Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Martin Frazier.
Hi Julia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Julia Martin Frazier, and I am the creator of “Harp & Home” – an entity that encompasses my various creative and professional projects. I have been a musical performer for my entire adult life. I am a real estate advisor with Monument Sotheby’s International Realty in Baltimore, Maryland. I am a writer and author of Everyday Julia – a growing collection of personal essays and reflections on life in the 21st century. I keep a real estate blog as well. I have a little Etsy shop with items I’ve designed – mostly pickleball themed (yes, I am a 50-something year old who has fallen to the craze). I have always had an appreciation for beautiful and functional design. Over these last three decades, I have focused my efforts on doing what I love, helping people, and thankfully, I have been able to cobble together a living from all of it. My story as a creative person began when I was very young. The path that led me to where I am today, however, has hardly been a straight, clear, or linear one.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
As a kid, growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, there was always art and music in our home. My father was a psychiatrist by profession, and spent his working hours helping patients in various state hospitals, mental health facilities, and in private practice. My mother sold real estate, and held her own broker’s license. Through his work, Dad helped people survive the dark and difficult aspects of the human experience – but he was always at his most content when he was sitting by the fireplace in our living room, listening to classical music on his reel-to-reel player, writing and musing about the meaning of life. No doubt, I inherited my father’s appreciation for the beautiful and creative aspects of living. My brother and I were offered piano lessons at an early age, frequent trips to museums, and outings to classical music concerts. Books surrounded us in our home, and philosophical conversations about the ultimate meaning of life were not infrequent. In high school, I spent more time in music and theater rehearsals than I did studying for my classes. The music we sang and the plays we performed felt timeless and true. Whatever was going on in my own personal life, being a performer offered an escape, and made me feel like I was in tune with a universal spirit. Art and music have always felt like home.
MY INTRODUCTION TO THE HARP
My path to becoming a professional harpist was a bit unusual. Unlike the majority of my fellow conservatory students at Oberlin College – I had not played my instrument from a very young age. In fact, I had never seen nor touched a harp until I was a senior in high school. My very first encounter with the instrument was when our choir performed Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” – a concert piece scored for three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. It so happened that on the day of our dress rehearsal, the harpist for our performance was unable to find a babysitter for her three-year-old daughter. So, little Liza came along, and snuggled up on her mother’s big winter coat in the church pew while we rehearsed. I fell in love with all of it – the harmonies floating all around us, the mystical sound of the harp beneath us, and the adorable little girl sitting so sweetly, while her mother played that enormous 47-stringed instrument. That was how it started.
Following that concert, I offered to babysit that sweet little Liza. Soon after, I was offered an opportunity to spend the summer in Camden, Maine, being a nanny for the two children of the harpist who had accompanied our choir for that fateful Christmas Concert. She was headed to the Salzedo Harp Colony to study with her former teacher, Alice Chalifoux (my future teacher and mentor), and to enjoy the beauty of coastal Maine in the summertime. My job was to take care of the kiddos, and to eat my very first lobster. Little did I know what was going to happen when the harp and I were introduced to one another. How could I possibly begin to imagine what would follow, when I dared to sit at the harp that summer in Maine, just to see how it felt!?
THE UNEXPECTED PATH
I was already registered as an incoming student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for the fall – but that brief and intense love affair with the harp that summer steered me onto another path. The harp and I took to one another immediately – and there was no undoing that bond. The French and Art classes I was taking for my intended major at Miami U were enjoyable, but I was far more interested in finding a harp to play than I was in studying or writing papers. I went in search of an instrument, and found a very sad and lonely harp in the Fine Arts Building. I was granted permission to use it, as long as I could figure out how to get it in playing condition. So I found some diagrams illustrating how to string a harp, and I found some music to play. I called home for some tips on how to position my hands. I practiced for hours on end. When offered, I jumped at the chance to audition for a spot in the harp studio of the world-renowned Miss Alice Chalifoux, who was just a few hours north at the Oberlin Conservatory. God only knows why, but she invited me to come study with her – and on scholarship, no less! I can’t explain how all these things happened, but the universe was paving the way.
I graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory four years later, with two degrees – a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Art History, and a Bachelor of Music, with a major in harp performance. I lived in Boston for a short time after graduation, and then moved to Baltimore to pursue my Masters Degree in Music / Harp Performance at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. When I decided to move to Baltimore to go to graduate school, I had every intention of spending my two years here and moving on. However, thirty years later, Baltimore remains home – where I reside with my husband and two sons. My oldest will head off to college this fall, and the younger will start his first year of high school. Time flies.
CREATING A CAREER AS A PERFORMER
Since finishing graduate school, my life has been full and rich – both personally and professionally. My harp and I have had many adventures. I have performed with major local orchestras and ensembles. A few of my favorite opportunities during that time included playing on stage with Earth, Wind & Fire, and Kanye West. I established and ran a small, niche booking company called HarpSound Productions – scheduling and performing countless weddings and special events. For a few years, I worked with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as a visiting artist in a Baltimore City schools outreach program called ArtsExcel. I did some private teaching, although ultimately, having my own teaching studio was not my true calling.
For five years or so, I commuted to Washington DC to play the harp for High Tea in two prominent hotels, The Ritz Carlton, and in the notorious “Peacock Alley” of the Willard InterContinental Hotel. Being a musician in world class hotels in the nation’s capital afforded me a front row seat to dignitaries, celebrities, politicians, and many colorful guests. Every week, I commuted by train to Washington, DC and donned my formal gowns to play my harp amidst some of the most influential and interesting people of our time.
Artistically, one of my most satisfying projects was acting as co-creator for Summer Chamber Music in Roland Park, a classical music series which got its start in 2007. It all began with local friends and musicians gathering to play through chamber music scores for fun, and organically evolved into something larger in scope. Not long after these Tuesday evening sessions began, creator and Music Director Jackie Capecci envisioned bringing concerts to the public – summer music festival style. A new and original chamber music series in Baltimore City was born, and thrived for the better part of the next ten years. World class performers traveled to Baltimore to join local professional musicians in collaboration. Jackie’s balanced and engaging programming included new and provocative music, as well as works from the chamber music canon. Talented local chefs from our favorite restaurants graciously donated their delicious culinary creations. We threw a pretty terrific party every week – Tuesdays in July, at Roland Park Presbyterian Church, until our final season in 2018. Enjoying the lazy days of summer, performing extraordinary music at sunset, laughing and creating something beautiful for people – just because we wanted to – was magical. Summer Chamber Music in Roland Park was a real treasure – for us, and for all those who helped make it happen.
PARTNERING WITH SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
About a decade ago – it made sense for me to shift my focus. My creative (and entrepreneurial) spirit is always looking for new challenges. Having watched my mother sell homes while I was growing up, I was drawn to it myself in my early forties. While I absolutely love playing the harp, I’m rarely satisfied with sticking with one thing at a time, or for extended periods of time, to be honest. There just seemed to be more out there than practicing for hours on end, day after day, in the hopes of perfectly nailing that upcoming single performance. Getting my real estate license seemed like a fun idea. I loved the idea of helping people create and design the lives they want to live, in the homes where they want to be.
Being a real estate agent means running your own small business, and working as a Vice President with Sotheby’s International Realty allows me to be creative in new ways. Each presentation of a home to market and sell is a bit of an art project for me. By affiliating with Sotheby’s International Realty and capitalizing on the sophisticated marketing materials and talented team available to me through the brokerage, I am able to create a beautifully crafted story for every home I list. Curating an innovative social media presence that is unique and relevant is another creative outlet for me. As the world becomes smaller and smaller, and real estate becomes more accessible to everyone with a digital device, I am proud to be affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty – a globally known and respected brand with a sophisticated and artistic heritage.
Assisting buyers in finding their first or next home is always a true joy. The paths that people take while creating their own life stories are as diverse and varied as one can imagine. There are many home-buying chapters – some are joyful and fun, some are relatively uneventful, some are bittersweet, and some even devastating. Often, I see people dedicated to reinventing themselves, and starting fresh. It can be a scary or challenging time for people, but more often, a move is invigorating, hopeful, and full of excitement. There’s nothing like making a new home and growing into a more comfortable space, or hitting the reset button altogether. What a privilege it is for me, to be so closely connected to these chapters, in such a real and tangible way.
THE BALTIMORE HARP PROJECT
My most recent creative endeavor has focused on bringing music to my community, as a healing and unifying experience. Lately, I feel so much tension, division, and distrust amidst the diverse and beautiful people of our nation, our cities, and even our local neighborhood communities. It can feel overwhelming and very disheartening for me. So I ask myself, what could I possibly do to try to alleviate this pain for us in some way? In an effort to bring some peace, calm and unity into a fractured and dissonant time, I started The Baltimore Harp Project in the fall of 2025. My vision was to create space for people to come together, listen to music, share a poem or thought, and take a break from their devices and the doom that seems so ever present in the media and news headlines.
When dreaming of the right environment for this project, the warm and welcoming space inside Helia Health & Beauty integrative health spa in Roland Park came to mind. I had always wanted to play music in this room – often used as a yoga and sound bath studio – with its tall ceilings and rich wood floors. I asked Kate, Helia’s owner and my personal friend, if I might be allowed to bring my harp, some candles, and a digital projector to create a multi-media arts experience for people to enjoy. She said yes! So every Sunday evening, from November to February (with one online broadcast due to snow), it happened. Every week, people came. There was never a week no one came, and there was always someone new. Each week, I created a new slideshow of my photography, and selected favorite poems or inspiring verses to reflect upon while listening to the harp. I wondered if by experiencing music and community together in this way, we could send a ripple effect of positivity into a dark and challenging world. I believe we did. It was affirming and restorative to spend time together through the cold and dark months of the winter, enjoying the candlelight and music, giving us positive energy to start the week ahead.
