Joe attended Colorado Mesa State and North Texas State University where he majored in jazz studies and flute performance later graduating from Metropolitan State University of Denver with degrees in Flute Performance and Music Education. Subsequently he obtained his masters degree at the University of Colorado in Music Education and Saxophone.
Concluding over 25 years of teaching in Douglas County and Denver Public Schools, Joe recently retired in order to concentrate on his performing, music publishing, and clinician initiatives.
Joe’s past performance and recording experiences include the international group IMAGES that he helped form as well as collaborations with Rob Mullins, Ron Miles, Chuck Lamb, Eric Gunnison, Hugh Ragin, Paul Romaine, and Nestor Torres. Joe continues to lead groups and produce jazz concerts in the Denver area primarily at the jazz venue Dazzle.
During his music education career these past 25 years Joe has worked with hundreds of elementary students developing the “Music Beyond Borders” curriculum that features an overlay of technology assisted jazz instruction, call and response improvisation work, and professional mentor integration. He has expanded these concepts in his years teaching middle school, with high school students in his jazz camp experience and his teaching in the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts. Joe has also worked as adjunct professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver and has done jazz clinics for both students and educators at numerous conventions and colleges.
Joe has served as Colorado president of several jazz education organizations and currently is working on publishing much of his band and orchestra music written for student groups over the years.