Joseph Kevin Ford was born in Chickamauga, Georgia. He was granted the BS in Choral
and Instrumental Music Education from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,
the MME, and the Ph.D. in Choral Music Education from The Florida State University.
While at Florida State University he studied conducting with Rodney Eichenberger and
served as his assistant conductor for two years. He has also studied conducting with
Dr. André Thomas and wind band conducting with Dr. James Croft. Dr. Ford has continued
his conducting training through workshops with Robert Shaw, Roger Wagner, Dale Warland,
Frederic Fennel, and Arnold Gabriel.
Dr. Ford taught High School Chorus, Band and Middle School Band in Rossville, Georgia
where his performance groups consistently made Superior ratings at festivals. He was
formerly Music Program Coordinator and Choral Director at Chattanooga State Technical
Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was also teacher of conducting and
choral music education at the Crane School of Music at The State University of New
York College at Potsdam where he founded the Potsdam Community Chorus and formed and
directed the chorus for the opening ceremony of the 2000 Goodwill Games in Lake Placid,
NY. Dr. Ford also served on the faculty of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
as Director of Choral Activities and Coordinator of Vocal Music Education prior to
his current appointment as Director of Choral Activities at The University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga.
He is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the American Choral Directors
Association, the Tennessee Music Educators Association, East Tennessee Vocal Association,
College Music Society and the International Federation for Choral Music. Dr. Ford
has guest conducted and adjudicated in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, New York, North
Carolina and in Montreal, Canada.