Biography
Recently retired from the public schools, Joel Tillman has been a music industry presence as a private instructor and public school music educator for 35 years. He is currently an adjunct professor of trumpet and instrumental studies at Carson-Newman University. Additionally, he's been able to maintain a freelance presence in the trumpet performance arena in East Tennessee. During these years, he has had the pleasure of backing visiting artists such as The Temptations, Mark O'Connor, Rachel Barton-Pine, Mel Torme, Judy Collins, Bernadette Peters and was lead trumpet for the Knoxville Broadway appearances of Mary Poppins and performed in the pit for The Sound of Music. He was a performing member of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and is currently principal trumpet with the Oak Ridge Symphony. He is proud to have appeared as soloist on two occasions with the KCB. He considers himself blessed with a lovely wife, two very successful grown children and two beautiful grandchildren.