With Cabrillo College since 2011

Ed. D., Columbia University Teachers College

M. M., New England Conservatory

B. M., Peabody Conservatory

John Graulty, Dean of Visual, Applied, and Performing Arts at Cabrillo College, is passionate about the key role the arts play in improving the human condition and fostering creativity, innovation, and critical thought. Because the arts are essential to unlocking the full creative potential in every human being, and because this unleashed potential allows individuals to accomplish extraordinary things that improve their own lives and the lives of others, he is also passionate about ensuring access to arts education for all, and to integrating the arts into a larger educational process.

With expertise on topics including arts entrepreneurship, advocacy and engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and strategic planning, John has hosted seminars on these topics and been invited to present on these issues at national conferences. He is a strong advocate for training arts students to take an entrepreneurial approach to identifying and pursuing unique, self-directed, innovative, and highly impactful career pathways. With funding support from the California Community College Chancellor's Office Economic Workforce Development initiative, he has spearheaded the development of both an arts entrepreneurship course and 3-course skills certificate for students in all visual, applied, and performing arts disciplines at Cabrillo called Creative Careers: Discovering Self-directed Pathways.

With funding from the same source, John was also instrumental in Cabrillo's selection, in 2017, as one of 24 of California's 115 community colleges to receive a $700K, 2-year grant from the California Community College Maker Project to develop a new Cabrillo College Makerspace. Cabrillo's Makerspace brings together like-minded young people, mentors, educators and community members in a state-of-the-art digital fabrication facility to help make ideas become reality. This collaborative community celebrates an open-ended culture of creativity, innovation, and experimentation. It is a space where STEAM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) come together to pursue ambitious projects. As an economic workforce development initative, the Cabrillo College Makerspace placed 65 maker-skilled student interns representing 19 different disciplines into paid internship opportunities in just under two years. The internship program is continuing post-grant.

John is a professional clarinetist and conductor who holds the Ed. D. from Columbia University Teachers College, a Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory, and the Bachelor of Music Degree from Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. As a former US Air Force conductor who has worked in mediums ranging from jazz to opera, John has conducted former President Bill Clinton, and has conducted at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Red Army Theater in Moscow. Most recently, John conducted performances of Verdi's opera Falstaff with the Bay Shore Lyric Opera. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County, and currently serves on the Board of the Pajaro Valley Educational Foundation. He is a 2018 graduate of Class 33 of Leadership Santa Cruz County. Past academic and leadership appointments include: Associate Conductor and Deputy Commander of both the USAF Academy Band and the Band of the United States Air Forces in Europe; Commander/Conductor of the Illinois Air National Guard Band; Dean of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Merced College (CA); Music Department Chair at both Delaware State University and Goshen College (IN); and faculty posts in clarinet and conducting at Butler University and the University of Indianapolis. John is married to Susan Graulty, VAPA and GATE Coordinator for Pajaro Valley Unified School District, and they have four grown daughters: Valerie, Stephanie, Natalie, and Michelle. John and Sue enjoy taking their two rescued Boston Terriers, Lady and Fitz, for daily walks on the beach.

Video about Makerspace
Cabrillo College Fab Lab & Makerspace: Innovating for Good in Our Community:

Videos of John Graulty, clarinetist, conducting and performing

John Graulty conducting Antonin Dvorak's Slavonic Dance #8 (4:45)
"Wee-Z" for Solo Clarinet (1:06) by Kalmen Opperman
Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, Op. 114 Johannes Brahms - Adagio (7:11):
Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, Op. 114 Johannes Brahms - Andantino Grazioso (3:52):