Joel Tillman is in his 5th year as director of bands at Karns Middle School in Knoxville, Tn and in his 21st year in the public schools of Tennessee.  He began his career at Hixson Junior High School in Chattanooga, Tn.  For the next ten years he was band director at Bradley Junior High School in Cleveland Tennessee, where he developed and/or oversaw comprehensive instrumental and indoor performance ensembles of concert percussion.

Following the Bradley County appointment, he went to the Harriman City School System where he developed the middle school program and co-directed the high school band.  Currently at Karns Middle he directs the development of all instrumental classes and promotes the Karns Middle School Festival Band which performs not only locally, but travels at invitation.

Tillman attended Tennessee Tech University and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he was graduate assistant in trumpet and band.  He performed with the Whitewater Brass Quintet, a finalist in the International Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, for 10 seasons with the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, the Chattanooga Concert Band, the Oak Ridge Symphony, the Knoxville Wind Symphony, and the Southern Stars Symphonic Brass Band.  He also performs regularly with his church orchestra and jazz band.  He lives in Farragut, Tn with his wife, Kim (also a music teacher) and his 2 boys, Brandon and Garrit.