explore new talents and interests.
