Celebrating Women’s History Month With WBDI: Dr. Julia Baumanis

Band Shoppe has once again teamed up with Women Band Directors International to highlight four women making a difference in the music education community. For the month of March, we will be celebrating Women’s History Month by posting each Friday about these amazing women.

We are so thankful for our ongoing partnership with WBDI because of the way they inspire, educate, and provide support to women in the music community.

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Prior to her appointment at Rutgers, Dr. Baumanis was the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Central Missouri. Her contributions to the field extend beyond the university setting, as she has been actively involved in various music education organizations. She has served on the repertoire committee for the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), contributed to Music For All’s Educational Advisory Team in 2023, and co-chaired the Mentorship Committee of Women Band Directors International (WBDI). Additionally, she is the co-author of GO ON, Tell Your Story! Voices of Women Band Directors, a book published by GIA Publications in 2023 that features the experiences of over 100 women band directors. Further expanding her artistic leadership, in January 2023, she was appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra, a professional ensemble that has served the New Brunswick, NJ area for over 65 years.

Dr. Baumanis is a graduate of The Florida State University College of Music, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education, a master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting, and a PhD in Music Education and Instrumental Conducting. Before pursuing graduate studies, she was a dedicated public school educator in South Florida, serving as Associate Director of Bands and Orchestras at J.P. Taravella High School and Director of Orchestras at Ramblewood Middle School.

An active performer, educator, and researcher, Dr. Baumanis has shared her research on international platforms, presenting at the NAfME Research Symposium, the CBDNA National Conference, and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Her most recent research focuses on the development of a conductor’s baton equipped with technology to record data from a conductor’s expressive gestures. She aims to integrate this innovation into the conducting classroom as a tool to assist beginning conductors in refining their technique and developing their craft.