It didn't take Justina long to realize that she was meant to be on stage. She was finally coaxed on stage by her father one night at "Van Gogh's Ear" in Union and played her first three songs live. Immediately afterwards, she couldn't wait to be back on stage.
Justina recently graduated from the duCret School of Art. For an artist that only picked up the guitar at 18, she's come a long way in a short period of time.
"Justina is a phenomenal talent, since her debut performance here, we knew we had witnessed something special at Espresso Joe's," said Sonny & Ed, the owners of Espresso Joe's. "She has wonderful lyrics that she transforms into great harmonious songs. 'All Down Hill from Here' is a great song about taking chances and 'Break of Day' is an inspiring song which is also the track title of her first CD release. Justina has the making of a star; we consider her as one of these sensational artists who is 'under the radar.'"
Espresso Joe's has been one of the biggest supporters of Justina from day one. She has also regularly played places like Crossroads in Garwood, Indigo Coffeehouse and the Bound Brook Hotel. She's hoping that her new CD (which was release in late May) helps her attract the attention of some record industry professionals and get her more shows across the area.
"I'm hoping to get the attention of some labels whether independent or major labels," said Justina. "But you hear from other people about their experiences and you're not so sure if a label is the right route to go. I just want to get out and play as much as I can and see what goes."
Justina says that she learned how to play guitar as a freshmen in college. On her 18th birthday, she received a guitar and her father taught her some chords. She just took it from there.
"It was around that time that the female musicians started taking over," she recalled. "And it just sort of caught my interest. I started listening to Jewel and reading her poetry. Then I started writing my own poetry. That kind of led me to wanting to learn how to play so I could put my thoughts and music together. I've always had an interest in singing so I kind of put it all together and came out with what I have now."
She honed her live performance from playing at open mics. Soon she was invited to do longer and longer sets. Finally she started getting booked as the headliner.
Her songs are a mixture of auto-biographical tales and pure fiction. "I try not to bore people too much with my love life and my personal life," said Justina. "But that's always going to come through. I try to write stories in my songs to make it a little more interesting."
You can catch Justina live in June on June 2nd at Crossroad in Garwood, June 3rd at the Indigo Coffeehouse in Aberdeen and on June 17th at SICA in Long Branch. In July she will be at the Hamilton St. Cafe in Bound Brook on the 16th and at Triumph Brewery in Princeton on the 21st. Visit her website at www.justinasworld.com for more info.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
