Bio
Josh Spaulding (b. 1991) is an emerging contemporary composer, music educator, and percussionist hailing from the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee. Drawing from a variety of inspirations, including minimalism, rock, and jazz, Josh's music explores the crossroads and intersections between different perspectives and seeks to find connection in the aural ties that bind us in our modern world. Josh currently is a freelance composer, music educator, audio engineer, and marching/pageantry arts arranger/designer in the greater Omaha and Lincoln area.
Josh's works have been performed across the country and abroad by numerous ensembles and performers such as the Hijinx Clarinet Quartet, the ARC Percussion Trio, the LCD Woodwind Trio, the Ebanyoung Quartet, the Balmoral Chamber Orchestra, members of the Omaha and Lincoln Symphonies, the University of Tennessee Martin Percussion Ensemble, the Science Hill High School Percussion Ensemble, and Duo Wolfs/KleinJan among others. Josh has presented works at numerous conferences and events across the United States including the Midwest Clinic, the NACWPI Conference, the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, the American Single Reed Summit, and the IDRS 2018 conference in Grenada, Spain. Josh was named a composition fellow for the University of Nebraska's 2013 Chamber Music Institute, and he was the recipient of the 2019 Ida M. Vreeland Graduate Award for his creative work at the University of Nebraska. In addition, his most recent work, Anecdoche, was the recipient of a creative arts grant from the University of Nebraska Lincoln Hixon Lied College of Fine Arts. As a film and multimedia composer, he has worked on several small films including Underlying Fear, directed by Adam V. Turner, and Say Goodbye, Grace, directed by Ryan Olsen. Josh's music has also been featured on several radio podcasts on KZUM including Art Talk Live and Cinema Roundtable.
As an educator, audio engineer, and percussionist, Josh currently works with the Elkhorn North High School Band in Elkhorn, NE and the Crossroads Indoor Percussion Ensemble based in Des Moines, IA. Josh previously was the Director of Percussion and Middle School Band Director of the Horn Lake Eagle Pride Band Program in Horn Lake, Mississippi, and he has been involved with numerous other groups including the WGI percussion ensembles Audio Theater and Railmen Indoor Percussion, The Columbians Drum and Bugle Corp, the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corp, The Colt Cadets Drum and Bugle Corp, and the LNK New Music Collective among others. Josh previously served on the board of the PAS University Committee, and was the Collegiate Division winner of the 2012 Tennessee PAS soloist competition. Josh had the honor of participating in the 2011 and 2012 Nief Norf Summer Festival at Furman University, performing in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil with the UTM Percussion Studio in 2011, and performing with the Gateway Indoor WGI ensemble in 2014. Josh is a member of the Syncro Percussion Duo, and was a major collaborator for the Small Town Big Sound Project and John Keegan and the Cut Ties.
Josh has studied composition with Dr. Greg Simon and Tom Larson, and he has studied percussion with Dr. Julie Hill. He holds a M.M. in Music Composition from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Tennessee Martin. He is an active member of ASCAP, SCI, PAS, NAfME, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Kappa Phi. He currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska. When he is not composing, teaching, or playing, Josh enjoys fishing, hiking, reading, and watching movies or hilarious Youtube videos.
© 2022 Josh Spaulding Music Productions. All Rights Reserved.
Logo courtesy of Lauren England - Ray. Images courtesy of Stephen Downing, Julie Hill, and Buddy LaFevere.
Logo courtesy of Lauren England - Ray. Images courtesy of Stephen Downing, Julie Hill, and Buddy LaFevere.