Joe Emery
by Craig Gray
June 12, 2006
Joe Emery graduated from Pittsburg, KS in Southeast Kansas in 1977,
after which he attended Wichita State University that fall. He married
his wife, Ricki, following his second year of college and they recently
celebrated their 27th anniversary. They had two kids, Devin, born in
1984 and Kelsey, born in 1986. Devin passed away in 2004 and Kelsey is
currently a sophomore at Kansas State University, in Manhattan, KS.
Following his graduation from WSU in May of 1982, Joe taught 5-12 band
in the Belle Plaine School District. He began work on his Masters of
Music Education in 1985 at WSU and moved to begin teaching in the
Wichita School District at Heights High School in 1986. He received
his MME in 1988. In the fall of 2001 he moved to El Dorado High School
and Middle School where he taught until this year.
Joe has had groups perform at the Kansas Music Educators Association
State Convention and In-Service Workshop twice during his career: The
Belle Plaine 7th-8th Grade Band in 1986, and the Heights High School
Symphonic Band in 1994. He is a performing member of the Wichita
Chamber Chorale, a professional choral ensemble in Wichita, and is the
director of Music at University United Methodist Church in Wichita,
where he has been a member since marrying Ricki there in May of 1979.
In addition to his teaching and choral work Joe plays the guitar and
sings, performing regularly as a solo act or with his band of twelve
years, The Lower Room Band, performing folk and rock from the past 50
years. When not involved with music his other passion, hunting, takes
up his spare time.
