Instructor: Julia Purcell

Julia Purcell is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter with 15 years of experience touring and recording with Maiden Radio, Possom Queens, SmithSmith, and Good River String Band. Julia has devoted much of her life to facilitating music experiences that build community and cultivate joy and wellness and has been teaching singing and accompaniment classes and workshops at Louisville Folk School since 2016.

Since moving to Kentucky, she has sought out musical mentorship from Kentucky master musicians - including Cari Norris, John Haywood, Randy Wilson, John Harrod, Rich Kirby, and Jesse Wells - and she continues to seek out learning opportunities from keepers/teachers of Appalachian music traditions. 

She co-founded Louisville Expressive Therapies in 2010 and continues to use music as a modality for healing and connection through her work as a music therapist and educator. Julia specializes in teaching neuro-typical and neuro-divergent kids and adults through a humanistic lens. She teaches private lessons on banjo, piano, guitar, voice, and ukulele and offers group and individual sound bath meditation sessions.  She also co-hosts a bi-monthly community old-time jam and a monthly women’s singing circle. Julia holds a degree in Music Therapy with an emphasis on voice from Michigan State University and currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky.