Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Music Program provides all the right notes for PCC’s ‘Guitar Hero’

Photos and story by James Hill

Schools with strong music programs report graduation rates near 90% compared with roughly 73% at schools without them, and studies link music participation to better test scores in math and language. Portland Community College student Grace Stramel is a living example of how one guitar class can change a life. 

“I love playing guitar, and my dream is to go to Spain to study it further,” she said. “I would love to one day teach guitar and help others find a passion for the instrument. 

Stramel, who grew up in Cornelius and now lives in Beaverton, is working toward Spring 2027 graduation from Oregon’s largest post-secondary institution. She first enrolled in PCC’s guitar courses at the Sylvania Campus “just to learn a bit of guitar.” After continuing on with higher-level classes, then private lessons with classical, folk and flamenco guitarist Julia Banzi, that curiosity became a calling.

Banzi is a multilingual University of California at Santa Barbara, Portland State University and Lewis & Clark College alum with a Ph.D. in Music, specializing in Ethnomusicology, from UC-Santa Barbara. Her academic training and extensive research enable her to effectively guide students through their lessons and foster a holistic approach to learning. She said she encourages students to accept who they are while recognizing their capacity for personal transformation. 

“Grace’s dedication to her musicianship has not only strengthened her academic skills but also fueled her personal growth,” Banzi said. “She is a hardworking student committed to transforming herself and reaching her full potential.”

A lifelong musician herself, Stramel played alto saxophone in elementary and middle school and grew up hearing her mother practice flute and sharing piano lessons at home. At PCC, she has deepened her foundation through classes including “Music as Culture,” “Introduction to Music” and “History of Rock.”

“I chose PCC because of the opportunities and programs offered here, and because I wanted to explore different classes and career paths,” she said. “I’ve always loved music, but guitar helped me find a whole new passion. The discipline I’ve built by practicing has made me better in all my classes.”

Stramel plans to transfer her PCC music credits to Portland State, home to a vibrant School of Music & Theater in downtown Portland, allowing her to stay close to friends and family while pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education.

PCC’s Music Program helps students see the breadth of music careers and prepares students for transfer to four-year universities or gain valuable music training. The program prepares students for performance (opera, recitals) and both musical theatre and music therapy. For Stramel, she is capitalizing on PCC’s new transfer pathway agreement with PSU.

Faculty support has been central to that journey. Stramel credits Banzi and music instructor Julianne Johnson for building her skills and confidence, especially as a woman studying what has long been a male-dominated instrument.

Stramel performs regularly, including a recent Prelude Performance at Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and PCC Foundation Events. The once “curious beginner” is now part of a wave of guitarists whose training shows that music education is not just an art form but an academic and career accelerator. And performing in front of audiences like at the Schnitzer and for foundation events, has been cathartic for her.

“Performing guitar in public helped me overcome anxiety,” Stramel said. “I struggled in high school with motivation and have had a long history with anxiety. Guitar helped me learn to succeed through seeing results from dedicated practice. I now strive to learn as a way to show I can overcome my struggles and persevere.”

And Stramel owes much of that development to her music instructors. She said she wouldn’t be where she is without the patient guidance from not only Banzi but choir and music faculty Julianne Johnson.

“They are both very encouraging, and Dr. Banzi is an amazing instructor,” she said. “I find it empowering to receive instruction in guitar from another woman, because it’s a male-dominated instrument. They both helped show me that I can do hard things, and helped me learn that through practicing both playing and performing I’ll see great improvements and improve in confidence.”

For more details on PCC’s Music Program, visit its website: https://www.pcc.edu/programs/music/