Teacher Profile: Joseph Shelley
About Joseph Shelley
At the age of six, Joseph began teaching himself how to play the piano. Soon afterward, he performed at church services, school functions, outdoor festivals, social clubs, and similar events. He later took formal piano lessons, finally learning to read music. In elementary school, Joseph began playing the trumpet, switched to the trombone, and ultimately settled on the French horn—for which he would be offered a four-year university scholarship. At thirteen, he developed an interest in conducting and became his high school’s youngest student conductor for the symphonic band as a freshman, eventually earning the distinction of drum major. At sixteen, he was hired as music director for his hometown's Methodist church in Pavo, Georgia.
At 21, Joseph relocated to Central Florida, where he earned his commercial pilot certificates for single- and multi-engine airplanes, including instrument ratings. He then completed ground school for Certified Flight Instructor, obtaining the Federal Aviation Administration’s teaching certificate. While attending aviation school, he also served as church organist and children's choir accompanist for Central Church of Sanford, Florida. During this period, Joseph also began arranging and composing music, eventually recording an album while also launching his teaching career. The aftermath of September 11 disrupted his aviation plans, but he pivoted to work as a music consultant, advising schools and churches on appropriate repertoire for their programs while continuing to teach piano.
After a local church pastor heard his CD of arrangements, Joseph was subsequently offered a position as director of orchestra and music assistant at First Baptist Church Sweetwater of Longwood, Florida, for which he also wrote arrangements and orchestrations. For more than a decade, he then served as music director for Tuskawilla United Methodist Church of Casselberry, Florida, leading the adult choir, children’s choir, men’s and women’s ensembles, handbell choir, worship band, and other groups. He directed more than twenty musical productions and provided music for various community special events. While there, he expanded his teaching studio to include vocal lessons and conducting.
For five years, Joseph studied singing under University of Central Florida's Professor Kimberly Saunders Randall, after which he was hired to sing at various venues, including a televised road race in Sanford, Florida where he performed the national anthem. He also sang with the Orlando Chorale, which was often featured alongside the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.
From teaching five-year-olds to eighty-two-year olds, Joseph has taught several dozen students the past twenty-five years. Several of his students have progressed into their own music careers in the Central Florida area. Joseph’s teaching philosophy has always emphasized that each student is unique: what works for one may not work for another. Some students excel by ear, while others thrive with printed music alone—and he tailors his approach accordingly. He recognizes that negative emotions hinder learning—that a degree of frustration is inevitable when mastering an instrument—and that skillfully managing these feelings is key to long-term success. Above all, he believes any progress—no matter how modest—deserves celebration.