While The Harp Project is on a summer pause, I am dreaming of what it will look like when I reinvent the experience – with new energy, new ideas, new collaborators, and plenty of good vibes and hope for us as we navigate these uncertain times. Music and art have healing power. In a time when AI is taking over so many facets of our daily lives – I believe artificial intelligence will never be able to replace or fulfill the need we have to come together and share our art, our time, and our appreciation for beauty and for one another. Doing so will remind us that we all have far more in common with one another than that which divides us. I believe it will be this unity and shared experience that will help guide us to a brighter day. We must continue to do the things that connect us in a personal and human way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Does anyone have a totally smooth road? If so – I don’t think I’ve met them. If you take time to listen to people’s stories, you’ll find everyone has a hard tale to tell. I will say, It does seem that some people have careers that are more stable and predictable than the ones I’ve pursued. In choosing a self-employed lifestyle, I’ve had to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit and tolerance for unpredictable income streams and unusual hours. It certainly has not been easy, and there have been many times, and still are, when I crave a bit more stability and predictability. It’s not effortless, searching for the best way to do the work I believe in, while also holding a schedule that allows time for work / family balance.
In my personal life, I, like many others, have had some challenging times. A few years after I was married, my father’s life was taken suddenly and violently by a psychiatric patient who was in his care within the State Hospital where he worked. It was devastating. My father was an enormously formative figure in my life, and we were very, very close. Much of my life’s work and artistic endeavors were directly influenced by his own love for music and the arts. He was my biggest supporter, and always my most ardent fan. Enduring the loss of him presented me with a choice. I could allow my grief to consume me, and turn away from the beauty that reminded me of him constantly – or I could double down on it, and the positivity of his influence on me and so many others. Even in the darkest of times, and amidst the most profound and all-encompassing feeling of loss, I knew I would not be honoring my father’s memory if I allowed my pain to defeat and debilitate me. What was done can never be undone. Wish as we might – we do not have the ability to go back in time and alter the course of events. Coming squarely face to face with that – the only viable option is to move forward. Keep creating. Keep making music. Keep picking yourself up when something doesn’t work, and try again. Keep doing the right thing. Stay focused on what truly matters. That’s how Dad spent his entire life. I know he’s proud of me and continues to support my efforts. I still feel very close to him, every day.
On another front, I experienced multiple pregnancy losses early on in our marriage. My husband and I were beginning to accept the possibility that starting our own family might not happen for us. Then, not long after my father’s death, I became pregnant with my oldest son. This one stuck, and one more after. The gift of my two boys has been unspeakably amazing. While I can’t begin to explain any rational reason why or how, I have a feeling that Dad had something to do with them being here. There’s room in my world for magical thinking.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a real estate agent and advisor with Monument Sotheby’s International Realty. I help guide people through the process of buying and selling homes throughout the Baltimore area. I’d like to think I specialize in providing a very personal and caring approach to overseeing each client’s experience of finding a new home to live in, or preparing a home to sell. I am known for being a trusted resource for my clients, and for making the process creative, transparent and fun. I am proud that I have helped hundreds and people and families achieve success in what I believe is the one of the most integral aspects of our lives – that of creating a home. In an industry that can feel sales-focused and sometimes impersonal, my business is truly based on relationships, and connection with my clients. Honestly, selling real estate can be a challenging and stressful job. It honestly brings me great joy to guide my clients through every part of a transaction, to minimize stress, and successfully pass those keys at the settlement table!
I think my background in the arts does set me apart. My keen sense of presentation and design certainly helps when marketing the homes I’m selling. I’m a person with many interests, a varied background and a true desire to connect with all kinds of people. Often people aren’t really sure what they’re looking for, or just how to get there. I think I have an intuitive nature that allows me to create a tailor made experience for every client. I pair my local professional knowledge and expertise with the goals of my clients to create sometimes unexpected and really fun outcomes. I never approach two clients or transactions the in same way. Each new home, buyer, and owner has a story to tell. I meet them where they are, and I’m always learning something new.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
If you’re lucky enough to have access to someone who is exceptionally good at something you aspire to be good at, by all means try to get in their orbit. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, and believe that good things are possible. If you spend time with naysayers and discouraging people, it will be that much more difficult to ignite your own spark. It can feel scary to want to create something big and potentially difficult to begin. Many (most) people like to play it safe. Be careful with whom you share your dreams and plans. If you hear messages of doubt or negativity, you might be inclined to believe in the ridiculousness of your hopes and desires. Don’t fall for it. The best dreams are ridiculous and impossible. Search out people who also think beyond the practical, and who have had success in making their own dreams come true.
Affiliate yourself with greatness, and you will become great. Find organizations and individuals who share your mission. Don’t let the attempt to achieve perfection stop you from putting something out there. Nothing is perfect at inception. If there’s something you want to start, just get it rolling. Sometimes, you have to swallow a little bit of pride, because you know your vision is not fully formed, or as good as you want it to be – YET. Simply giving an idea or project some air and light will often get it moving in the right direction. Sharing your work with others can help a project take shape. Conversation and collaboration bring growth. Find safe launching spaces. Creating something in solitude and darkness is too hard. Believe in what you have to offer – you’ll be surprised how your courage to start something invites others to get inspired about your project, and their own. Creativity is brave and contagious. Be the inspiration, and let your dreams take flight!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.harpandhome.com
- Instagram: juliafrazierrealtor
- Facebook: juliafrazierrealtor
- Other: https://jmfrealestate.com/
