Julianna Zobrist knew how all-consuming a career in professional baseball could be. After a lot of prayer and pondering, she was prepared to set aside her dream of a career as a recording artist if that was what she had to do to be with her new husband, Ben (now an MLB star with the Chicago Cubs). But then she came home to find an unbelievable wedding present waiting for her.
“I was finishing my junior year of college, and Ben was just beginning his career in rookie ball at the time. So it was sort of this crazy moment of, ‘What do I do with school? Do I drop out and travel a year? Or do I finish school?’ I didn’t really know what to do.
So that question of – well am I just giving up everything I’ve worked for? That was on the table for me. I didn’t know.
Then – after we got married – we came back to our apartment, and he had purchased and totally set up for me an eighty eight key MIDI keyboard, speakers, a Mac laptop computer, and recording equipment to be able to begin recording my own music on the road.”
In the exceedingly mobile life of a baseball family, the travelling studio became an endearing companion.
“So we traveled to all these Single A, Double A cities with the keyboard in between our Chevy Malibu driver and passenger seats.
I could continue writing music and investing myself in what I loved. Music is a gift from Ben in that way, you know. So I love to be able to share that. Because I couldn’t do it without him. I literally couldn’t.”
After being in a place of willingness to give up a dream, Julianna finds herself joyfully living that dream today in ways she couldn’t have imagined.
“You know, when I married him I was ready to be like – alright then. Let’s go do the baseball thing. I knew how demanding that career was, and I was ready – if that’s what he needed – to hang it up.
So, in a way, he’s always been my biggest advocate, my biggest support, my biggest fan for sure. He’s kept me from quitting, and I kept him from quitting numerous times. We have definitely been each other’s support.”
Julianna Zobrist is a speaker & recording artist who just released her new album Shatterproof. She’s a proud mom & wife to Chicago Cubs’s star Ben Zobrist.
On the Road with Julianna Zobrist
