Julie Huerstel

Julie's love for music came from listening to classical music before she was born. She always wanted to play the piano like her mother who had aspirations of playing professionally and loved to hear her play Chopin. Both her parents sang beautifully and both grandfathers were self- taught musicians who, though gone before Julie came into the world, would like to think she inherited their musical genes.
 
Julie started singing in church choir at Our Mother of Sorrows in 6th grade and began piano lessons that same year from a teacher who became more of a grandmother figure. In 7th grade, Julie began organ lessons given at church and in 8th grade began to play the organ in church for Mass.

Msgr. Todd invited Julie to play the organ at St. Francis de Sales in 9th grade where she played for weddings, funerals, Sunday Masses, and eventually accompanied, sang and directed choirs.

That same year, she began singing in choirs at Palo Verde High School with incredible directors who introduced her to the early music of the church and to the Golden Age of choral music. Highlights were singing leads in musicals, participating in Regional and All-State choirs along with yearly State Solo and Ensemble Festivals for piano and voice.
 
After high school, Julie sought out choirs directed by Carl Wachsman and attended Pima College where students were exposed to a wide genre of choral music styles. Through him, she was introduced and sought out the mentorship of Paul Salamunovich and attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Along with his choirs at the university, Julie sang Sundays in his church Choir at St. Charles Borromeo in North Hollywood.
 
This was the choir Julie toured with to Europe after she became a music teacher. The highlight of both trips was to sing concerts in several countries and to sing at the Vatican, once as the featured choir on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul with Pope John Paul II as the celebrant. The other, to sing a short concert for Pope John Paul II in Clementine Hall featuring Palestrina’s Tu es Petrus. Fortunately, Julie's parents traveled both trips with the choir. Her last concert with that choir was to perform the Faure Requiem Mass in New York’s Carnegie Hall. Those experiences are lasting gifts.
 
Julie graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Educational Leadership from NAU. After 33 years, she retired from teaching in public schools where she taught K-12 music, directed choirs and taught her other passion, History. In the six final years, she also taught Special Education.
 
Again, thanks to Msgr. Todd, Julie has been directing choirs at St. Thomas the Apostle since Fall 1995. At one time, she oversaw the Children and Teen Choirs and sang in the Parish Choir as well as directed the 9:00 AM choir.

She has happily been the director of the 9:00 AM Acclamation Choir since January 1996; it is now her primary focus. Julie finds the Parish's dedication to the Ministry of Music admirable and believes she owes them so much as they give of their time and talent to be instrumental in enhancing the Liturgy. She appreciates Father John supporting them to that end.