Lamont Staff Profile: Julie-Ann Jordan
Julie-Ann Jordan, currently serving as Executive Assistant to the Director at the Lamont School of Music, has forged a career that spans both artistic and administrative excellence. With a tenure of 2.5 years at Lamont and over three decades as a private piano teacher, her journey reflects a life devoted to music, education, and community.
Born and raised in Greeley, Colorado, Julie-Ann started studying piano as a child and in high school resolved to complete a Bachelor of Music Education. She chose to start her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University, then transferred to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. (She recalls braving a minus-80 wind chill on the frigid weekend that she moved to Duluth!) She played harp while at UMD and performed with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra.
Life intervened when Julie-Ann met her husband, got married, and had their daughters Taylor and Lexye. They moved back to Colorado and settled in the Greeley area, where Julie-Ann worked in IT for Kodak and Hewlett-Packard before pivoting to real estate during one of the toughest markets in history. “I didn’t sell a single house,” she recalls with a laugh.
While her husband pursued a Master’s in Vocal Performance, Julie-Ann worked at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), managing the band and orchestra department. Her time at UNC inspired her to finish her BME at the University of Southern California and continue directly into a Master of Music in Composition. The family later moved back to the Denver area, where her husband accepted a church position as Minister of Music, and Julie-Ann focused on teaching piano.
“Composition was always a really personal thing for me and hard to share,” she says. “Once it was out there, it would be open to critique. So it was always really hard for me to perform my own compositions because I didn’t want the feedback. Now I write piano songs for my students!”
Julie-Ann had heard of the Lamont School of Music back when it was located at Montview and Quebec, but it had fallen off her radar when it moved into its current home at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts.
In 2021, she was looking for a job and heard that the Lamont Executive Assistant position would be opening up soon. Deanna Goldstein, the previous EA, is a good friend of Julie-Ann’s daughter and gave her contact information to Director Keith Ward. She started on a temporary basis for three months, then got hired full-time.
She remembers the first conversation she had with Keith: “It felt like we were old friends. We both went to Northwestern University, so we had that in common. Right away there was this ease and camaraderie between us. He is the reason I joined the staff at Lamont.”
Julie-Ann’s role at Lamont is multifaceted, combining administrative precision with creative problem-solving. She manages the faculty workroom, oversees student employees, and handles everything from mail to supply orders. As Keith’s executive assistant, she maintains his calendar and ensures smooth operations.
One of her most critical tasks is scheduling—500 class sections each quarter, covering academic courses, ensembles, and lessons. This involves coordinating with the Registrar, faculty, and the Dean’s Office to ensure accuracy and compliance with DU’s Common Curriculum requirements.
“We run on a two-year schedule,” she explains. “So when they roll over the previous year’s schedule, we have to update the things that are every other year.” Between December and mid-January, she finalizes the entire upcoming academic year’s schedule.
Beyond academics, Julie-Ann contributes to Lamont’s vibrant community life. She organizes receptions for events like Day at Lamont and the Lamont Showcase, as well as pizza parties and barbecues for students.
Her deep connection to music and musicians energizes her daily. “There is such an energy working around musicians that I love,” she says. “When I haven’t been in that environment, I miss it. You can almost feel the creativity in the hallways.” While she once feared teaching might diminish her joy in music, it has only amplified it. “I love watching kids learn and get excited about music,” she adds.
Her journey—from performing in orchestras to composing, from teaching piano to orchestrating the complexities of a university music school—has been a testament to her adaptability, resilience, and passion. Julie-Ann embodies the spirit of a lifelong learner and creator, enriching the Lamont School of Music and its community with her dedication.