Short Biography |
Joel Windsor is a passionate music educator, arts advocate, community volunteer and Albertan who lives in High River, Alberta. He completed is Masters in Music Education summa cum laude through Boston University in 2015, building on his B.A. in Music and B.Ed. in Music Education through the University of Lethbridge in 2005. He served with the Alberta Music Education Foundation, the Alberta Registered Music Teachers' Association, the Alberta Society of Music Festival Friends and Music Conference Alberta. He has also served with the Town of High River Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, Alberta Teachers' Association and Alberta Band Association. He currently teaches music at a rural junior-senior High School in High River, Alberta including two community steel pan ensembles, a marching band, and a string ensemble. His custom-designed software, MusicFestivalSuite.com, has helped music festivals across the country save thousands of volunteer hours providing high-quality musical performance opportunities for youth. He is also in demand as a Master of Ceremonies at many arts and community events, and as a speaker at a number of conferences. His passion is for Arts, Education, and the development of community, focussing on the proliferation of the arts by making the love and enjoyment of music more accessible to all.
Long Biography
Joel Windsor is a musician, educator, clinician, adjudicator, composer/arranger, speaker and advocate of the Arts and Education.
Joel's musical career began at the age of 3 playing piano. Fresh out of high school, Joel was named the Principle Percussionist of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra in 1998, a position he held until 2005. He is also an accomplished drummer, having played a variety of venues across the province in the styles of jazz, rock and latin music. He completed is Masters in Music Education summa cum laude through Boston University in 2015, building on his B.A. in Music and B.Ed. in Music Education through the University of Lethbridge in 2005.
Joel has been following a career in education since he was in junior high school. Joel is the composer of "With The Spirit of Youth", the theme song for the 1999 Alberta Senior Summer Games, for which he also appeared as a guest artist with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band. While studying for his education degree, also from the University of Lethbridge, Joel taught many private students, community bands, and of course many students within his teaching practica. Upon completion, he moved to High River, where he began his teaching post at Notre Dame Collegiate for the Christ the Redeemer Catholic School Division as the music specialist. His role at that school has evolved to that of Fine Arts Department Head, where he encourages student development in all the Arts, even though he has a particularly soft spot for music. He instigated the school's Musical Theatre program, created a Steel Pan program, a Marching Band program, and most recently a String Ensemble to the school. Following completion of his Masters, Joel embarked on curriculum work in Music Education, writing the curriculum for a locally developed course known as Rock & Pop implemented at the school. He continues to advocate for improved arts curricula in Alberta. Joel has also been a percussion clinician for 25 years, and has been adjudicating young bands for 12 years. Joel is a highly encouraging instructor, whose passion for student development comes in equal parts to his passion for music and the Arts.
Joel is also in demand as a speaker or Master of Ceremonies, most recently for various Teachers Conventions in Alberta, Community Cafés hosted by Our High River, the Alberta Culture Days in High River, the Mountain View Arts Festival, the Natural High Cyclocross Races, the Days of Yore, and MusicConference Alberta. He has over 15 years of experience in event planning and coordination, and uses this experience as a speaker and presenter, engaging audiences in a variety of scenarios, including in-person or online instruction, public relations and media, and even sports colour commentary.
Joel is also a passionate Arts Advocate. A member of the Alberta Band Association, the Alberta Music Education Foundation, the Alberta Teachers Association (including the Fine Arts Specialist Council), the Alberta Registered Music Teachers' Association, and the National Association for Music Education, Joel works hard to proclaim the value of Arts, Arts Education, and Education on the whole. Joel served as the President of the High River and District Music Festival Association from 2013 to 2015, and continues to work to support the festival movement through helping festivals integrate technology into their organizations. In February of 2013, he was appointed to the Town of High River's Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, chairing that committee as they explored policies to support the recovery of that community following the 2013 Floods until the end of his term in 2017. He seldom passes up an opportunity to work with others to further the development of Arts Education and Arts in his community, and in his home province of Alberta. His custom-designed software, MusicFestivalSuite.com, expanded from a provincial base to a nationwide offering, and has helped music festivals across the country save thousands of volunteer hours providing high-quality musical performance opportunities for youth. His article, "Teaching Musicking and Professionalism in Alberta" was presented at Music Conference Alberta in October of 2014, discussing the future of music education as a profession. Spurred by the cancellation of a beginning band program at a local school, Joel is currently undertaking research on the most appropriate grade level to begin band instruction, a project which should inform administrators across the continent.
Joel's political involvement took the public stage in 2012 with the Alberta Party, as an Ambassador in the Highwood Constituency for the provincial election that year. From then, Joel was an advocate of political change, where ideas are valued over ideology, and collaborative effort is the main method used to achieve success. He was the campaign manager for Richard Murray in his unsuccessful bid for Town Councillor in High River in 2013. He was involved in various aspects of the party, including chairing the Education Policy Committee, advising Alberta Party Leader and MLA Greg Clark, working as Central Regional Organizer, developing the Highwood Constituency Association, and consulting for review of the Constitution and By-Laws. Joel ran as the Candidate for the Alberta Party in the 2015 Provincial General Election. Joel resigned from the Alberta Party publicly citing a departure from the values he expected the party to uphold. Although no longer involved in politics, he continues to advocate for fiscal responsibility and social progression.
