Slinger Area Music History/Culture

Alum Julie Baskinger currently works at Prairie Music Academy after studying music at Lawrence University and the University of Oklahoma and after holding various faculty positions at several New Jersey music institutions.   Andrea Jasperson conducted an e-mail interview with Julie in March 2014.  

Q. Who or what were your influences as to why you chose a career in music?

A. Hmmm....that's actually a tough question! I believe I largely chose this path on my own, but I was definitely inspired by those who taught music around me. They always seemed so happy! I was so blessed to have marvelous, happy, music-loving people around me every day. That's probably what made me want to do it every day of my life, too!

Q. Were you in the High School band, and what was your favorite kind of music to play?

A. I was definitely in the Band...and choir, Nightwatch, Vocal Jazz, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, Theory Class, musicals -- anything I could possibly take that was offered! I loved every bit of music I had the chance to play or experience. If I had to pick a favorite....I probably drifted most to jazz and broadway because I enjoyed the collaboration with other students.

Q. Were there any setbacks or challenges you had to face to pursue your career?

A. Oh definitely. Going to Lawrence was a big wake-up call for me. Everyone surrounding me was so incredibly talented, and it seemed like learning for them came so much easier. I struggled, clawed, and grasped my way through college. I had been a straight-A student in high school, and after my first term at Lawrence, I had a 3.0. That wasn't good enough for me. I wound up hiring writing tutors and rethinking the path my career would take. Thankfully, one of my professors sensed I had a gift for working with students. After failing my upper level jury to debilitating performance anxiety the first go-around, I thought about what she said. I switched studio teachers and dropped my Spanish major to focus 100% on music. That made all the difference. Though the first two years were very challenging and often upsetting, I wouldn't change that experience for anything. It has made me the teacher and musician I am today.

Q. We understand you went to Lawrence University to study music.  Can you explain a few of your favorite or most important moments in your growth as a musician after leaving Slinger?

A. I had a fantastic opportunity to study for 10 weeks in London. I was the first student to "enroll" at the Guildhall School of Music strictly for piano lessons while taking my classes at the LU London campus. Yet again, I was surrounded by the best musicians in my generation. You can't beat being able to practice alongside the Thames River every day!  I also was the first recipient of an internship at the New School for Music Study in Princeton, NJ in 2003. This school was really the birthplace of piano pedagogy, and I had the opportunity not only to teach, but to dabble in the music publishing world, and to see first hand how a non-profit organization is run. In 2002, I won the Oklahoma State Collegiate Piano Competition. That was a big deal, because I was starting to perform at the same confidence level I did when I was in high school.

Q. How did you come to work at a music academy?

A. After marrying my husband in NJ, we decided to make plans to move here in order to raise a family. Sam (husband), is a computer software engineer. It was crucial he find a stable job first before I could begin looking. Once we knew he'd be working in Madison, I started to look for work at a music school. I had enjoyed the "academy" environment in Princeton, and quite frankly, it's easier having the students come to you verses recruiting them yourself! How fortunate I was to find Prairie Music Academy - which was founded and today still managed by another Lawrence University graduate!