Meet JULINE GILMORE | Owner, Gilmore Voice Studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with JULINE GILMORE and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi JULINE, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I knew I wanted flexibility and the opportunity to develop my own brand. While I enjoyed teaching in academia for seven years (University of Nevada Las Vegas, in the 2000s), and then for a local music school in Louisville, CO for a couple of years, I had a strong desire to work for myself.

What should our readers know about your business?
As a business owner, we are told that having a brand and philosophy are crucial for success. This has been a journey for me over 20 years, and in the beginning, I tried to do what everyone else did, or what I was taught in college. However, my philosophy and brand have grown and changed through the years as my students have grown and changed. The one thing I can say I excel in is I am an “encourager” to my students. While some of my students have gone on to win competitions or have gone on to college in music, most of my students don’t compete, and most have pursued other college degrees. However, their private lessons have provided them a “safe space” to be who they are, to explore all kinds of music, and most importantly, to discover their OWN unique voices and gifts. If they leave my studio feeling loved and positive, I have done my job. So I suppose my brand is not to create a successful musician and singer in how the WORLD defines success, but rather to be a small part in helping that person become a WHOLE person where music and the voice are a PART of that success.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The Denver and Boulder area provides so many wonderful places to go that this is a difficult question to answer! Here is an itinerary of a weekend with my visiting bestie: 1. Wake up and eat breakfast at Lucile’s Creole Cafe in Longmont or Erie.

2. Go for a hike at Chatauqua Park and the Flatirons up in Boulder.
3. Lunch and a margarita on the rooftop at the Rio in Boulder and walk it off on Pearl Street. OR Drive up to Estes Park for the afternoon.
4. Enjoy a flight at one of the many breweries in Loveland or Boulder. Verboten in Loveland is my fave!
5. Dinner at 24 Carrot Bistro in Erie, one of the best Farm to Table restaurants in the area.

Next day:

1. Donuts from Landline Doughnuts in Longmont.
2. Head down to Denver to enjoy a few hours at one of the awesome museums downtown.
3. Lunch downtown – so many choices, but LEVEN Deli is a fave.
4. Tour The Mint! (Can’t forget to make that reservation!)
5. Evening at Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Probably an opera or musical.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been so many amazing mentors who influenced me as both a professional opera singer and as a private voice teacher. My 1st private teacher and opera director, Dr. Jon Linford, opened my eyes to the world of opera and classical vocal literature, and also helped me believe in myself. Dr. Martha Rowe inspired me to be a private teacher that pays attention to the WHOLE person within the student, not just the instrument. My choir directors in college and graduate school, Dr. Jerry Alt and Dr. Eph Ehly, taught me the importance of listening and making music TOGETHER. Inci Bashar, my graduate school teacher, was a tremendous technician and I credit her for my opera career in the 1990s/2000s. I still use her vocalises to this day with my students. And finally, Dr. Carol Kimball, my advisor, teacher, and friend during the pursual of my doctorate. Her knowledge and expertise in vocal literature and pedagogy provided me the tools to be the teacher I am today. There are so many other coaches and fellow voice teachers who continue to inspire me daily, especially those that are a part of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the international voice teacher cooperative (I call it my “support group/therapy”), SECO – the Speakeasy Cooperative.

Website: gilmorevoicestudio.com

Instagram: @gilmorevoicestudio

Facebook: @gilmorevoicestudio

Image Credits
Eldeen Pickett (headshot)