Julia Van Den Top
Coralville,IA
Summary
Well-rounded organist, with a special passion for church music, excelling in creating musical services and other worshipful opportunities for church communities. Accomplished music educator and leader with a proven track record at Dordt Music Department.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Church Musician
Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church of America
07.2024 - Current
- Selects and improvises piano music for worship services, enhancing spiritual engagement through hymn leading of the church's liturgical materials, as well as prelude, offertory, communion, and postlude selections
- Works closely with pastoral staff and music director to select appropriate music that supports sermon themes and liturgical seasons
- Attends all music and worship planning meetings and collaborates with other musicians to provide a rich variety of instrumentation and styles of music
- Mentors community musicians, providing guidance on musical interpretation and creating church engagement opportunities
- Contributes to the overall spiritual growth of the congregation through thoughtful worship music by leading from the piano, playing flute or singing, or participating in choir
Organ, Piano, Flute, and Voice Teacher
Private Studio
06.2018 - Current
- Design individualized lesson plans with relevant exercises and diverse repertoire for students
- Build 30-minute lessons structured around tone, technique, and expression
- Evaluate student progress and adjust teaching strategies accordingly, encourage students in their work and progress as musicians
- Develop performance opportunities for students to showcase skills in public recitals
Service Organist
Crete Protestant Reformed Church
02.2018 - 06.2024
- Regularly selected applicable prelude, offertory, communion, and postlude material complementing Sunday worship services
- Lead congregational singing with a Reformed style through well-executed organ accompaniment
- Engaged with congregation members to assess musical preferences for services
- Collaborated with organ teacher Justin Rich through practicing on multiple organs, attending organ recitals, and exploring a variety of sacred organ repertoire
Adult Choir Director
First Christian Reformed Church
09.2022 - 05.2024
- Chose appropriate choral works to expressively support each worship service theme
- Conducted regular weekly rehearsals, selected vocal building exercises, submitted proper liturgical materials for the congregation
- Coordinated with worship planners, accompanists, and instrumentalists to provide creative and vital music for the service
Music Department Work Study Supervisor
Dordt Music Department
08.2019 - 12.2023
- Oversaw daily operations of the department, ensuring smooth workflow and timely completion of tasks
- Applied strong leadership talents and problem-solving skills to maintain team efficiency
- Set up and tear down band, choir, and orchestra rehearsals, assist with stage set up and stage changes for concerts and recitals
- Led and coordinated high school band and choral music festivals, including coordinating average 500-person mass band and chorus
- Supported departmental recitals, masterclasses, and guest musician performances
- Experienced in moving and assembling choral stage shells, choral and instrumental risers, and percussion equipment
- Qualified to move a piano with use of hydraulic lift
- Organized, filed, and distributed band and orchestra music
Adult Choir Director
Heart to Heart Choir
06.2023 - 08.2023
- Initiated the start of a three-month community choir with end of season concert
- Invited local church and community members, communicated with church consistories and committees to confirm logistical details, sent bulletin announcements and final concert advertisements
- Programmed a full choir concert "Singing the Gospel Story," exploring songs along the theme of passing on the stories and doctrine of the Christian faith through music
- Collaborated with accompanists and violinist, communicated with composer Charles Giffen about performing his arrangement of "Agnus Dei in A"
- Rehearsed weekly for three months during the summer, sang at a local nursing home, and performed a final concert for the community (also live-streamed on YouTube)
Education
Master of Arts - Music: Organ
University of Iowa
Iowa City05-2026
Bachelor of Arts - K-12 Choral/Instrumental Music Education
Dordt University
Sioux Center, IA05-2024
Skills
- Team collaboration
- Decision-making
- Hymn playing, registration
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Repertoire selection
- Music theory
- Piano proficiency
- Conducting
Timeline
Church Musician
Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church of America
07.2024 - Current
Adult Choir Director
Heart to Heart Choir
06.2023 - 08.2023
Adult Choir Director
First Christian Reformed Church
09.2022 - 05.2024
Music Department Work Study Supervisor
Dordt Music Department
08.2019 - 12.2023
Organ, Piano, Flute, and Voice Teacher
Private Studio
06.2018 - Current
Service Organist
Crete Protestant Reformed Church
02.2018 - 06.2024
Master of Arts - Music: Organ
University of Iowa
Bachelor of Arts - K-12 Choral/Instrumental Music Education
Dordt University
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