Bio
Joshua began playing piano as a child in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. He later studied with Allen Kindt and Bair Shagdaron at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.
While an undergraduate student he began composing chamber music and electronic music as a student of Scott Meister. After college he taught a variety of high school music courses, including chorus, band, steel band, piano, music theory, and music appreciation.
In 2006 he began studying composition with Steve Ricks at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. While there he also studied with David Sargent. At BYU, Joshua taught music theory and music dictation. In the summer of 2007, he was selected to intern at the Barlow Endowment for Music's annual prize selection retreat.
In 2009 he began work on a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of North Texas where he has studied with David Bithell, Harvey Sollberger, Libby Larsen, Michael Colgrass, and Claude Baker. He is currently teaching beginning composition with Joseph Klein.
In 1997, Joshua embarked on a two-year religious mission to South Korea. There he learned the Korean language and came to understand and love the culture, especially the food and music. Both concrete Korean musical styles and generic east Asian concepts like balance and amorphousness continue to inform his compositional style.
He has received numerous awards for music composition including a commission from the prestigious Barlow Endowment and First Prize for music composition in the Vera Hinckley Mayhew Student Creative Arts Contest.
Joshua currently lives in Denton, Texas with his wife Megan and two daughters.
Education
Brigham Young University; Master of Music, 2008
Appalachian State University; Bachelor of Music, 2003
Teaching Positions
Teaching Assistant, composition; University of North Texas, Denton, Texas; 2009-present
Teaching Fellow, music education; University of North Texas, Denton, Texas; 2010-present
Teacher, band; Avery High School, Newland, North Carolina; 2008-2009
Instructor, music theory and aural skills; Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; 2006-2008
Teacher, band, chorus, music theory, piano, music appreciation; Ashe County High School, West Jefferson, North Carolina; 2002-2006
Awards
Travel Award, Toulouse Graduate School, University of North Texas, 2010
Barlow Endowment commission for The Wanderer for wind ensemble, 2009
Vera Hinckley Mayhew Student Creative Arts Contest, 1st Prize, music composition, 2008
Travel Award, Brigham Young University Graduate School, 2008
Travel Award, Barlow Endowment, 2008
North Carolina Teaching Fellow, 1996
List of Compositions
Septimus; string quartet; 15 minutes (2009-10) - performance scheduled for June 2010
Till Human Voices Wake Them; orchestra; 1 minutes (2010)
Irichori; piano duo; 7 minutes (2010) - performance scheduled for May, 2010
The Wanderer; wind ensemble; 7 minutes (2009) - performed by the Appalachian State University Wind Ensemble, John Ross, conductor; Boone, North Carolina; April 21, 2010
Variations for Winds; flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, euphonium, piano; 7 minutes (2009)
When the Evening is Spread Out Against the Sky; orchestra; 18 minutes (2008)
The Mysterious Mirror; alto saxophone, electric guitar, piano, percussion; 10 minutes (2007) - composed for and recorded by Flexible Music; Provo, Utah; 2008
the five notes make his ears deaf; flutes, harps, percussion; 7 minutes (2007) - performed by the Appalachian State University Flute Choir as part of Contemporary Music Festival at the Hayes School of Music; Boone, North Carolina; 2008
High Flight; SSAATTBB choir; 5 minutes (2007)
Apollo and the Moon; four sopranos, percussion, electronics; 8 minutes (2007)
Violet Chasing Indigo; flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon; 2 minutes (2006)
The Way the Moonlight Strikes a Cold Mountain Lake When No One is Watching; steel pans, electric guitar, piano; 5 minutes (2006)
Seasons, settings from The Fisherman Songs by Yun Sun-Do; baritone, flute, oboe, bassoon, string quartet, and percussion; 20 minutes (2006) - performed by Hyrum Weibell, baritone; Provo, Utah; 2006
Score for film Rearview Mirror; orchestra; 10 minutes (2005)
Morning Prayer; SATB choir; 3 minutes (2004)
Nam Hae-Seong; electronics; 4 minutes (2002) - played back; Boone, North Carolina; 2002
Fanfare; trumpets in C; 2 minutes (2002) - performed by the Appalachian State University Trumpet Choir; Boone, North Carolina; 2002
Fire and Water; violin, horn, piano; 6 minutes (2002) - performed by Sarah Mann, violin, Kevin Burke, horn, and Melony Dodson Maness; Boone, North Carolina; 2002
Songs of Innocence; tenor, mezzo soprano, soprano, boy soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon; 20 minutes (2002) - performed by Alexandra Walker, soprano, Shalene Wyrick, mezzo soprano, Jimmy Buchanan, tenor, Taylor Ward, boy soprano; Boone, North Carolina; 2002
My Father's Lintel; piano, prepared piano, three players; 8 minutes (2001) - performed by Derrick Spence, Shalene Wyrick, Joshua Harris, pianos; Boone, North Carolina; 2001
Walking and Dancing with the Monk; percussion quartet; 4 minutes (2001) - performed by John Leupold, Jeff Butterfield, Tim Backus, Jeremy Mueller, percussion; Boone, North Carolina; 2002
On a Theme; piano; 2 minutes (2001) - performed by Joshua Harris, piano; Boone, North Carolina; 2001
Theme and Variations; solo violin; 7 minutes (2000) - performed by Graham Thaxton, violin; Boone, North Carolina; 2000
Sonata in; violin, piano; 3 minutes (2000)
Intrada; horn, piano; 3 minutes (2000) - performed by Nathan Hannon, horn, Joshua Harris, piano; Boone, North Carolina; 2000
Dance and Waltz; piano; 6 minutes (2000) - performed by Joshua Harris, piano; Boone, North Carolina; 2002
Eighth Psalm; SSAATTBB choir; 5 minutes (1999)
Areopagitica; flute, clarinet, piano; 6 minutes (1997) - performed by Amber Hutton, flute, Daniel Harder, clarinet, Joshua Harris, piano; Boone, North Carolina; 1997
Essay; piano; 7 minutes (1996) - performed by Allen Kindt, piano; Boone, North Carolina; 1996. Performed by Joshua Harris, piano; Boone, North Carolina; 2002
Prelude; piano; 2 minutes (1996) - performed by Erin Witcher Penley, piano; Boone, North Carolina; 1996