Joseph Benjamin Earp is the Music/Music Industry Chair and Director of Bands at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi. He received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Master of Music in Music Education from Anderson University (Anderson, South Carolina), and a Doctor of Music Education from Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia). 2019 Dr. Earp was inducted into the Omega Nu Lambda National College Honor Society based on his academic achievement at Liberty University. In 2020, he was named a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient by the College of Arts and Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

His professional teaching career began in 2006 as Director of Bands at Seneca High School in South Carolina. After two years, he taught band at Robbinsville Middle and High Schools for a year before becoming the founding Director of Bands at Cox Mill High School in Concord, North Carolina. Major accomplishments teaching at the secondary level include one of his symphonic bands auditioning and being selected to perform at the 2013 North Carolina Music Educators State Conference, multiple superior ratings, grand championships, awards, and recognitions from his instrumental ensembles. After eight years of numerous achievements at Cox Mill High School, he moved into his role at Limestone University (Gaffney, South Carolina) as Director of Athletic Bands, elevating many elements of Limestone’s athletic band program. A major accomplishment of the Limestone University Marching Saints was auditioning and being selected to lead one of the afternoon parades at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in January 2019. Just before his role at Hinds Community College, Dr. Earp was the Director of Instrumental Music at Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, North Carolina. Tasked with reviving the instrumental music program at Pfeiffer, he re-established the wind ensemble and pep band. Additionally, he wrote Pfeiffer’s first fight song which was adopted by the school’s student government association. Dr. Earp also ensured the instrumental building at Pfeiffer received much-needed renovations.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Earp is an active published composer and arranger with his music being performed internationally. His works are made available by BKJ Publications, Carl Fischer, CTS Publications (Distributed by C. L. Barnhouse), and RWS Music Company (Distributed by Alfred Music). Dr. Earp’s major compositional accomplishments include being the winner of the 2010 Claude T. Smith Composition Contest in Missouri, winner of the 2018 Thornton Community Band Composition Contest in Colorado, multiple J.W. Pepper Editors’ Choice awards, and multiple works selected to be part of the Band World Magazine Top 100. He currently resides in Clinton, Mississippi with his wife Mary Beth and sons Jackson and Jasper.

More about Dr. Earp can be found at www.joeemusic.com. Follow Dr. Earp on social media @earpcomposer.

2022 KMEA Conference Collaboration – Flexible Ensembles: Why Bother? (PDF)
2022 KMEA In-Service Workshop – McPherson College Concert Band & Jazz Band Program (PDF)