Now, beginning next week, Julin will see to it that students in the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District get down to the business of learning music.
Julin has been entrusted with directing the music program for all 400 students in the district's four schools. Julin's teaching will fill a void that the district has had for at least 10 years. Many administrators in the school system cannot recall the last time it had a music teacher.
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"I'm really excited about the opportunity to work with people who are so excited about adding music to their school," Julin said.
She knows how much people can miss music when they don't have it in their everyday lives. She grew up taking piano lessons for 12 years, then went to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a business degree but didn't pursue her musical interests. Julin eventually logged about a dozen years for Digital Equipment Corporation in sales and management before feeling the tug of music again.
"I'd been in the business world 10 to 12 years, and I just really missed the music," she said. "That's why I decided to make the shift."
Julin has a master's degree in Music Performance from California State University-Fresno. Besides piano, she has also had exposure to woodwind and brass instruments.
The name of the new music program is "Music for All," and the theme for this inaugural year under Julin's instruction is "Explore the Possibilities."
"I'm not expecting them to specialize," Julin said, describing how she would like to hand students instruments for a few weeks and then ask them to switch. "I think the goal for the music program is to expose the children to as broad a musical experience as possible."
While no student performances or concerts are presently planned, Julin said she would look forward to organizing such events down the line.
"I definitely want to have venues where students can share their love of music with family and friends," she said. "That's a big part of music."
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