Joel grew up in the Carstairs and Didsbury area of Alberta, graduating from Didsbury High School in 1998. Joel currently resides in High River, Alberta with wife Tamara and their two sons, Nathaniel and Sebastian. The community of High River has become his home, within driveable distance of the activity of Calgary and the quiet peace of the mountains. His is a proud father, teacher, and Albertan.
Joel's musical career began at the age of 3 playing piano. Fresh out of high school, Joel was named the Principle Percussionist of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra in 1998, a position he held until 2005. He is also an accomplished drummer, having played a variety of venues across the province in the styles of jazz, rock and latin music. He completed is Masters in Music Education summa cum laude through Boston University in 2015, building on his B.A. in Music and B.Ed. in Music Education through the University of Lethbridge in 2005.
Joel has been following a career in education since he was in junior high school. Joel is the composer of "With The Spirit of Youth", the theme song for the 1999 Alberta Senior Summer Games, for which he also appeared as a guest artist with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band. While studying for his education degree, also from the University of Lethbridge, Joel taught many private students, community bands, and of course many students within his teaching practica. Upon completion, he moved to High River, where he began his teaching post at Notre Dame Collegiate for the Christ the Redeemer Catholic School Division as the music specialist. His role at that school has evolved to that of Fine Arts Department Head, where he encourages student development in all the Arts, even though he has a particularly soft spot for music. He instigated the school's Musical Theatre program, created a Steel Pan program, a Marching Band program, and most recently a String Ensemble to the school. Following completion of his Masters, Joel embarked on curriculum work in Music Education, writing the curriculum for a locally developed course known as Rock & Pop implemented at the school. He continues to advocate for improved arts curricula in Alberta. Joel has also been a percussion clinician for 25 years, and has been adjudicating young bands for 12 years. Joel is a highly encouraging instructor, whose passion for student development comes in equal parts to his passion for music and the Arts.
Joel is also in demand as a speaker or Master of Ceremonies, most recently for various Teachers Conventions in Alberta, Community Cafés hosted by Our High River, the Alberta Culture Days in High River, the Mountain View Arts Festival, the Natural High Cyclocross Races, the Days of Yore, and MusicConference Alberta. He has over 15 years of experience in event planning and coordination, and uses this experience as a speaker and presenter, engaging audiences in a variety of scenarios, including in-person or online instruction, public relations and media, and even sports colour commentary.
Joel is also a passionate Arts Advocate. A member of the Alberta Band Association, the Alberta Music Education Foundation, the Alberta Teachers Association (including the Fine Arts Specialist Council), the Alberta Registered Music Teachers' Association, and the National Association for Music Education, Joel works hard to proclaim the value of Arts, Arts Education, and Education on the whole. Joel served as the President of the High River and District Music Festival Association from 2013 to 2015, and continues to work to support the festival movement through helping festivals integrate technology into their organizations. In February of 2013, he was appointed to the Town of High River's Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, chairing that committee as they explored policies to support the recovery of that community following the 2013 Floods until the end of his term in 2017. He seldom passes up an opportunity to work with others to further the development of Arts Education and Arts in his community, and in his home province of Alberta. His custom-designed software, MusicFestivalSuite.com, expanded from a provincial base to a nationwide offering, and has helped music festivals across the country save thousands of volunteer hours providing high-quality musical performance opportunities for youth. His article, "Teaching Musicking and Professionalism in Alberta" was presented at Music Conference Alberta in October of 2014, discussing the future of music education as a profession. Spurred by the cancellation of a beginning band program at a local school, Joel is currently undertaking research on the most appropriate grade level to begin band instruction, a project which should inform administrators across the continent.
Joel's political involvement took the public stage in 2012 with the Alberta Party, as an Ambassador in the Highwood Constituency for the provincial election that year. From then, Joel was an advocate of political change, where ideas are valued over ideology, and collaborative effort is the main method used to achieve success. He was the campaign manager for Richard Murray in his unsuccessful bid for Town Councillor in High River in 2013. He was involved in various aspects of the party, including chairing the Education Policy Committee, advising Alberta Party Leader and MLA Greg Clark, working as Central Regional Organizer, developing the Highwood Constituency Association, and consulting for review of the Constitution and By-Laws. Joel ran as the Candidate for the Alberta Party in the 2015 Provincial General Election. Joel resigned from the Alberta Party publicly citing a departure from the values he expected the party to uphold. Although no longer involved in politics, he continues to advocate for fiscal responsibility and social progression.
Joel grew up in the Carstairs and Didsbury area of Alberta, graduating from Didsbury High School in 1998. Joel currently resides in High River, Alberta with wife Tamara and their two sons, Nathaniel and Sebastian. The community of High River has become his home, within driveable distance of the activity of Calgary and the quiet peace of the mountains. His is a proud father, teacher, and Albertan.