Seated comfortably at the piano bench, Julia Green was truly in her element. After flipping through a well-worn book of sheet music, she selected a German folk song by Schubert, adjusted her chair and played.
But she didn’t just play. She seemed to melt into the music as she accompanied the piano number in her mezzo soprano voice, pronouncing each German syllable with a practiced trill and hitting each key with measured flair.
For Green, an Arvada resident who has made a living performing and teaching voice and piano lessons, it’s not enough to “just play.” The source of musical talent — the difference between being a good pianist and an even better pianist — is the energy and soul a musician puts into their craft.
Even after 45 years of study, Green said she is still learning to hone her craft. But she has energy and passion aplenty.
“There’s too much to know, too much to learn. A lifetime is not enough. I just want to learn more and know more,” she said.
Green teaches lessons on her personal grand piano that sits in the center of her living room. When she plays, the room reverberates with sound at the touch of each key. Although many of her voice and piano students visit her for lessons, she is willing to visit her students’ homes to help them learn on their own instruments. Her only stipulation is that she will not teach musicians interested in learning the craft on a keyboard.
“Keyboard is a different instrument. The sensation is different,” she said as she held down a key on her piano, lifting it slowly to draw out the sound.
Green said she feels that infusing a love of classical music into her students is a top priority. Without a passion for symphonies and concertos, the importance of classical music itself will fade.
“You have to be accessible to the public. I’m very worried classical music will disappear,” she said. She demonstrated her point by playing a few more lines of the Schubert song, stopping abruptly in the middle. “No one would think to buy this (music) for their home,” she said.
Green’s career has been steeped in heavy musical influence since she was a child. Early memories include dancing with her grandfather as he sang songs to her. Her family was “very musical,” so piano lessons were a requirement. She started learning when she was six.
“It seemed natural to me, very joyous,” she said.
Green moved from her hometown of Rockford, Ill., to New York City to further her career. She struggled to scrape together money for voice and piano lessons, and when she did, she was able to work with teachers with a wealth of experience and advice.
Her connections in New York City drew her to Santa Fe, N.M., where she scored a job as a faculty pianist at the University of New Mexico. She has also taught in Brazil and has performed a piano concert for the Spanish Ambassador.
Karina Praxedes, a piano accompanist who worked with Green during her time as a teacher in Brazil, said the two shared a strong working relationship. Praxedes was always struck by Green’s determination, she said.
“I learned a lot at that time, playing for her. She cares about phrasing and interpretation, being a master of artistic expression,” she said. “She always tells me she learned a new voice technique, and I can only imagine how powerful her voice must be now.”
Currently, Green’s new project is recording an album of classical piano numbers with a blues slant.
“There are blues chords all over the place” in classical music, she said.
It may seem like Green is at the top of her game, but, like her own students, Green is constantly open to learning more.
“No matter what level you are at, you have a teacher. Even the highest level musicians have teachers,” she said.
NEED TO KNOW
For more information on voice or piano lessons with Julia Green, call 720-379-7124 or e-mail jgreen1@umn.edu.