Julie Evans Little

Julie Evans Little is a faculty specialist II in the School of Music at Western Michigan University, where she teaches courses in aural skills. She received two degrees in violin performance: a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and a Master of Music from The University of Michigan, graduating summa cum laude from the latter.

Prior to relocating to Michigan, Little taught for eight years at Alfred University in New York state, where she developed the string program, conducted the newly formed chamber orchestra, and redesigned the music theory curriculum to include studies and training in aural skills.

Since 2007, she has been serving on a faculty panel with professors from University of Michigan and Northwestern presenting papers at both the College Music Society National Conference and the Society of Music Teacher Education conference on the topic of pedagogy across the disciplines of music theory, aural skills, musicology and music education. This team will continue its work on the importance of the practical application of skills in the training of our music students.

Little's commitment to student growth and success led her to apply for funding in Spring 2013 to pilot a new mentoring program, beginning Fall semester 2013, titled Music Maestros. This new program is designed to provide first and second year students in the core curriculum an opportunity to improve their skills in and understanding of theory and aural training through weekly sessions that will focus on both current course material and practice/study methods, and the review of material not yet mastered from prior exams.

She is currently assistant principal second violin of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. She continues as a freelance musician. Her past orchestral experience includes membership in the Hudson Valley (N.Y.) Philharmonic, Harvard-Radcliffe Symphony Orchestra East Asia tour, Nashua (N.H.) Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship Orchestra, and Ann Arbor (Mich.) Chamber Orchestra.

Little's professional affiliations include College Music Society, Association for Technology in Music Instruction, American String Teachers Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda national music honor society.