Julia, or Julie as she is often called and to which she always returns a happy smile, has been with us since 2002.  We are indeed fortunate to have a person who is not only a distinguished professional musician with long experience in sacred music, but also a teacher and composer.  Little wonder that we are blessed with glorious music, choral renditions and occasionally we are treated to music of the bell choir to further enhance the richness of our Sunday worship.

Julie is a native of Yankton, South Dakota, the original capital of Dakota Territory which today has a modest population of 14,000.  It is situated on the north bank of the Missouri River in the southeast corner of the state, a few miles downstream from Lewis and Clark Lake.

Julie received her bachelor's degree in organ and church music from Yankton College, established as the first liberal arts college west of the Mississippi.  She went on to earn her master's degree in organ and music history from the University of South Dakota.

In her professional career she has been a music teacher in public schools and at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  From 1967-70 she served as an educational missionary, teaching music at the Amerikan Kiz Koleji (a girls' school supported by the United Church of Christ) in Izmir, Turkey.  She also volunteered as music director and accompanist for musical theater productions sponsored by the Turkish-American Association in Izmir.

After returning to the U.S. she spent 14 years as Organist/Music Director for a Presbyterian church in Sioux Falls.  In 1984 she moved west to California to take the position of Music Director for a Presbyterian church in Santa Barbara.  Then, in 2002, she accepted the post of Organist/Music Director at St. Paul's, Ventura.

Julie has been an interim faculty member at Santa Barbara City College and occasionally still answers the call for a substitute accompanist or teacher there.  Since 1999 she has directed the Edelweiss Choir of Santa Barbara.  The choir sings primarily in German and has toured in Canada, Germany and Brazil.

Several of Julie's handbell compostions have been published and together, she and her sister have composed a children's Christmas musical, "Why the Chimes Rang," most recently performed by the St. Paul's School students in 2006.

Julie continues to reside in Santa Barbara where she enjoys her current hobby of painting in water colors and takes classes through the adult education program at City College.  Not entirely sure who owns whom, she shares her home with Gracie the cat.