 Julie
came from a family of musicians. Every Sunday, her father would play the
organ for hours. During the summer her family would go camping, and her
older
sister
would play guitar around the campfire. All her brothers and sisters
played musical instruments from Piano, guitar, to sax, clarinet,
trumpet and drums. Julie started playing French horn in 7th grade at Depew
Middle School in New York. She played horn through high school in
the Concert Band and pit orchestra for school musicals. To avoid
playing marches on her horn, she joined the Flags- color guard.
After
high school she went to Canisius College for Biology, and unfortunately
the school did not have a large music programs, and therefore she stopped
playing in 1987. She graduated from Canisius College and then went to Penn
State for a Master’s degree in Genetics, and then went on to the
University of Maryland for her Doctorate.
While
at Maryland, Julie inquired about borrowing a horn from the music department,
and they agreed to lend it to her provided that she played in the University
of Maryland Community Band. So, thus she picked up the horn after
more than 10 years and began to relearn the horn. She played in the Maryland
community band for 3 years under the direction of Dr. Wakefield, the conductor,
and will always be grateful to him not only for providing the opportunity
to play again, but to the other hornists (Ron and Rick) in the band
who not only coached her to remember the fingerings,
badgered
her to practice, but also provide friendship and encouragement as she
finished her PhD.
While
playing in the Maryland community band, Julie also joined the Greenbelt
Community band. She played in both bands for the rest of her duration
at Maryland, and appreciates the friendships she developed in both bands.
After
she finished her PhD in Maryland, Julie moved up to Connecticut to do a
postdoc at Yale, but alas she had to give-up her horn that she was using
in Maryland. However, as a present to herself for finishing her PhD,
she bought a new horn… and so the saga continues.
Just
after she moved to CT Julie went on the Internet, located the Stratford
community band, and contacted them. She is first horn in the Stratford
community band and she has been playing with the band for a year and a
half. She is also a member of the Milford Community band. |
