Julie S. McGrath

Julie McGrath, or Ms. Julie, as her students call her, is an alumna of the University of Southern California School of Music (now the Thornton School of Music) where she majored in piano performance under the tutelage of the renowned pianist, the late Nancy Bricard. Ms. Julie also majored in music education, as well as music history and literature. She is privileged to name among her professors the late harpsichordist Dr. Malcolm Hamilton, the composer Dr. Morten Lauridsen, a National Medal of Arts recipient, and Dr. Phyllis Glass. Dr. Glass was one of the musicians/teachers instrumental in bringing Dr. Suzuki and Dr. Suzuki’s Talent Education to the United States. She introduced Ms. Julie to Dr. Suzuki’s teaching philosophy and vision, and under her guidance Ms. Julie studied Suzuki teaching technique and philosophy.

Ms. Julie began her teaching career in the Los Angeles area in 1974, where she taught privately and as a volunteer teacher to disadvantaged American Indian children. After moving to New Mexico in 1983, she continued her teaching in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. After a short hiatus from teaching while her children were young, she established a private teaching studio, teaching students of all ages and abilities, including those with special needs, in particular, a child with Williams Syndrome. Ms. Julie is proud to have in her studio a young woman who began lessons with her at the age of 12, who had been diagnosed with a visual learning disability. This young woman is now an accomplished pianist and has moved to Austin to continue her studies in music with the goal of becoming a music therapist.

Ms. Julie believes, as Dr. Suzuki believed, that each child is born with an innate musical ability and that it is her job to help each student discover and develop that ability. She also believes, having been given the gift of music at a very early age (3), that it is her duty to pass that gift on to others.

Ms. Julie and her husband relocated to Austin, Texas, six years ago, where she is building a studio filled with students eager to learn and families eager to make music a part of their lives.

Specializing in the very young.

References available on request.

Follow Ms. Julie and her students on Facebook @ATX Piano Studio.