Instructor's Biography
Julie Preston: director, violin, & cello coach
Julie Preston is the director of Cascade Strings Academy. Julie grew up in Salem, Oregon and started playing the violin in the Salem/Keizer public school orchestra program in 4th grade under the direction of Bruce Purdy. While in high school she studied the violin under Stephanie Johnson (Nelson). In high school, she had the opportunity to play in the top orchestra of the Salem Youth Symphony for two years. She also had the opportunity to play in the Salem/Keizer All City Honor Orchestra in the 1st violin section her senior year of high school. In college she played in the PCCymphony as well as in the Rejoice Orchestra at the Campus Church. While in college Julie studied the violin with Dr. Alberto Jaffe. After returning home from college she playing in the Salem Philharmonia orchestra in the 1st violin section for the first 2 1/2 years of its existence.
Julie is always trying to find ways to be a better orchestra teacher. Because of this, she more recently has studied under her former teacher Bruce Purdy of Claggett Creek Middle School on the cello and bass; Dr. Stephen Nelson, retired orchestra director of Sprague High School; and Dr. Charles Heiden, founder of the Salem Chamber Orchestra. She has a B.S. Degree in Commercial Art with a minor in Music with a violin proficiency from Pensacola Christian College and a Masters of Religious Education degree from West Coast Baptist College with a conducting proficiency. Julie has given private violin lessons for roughly 17 years and has taught band and orchestra for 6 1/2 years. Currently Julie is teaching Band and Art in Deltona, FL. This year her beginning band received the "Most Outstanding" award out of all the elementary band competing in the Sunshine State Christian Fine Arts Competition. |