Dr. Julia Gaines-Montag is the author of the series Sequential Studies for Four-Mallet Marimba. The series published by Tapspace includes three books with twenty lessons each that break down the strokes involved in four-mallet marimba literature. She also has a solo recording, Tiger Dance, that includes recordings of some of the intermediate solos included in these books in addition to other works she has commissioned. 

Julia has performed as a soloist throughout the United States and in several countries including Brazil, China, England, and Russia. She has performed in the percussion sections of the Missouri Symphony, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Fox Valley Symphony, the Green Bay Symphony, and the Idaho-Washington Symphony. She has given many clinics at conferences throughout her career as a percussionist including Midwest 2013, 2025, and PASIC 2004, 2008, 2013, and 2019. Her three percussion performance degrees come from Lawrence Conservatory of Music (BM), the Eastman School of Music (MM and performer’s certificate), and the University of Oklahoma (DMA). 

Dr. Gaines-Montag is a long-time member of the Percussive Arts Society and has served in several leadership positions for the organization including Secretary of the Executive Committee and Associate Editor of Percussive Notes. She has worked at the University of Missouri for thirty years where she began as the Director of Percussion Studies. She became the Director of the School of Music in 2014 and led the school for nearly a decade. Some highlights from her administrative career include spearheading the School of Music’s Centennial Celebration and serving as the point person for the design, construction, and grand opening of the Sinquefield Music Center.