Julie Holloman

Julie has loved music her whole life. She started singing on pitch at age 1, and playing piano by ear at age 4. She begged her parents for a guitar, and she got a Sears-Roebuck steel string for her 10th birthday. She bought her first ukulele at the Plumas County Fair when she was 15, and continued to teach herself to play both instruments.

After graduating from high school with a Bank of America Music Award, Julie studied Music Education and Flamenco guitar at the University of Nevada Reno, and graduated Suma Cum Laude with a B.S. in Music Education in 1990.  She was hired right out of college by the Washoe County School District, and taught K-6 Elementary Music for 13 years. While teaching in the School District she received the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding teaching from both the Music Department and the School District.

Julie is the president and founder of the Aria School of Music & Art in Reno.  Currently she teaches guitar, uke, piano, and voice.  She plays tenor ukulele, guitar, and baritone uke in the staff trio Aria 51. She also sings and arranges music for the group. Aria 51 became featured performers for the Pioneer Center Youth Program from 2018 - 2022, and is currently part of the Pioneer Center Golden Encore Program. They have performed at the Reno Ukulele Festival each year since 2016.

Julie performed solo Flamenco on her guitar and ukulele at Fuego Restaurant from Aug. 2014 to July 2015, when Fuego closed. She played tenor uke and sang as a member of the Legacy Ukulele Ensemble from 2016 - 2020.

Julie has taught many workshops on Flamenco ukulele techniques at the Reno Ukulele Festival, the Palm Strings Festival , the Auburn Uke Festival, and the Placerville Uke Festival. She co-taught a Beginning Uke Workshop for many years at the Reno Aloha Festival in Reno. She taught complete arrangements of songs with vocal harmonies, licks, and solos at the Reno Ukulele Festival. She also assisted Bobby J with Open Mic hosting at the Reno Ukulele Festival in 2025.

Julie currently teaches an Advanced Ukulele Class at Aria, as well as private lessons on Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, and Voice..  She has taught Strum Workshops and Fingerstyle Workshops at Aria. She directs the Reno Ukulele Group, which performs in many venues around Reno, and does a fundraising concert for the Survivor Girl Ukulele Band Project during the annual Reno Artown event. The group also performs at the Open Mic at the Reno Ukulele Festival.