Biography
Born and raised on the Canadian Prairie, Julia grew up singing jazz standards with her parents, studying voice and piano and following in the footsteps of four generations of musicians in her family (at least!)
She majored in musical theatre in college, and spent the next 15 or so years touring across Western Canada with musicals and light opera, before focusing on music and continuing to tour with show bands and top 40 cover bands for several more years.
​
Finally putting down roots again in Vancouver, BC, she continued to perform and record in a huge variety of different musical genres including hard rock, disco, alt-country R&B, reggae and neo-soul, before, at last, returning to her jazz roots. She has taken all the best from her eclectic career and brought it back "home."
Integrating her love of classic jazz styles with her enjoyment of more modern repertoire, Julia's blend of tradition, ingenuity and joyful noise with her band, JPJQ, feels like that homecoming.
Julia's vocals are an unapologetic departure from those of the "smoky voiced chanteuses" the modern jazz audience has come to expect. Influenced by Aretha as much as by Ella or Billie, her sheer joy in song always charms and captivates her audience.
​
Vocalist
Teaching music has always been on the horizon for Julia, since her mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all music teachers and instilled in her the responsibility to encourage in others the love of making music that she was given.
​
She began teaching in the context of giving audition workshops and coachings while on the road doing long theatre contracts. Upon "settling down" in Vancouver, BC, she began taking more long-term students and was immediately struck with the enjoyment that she gained in being able to see more progress and make deep personal connections with her students.
​
Since moving to the US in 2015, she has continued teaching as a major component of her business, honing her skills and adapting to each new market's demands. She is thrilled to be teaching in Tucson, developing and mentoring singers, pianists and ukulele-lovers, young and old(er), developing musicians and music lovers to live the legacy of her family... "Play Forever!"