Julia Golden has been performing since she was 6, but, in those days, she was singing the likes of “Tomorrow” as a young musical theater actress. At the age of 10, she began writing her own songs. Still, she pursued theater and was accepted into an arts academy in Michigan. But she always heard the call of her guitar.

At 15, she made the first step on any artist’s journey. That is when she began to find gigs as a working musician. The next year, she was on stage opening for “The Stranger: Billy Joel Tribute Band” during the Vision 4 Moore concert series.

In the last couple of years, she’s grabbed the reins. She ended her high school career as a junior to put her music career front and center stage. Her family is with her. Last fall, she went to Nashville and fulfilled a musician’s dream. While playing a series of venues and participating in songwriting rounds, she turned her sights on a legendary spot. Her aunt and grandmother, in New Jersey, and her mom and dad, with her in Nashville, all worked together to get Golden on the list to play the Bluebird Cafe. And she got in.

After years of work, on Valentine’s Day she released her debut single, “Cupid.” Now, Golden’s song has been selected for May’s Carolina Artist Showdown presented by the Carolina Country Music Awards. You can find details on voting from her Facebook page through her website. If she is voted as the artist of the month for May, she’ll be in the running for Entertainer of the Year.