Julie Lewis

Julie Lewis is a Music Instructor at The UCLA Family Commons and a variety of other venues. She teaches at independent studios, afterschool programs, and private locations for music, voice, piano, guitar, theater, art and dance.  She is a well rounded performer and educator and a proud member of AEA - the theater actor's union.  She has been a teacher for over 15 years, in a variety of settings.  Her experience with children spans years of full-time pre-school and pre-kindergarten programs, after school programs for ages 6-12, full time integrated classroom for grades K-2, youth outreach visiting artist in schools and theater programs, party clowning and special needs education with children on the autism and ADHD spectrums.

Julie traveled the world at a young age, as a military offspring.  She began singing and performing in stage productions at the age of 11.  After attending high school in North Pole, Alaska, she moved to Seattle, where she continued to reside on and off for more than a decade.  She traveled gradually down the California coast in search of warmer weather, finally landing here in LA.  She has also lived in NYC and Japan following her performing work.  Performing, she has been in numerous regional plays and musicals, was a member of improv group - Playback Theater Northwest for three years, has sung in many bands, choirs and an acapella group (featured on NPR in November 2008) and for various recordings of up and coming musicals (such as The Spirit Warrior's Dream - CD release October 2008 and the Burning Opera-CD release 2011). Favorite roles include Cruella DeVille (East Coast TYA tour), Edwin (The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Summer Rep at the JC 2007) and Tap Dancing Orca Whale #3 (Village Theater in Seattle) She has also directed, music directed and choreographed a number of musicals with children in Washington and Northern California and co-founded a theater company this year in LA.

With so many adventures possible, it's always hard to choose, but Julie is grateful for the many opportunities that her work and travels in the arts has brought her and highly values each community and every family she encounters.  She is working on ways to stay present in the moment, and making the time and space to manage and prep her many "amazing collections" of art/sewing supplies, music instruments, theatrical props/costumes/wigs and jewelry making materials in her small LA apt, shared with her loving (and patient) partner of seven years.