Everything Band: Episode 33 - Joe Allison

Joe Allison joins me to talk about the marching arts, surrounding yourself with great people, and being open to learning from others.

Topics:

• The Marching Roundtable Podcast, the Marching Roundtable Judge's Academy, and the importance and role of the marching arts in a comprehensive high school music program.
• Joe's incredibly diverse and unique background and how that has made him a better musician and teacher.
• The importance of persistence and hard work to being a good teacher.

Links:

• Joe Allison
• Eastern Kentucky University School of Music
• Marching Roundtable Podcast
• Marching Roundtable Judge's Academy
• Drum Corps International
• Drum Corps Associates
• Quadrant Arts Education Research
• Fisher Tull: Sketches on a Tudor Psalm
• Bela Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
• Vincent Persichetti: Symphony
• Marching Band Amplification and Electronics Survey

Biography:

Dr. Joseph H. Allison is currently Professor of Music at Eastern Kentucky University, serving as an Arts Curriculum Designer and Director of the Marching Arts Research Team. He previously  served as Director of Bands and the Graduate Conducting Division for 13 years. Additionally, Dr. Allison is a Managing Partner of the Marching Roundtable Web Platform, and an Educational  Clinician for Conn-­‐Selmer, Inc.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education (French Horn) from East Tennessee State University, a Master’s Degree (Percussion) and the Doctorate in Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of South Carolina. Dr. Allison is the former Director of Bands at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Associate Director of Bands at East Tennessee State University, and Director of Bands at Sumter (SC) High School, Greenwood (SC) High School and Richmond County (NC) Senior High School. He serves as an adjudicator, clinician and consultant for concert, marching and jazz events throughout North America, Europe, and Japan.

Dr. Allison has held professional affiliations with the Kentucky Music Educators Association (Board of Control), East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association, South Carolina Band Directors Association, College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, National Band Association (Board of Directors), American School Band Directors Association, International Association of Jazz Educators, Percussive Arts Society (Advisory Board), The Conductor’s Guild, Drum Corps International Judges Guild (Executive Board), Bands of America (Advisory Board), Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu Honor Fraternity and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

During his 19 years of public school teaching, ensembles under Dr. Allison’s direction received consistent superior ratings in adjudicated events and performed regularly at significant regional and national events. During his tenure as Director, the Sumter Bands became the first internationally to be honored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation as laureates of both the Sudler Flag of Honor for concert excellence and the Sudler Shield for marching achievement. The Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensembles, Percussion Ensembles and Chamber Orchestra were all regularly featured in  major regional and national settings. As an adjudicator, in addition to extensive concert band and jazz ensemble activity, Allison has judged the major competitions of the music pageantry world: the Drum Corps International World Championships, and the Bands of America Grand National Championships, Winter Guard International, Drum Corps Japan, and the World Music Contests in Holland. He is the Founding Director and curriculum designer of the Kentucky Marching Band Adjudicators Association, and is a consultant for several other state associations.
​
Dr. Allison’s personal honors include the National Band Association’s “Citation of Excellence” and the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s “Sudler Order of Merit,” as well as achievement citations from both the International Association of Jazz Educators and the Percussive Arts Society. He has been listed in Who’s Who of American Educators, Outstanding Young Men of America, and was honored i in multiple resolutions of the South Carolina State Legislature. Allison has received letters of commendation from Presidents Bush and Clinton and is a laureate of both the Order of the Palmetto from the state of South Carolina, and Kentucky Colonel from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.