Band Director

Muhlenberg County High School Band

​Tradition
Although Muhlenberg County High School was opened in 2009, the tradition and accomplishments of the Muhlenberg County band programs have a history of several decades. Many students in the Muhlenberg County Bands are the children and grandchildren of former band students of the many distinguished bands from Muhlenberg County. These include Bremen High School, Central City High School, Drakesboro High School, Graham High School, Greenville High School, Hughes Kirk High School, Muhlenberg Central High School and more recently Muhlenberg North and Muhlenberg South High School.
Many high school band directors, college band directors, professors, music teachers, professional musicians and other successful individuals are former students of these Muhlenberg County band programs. To list all of the accomplishments of these bands and the individual members would be a monumental task. It is indeed an honor to be included in the list of students that were members of these bands.
The KMEA State Marching Band Championship was established in 1986. Since that time the combined Muhlenberg County Bands accumulated a total of 21 top five finishes, 14 finals appearances and 3 State Championships.
– The Tradition Continues –

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Mr. Joel Watson is the Director of Bands at Muhlenberg County High School. His primary responsibilities include directing the Concert Band, Marching Band, Pep Band, assisting at the middle school, and teaching Dual Credit Music Appreciation and Music Theory. He began teaching in August 2010, serving as the Director of Bands at Muhlenberg South Middle School and Associate Director of Bands for Muhlenberg County High School until May 2024. His responsibilities at South Middle included teaching 6th grade beginning band, 7th grade band, 8th grade band, and three general music classes. The bands and students under his direction consistently received distinguished ratings at KMEA District 3 Large Ensemble Performance Assessment Event and superior ratings at Trills and Thrills Music Festivals. 

He is a 2005 graduate of Henderson County High School. He received his Bachelor of Music Education with high honors in 2009 and his Master of Arts in Teaching in 2010 from the University of Louisville. While at UofL, he was a member of CMENC (chapter president 2007–2009), Golden Key International Honour Society, National Society for Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), the National Dean’s List, and the International Trumpet Guild (chapter secretary in 2007). Mr. Watson was the trumpet section leader of the Cardinal Marching Band in 2006 and 2007 and was one of the three drum majors for the 2008 season. He also was a member of the University Wind Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra, University Jazz Ensemble II, University Symphonic Band, and the University Trumpet Ensemble. He was awarded the Jim and Carolyn Fern Music Education Scholarship in 2009, the University of Louisville MTNA STAR Award in 2009, and the University of Louisville Music Education award in 2009. 

During his teaching tenure, Mr. Watson has been a judge for multiple KMEA solo and ensemble events around the state and clinician/conductor for the Murray State University’s Quad State Middle School Band Festival. He is a member of KMEA (Kentucky Music Educators’ Association), KMEA Third District Band Directors Association, ASBDA (American School Band Directors’ Association), and NAfME (National Association for Music Educators). He has served as the KMEA 3rd District middle school band chair, KMEA 3rd District band chair, and KMEA State middle school band chair. During his term as state middle school band chair, Mr. Watson was a key asset in creating the first KMEA All-State Middle School Band in 2023-2024. 

As an active trumpet player, he performs with Sacred Winds Ensemble, West Kentucky Trumpet Ensemble, and First Baptist Church of Greenville. Mr. Watson resides in Greenville, KY with his wife Megan, two daughters Kylie and Emily, and two great Pyrenees dogs, Sugar and Trooper.