Although this is only her first year working for Liberty as the director of orchestras, Julie Blackstock has been in love with orchestra her whole life.

The first time Blackstock picked up a bow was when she was in the sixth grade. Her instrument of choice? The cello. Since then, her music has become her life’s work and passion.

“Why do you like to eat?” Blackstock asked. “(Music) is a part of me. I can’t not like it. It is me.”

After being an orchestra teacher for 17 years, she decided to come to Liberty. She saw how dedicated and determined the students were to learn music, and she wanted to be apart of that learning process.

“The quality of their performances are amazing,” Blackstock said. “That is why I wanted to become a part of the Liberty staff—everyone is so hardworking.”

Her style of teaching has also caused her to become a class favorite among students. With her laid-back attitude and her wit, she has become a role model to many of her students.

“She’s really funny and super nice,” sophomore Lindsey Watkins said. “She likes to tell us jokes in class. She still makes us work really hard though.”

Blackstock said that she plans to work at Liberty as long as she can. She loves how friendly the faculty members are and how they have made this transition to a new school district easy on her.