ABOUT

Joseph Benjamin Earp (b. March 20th, 1984)

Joseph Earp is currently working at Limestone University (Gaffney, South Carolina) as Director of Athletic Bands.   Some notable moments at Limestone College include:

​

• Productive recruitment for the department of music with the reorganization of the high school honor band event and the creation of Reading Band Day to host over 250 high school students annually.

• Strengthened the relationship between athletics and band during the summer of 2018 with the addition of the pep band now performing at fall basketball games and the marching band now attending select away football games in addition to home games.

• Created several community performance opportunities for the Marching Saints, performing exhibition at high school band competitions, local middle and high schools, and assisted living facilities.

• Marching Saints auditioned and led one of the 2019 prime time parades in Magic Kingdom (Disney World)

• Premiering several of my compositions for concert band with the wind ensemble and high school honor bands.

• 2018 keynote speaker for the Olde English Consortium (Upper State School Districts of South Carolina)

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Mr. Earp has also taught at Robbinsville Middle and High Schools (North Carolina), Seneca High School (South Carolina) and Explore! beyond school (North Carolina). As an active composer, he has been commissioned on several occasions, including band works for middle and high school ensembles, honor bands and brass choir. Some of the commissions of Mr. Earp’s work have come from Chris White (Hickory Ridge Holiday), Blair Smith (Coastal Fanfare, Mustangs Rebel the Knight of Wolves, and Stone Mountain Fanfare), Dave Silden (The Nobles of Queen City), Kevin Townsend (WE ARE BRAVE! – Concert March), and Steve Petrucci (Among the Vikings and the Cast Iron Sixth). Hickory Ridge Holiday was the first composition of Mr. Earp to be performed internationally as part of the Hickory Ridge Wind Ensemble’s Performance Tour in China (2018). In addition to composition, Mr. Earp has arranged many works for concert band, marching band, and small ensembles. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Mr. Earp is a proud member of NAfME, NCMEA, SCMEA, North Carolina Bandmasters Association, South Carolina Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, and ASCAP. He is also an active clinician, adjudicator and commissioned composer.

Joseph resides in Concord, North Carolina with his wife, Mary Beth, and sons, Jackson and Jasper.

Prior to Limestone, Mr. Earp served as Director of Bands at Cox Mill High School (Concord, North Carolina) from 2009-2017 as the founding band director.

​

The “Spirit of Cox Mill” Band program has earned many superior ratings and awards.  Some of the major accomplishments of the Cox Mill program under Mr. Earp's direction include:

​

• Symphonic band’s first grade six superior during the 3rd year of the school’s opening.

• Marching band earning its’ first grand champion in the 2nd year of the program.

• Marching band appearing in a nationally televised commercial for SHOWTIME for the hit series HOMELAND.

• Marching band competing in it's first Bands of America Super Regional (2013).

• Symphonic band performing for the 2013 North Carolina Music Educators State Conference.

• Competing with the marching band, symphonic band, concert band, jazz band, percussion ensemble and winter guard in Disney World’s Festival Disney (2011, 2015 and 2017).

• Earning top placements and ratings and sweeping the areas of concert band, jazz band and percussion ensemble at the Williamsburg, Virginia – Music in the Parks (2013).

• Earning consistent superior ratings with all of the concert, jazz and percussion ensembles at the Carowinds Festival of Music (numerous years).

• The spring of 2016 marked the first superior rating earned from the Cox Mill Wind Ensemble at the masterwork level with their performance of Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy.

​