Joel Edwards

Born in Des Moines, Iowa and moved to Omaha, Joel received a BA in music education in 1977 and received a MS in Audiology in 1984 and Doctoral Degree Au.D. from ATSU in Phoenix Arizona 2010. Joel is currently an audiologist for Boys Town National Research Hospital West Hospital and serves as a coordinator. Joel taught hearing science and was an adjunct professor a UNO Department of Communicative Disorders and taught 10 years.

Joel’s trumpet teachers include Jim Hill, recording jingle artist for the Minneapolis and Omaha areas in the early 70”s, Gene Badgett (Trumpet Omaha Symphony in 1973-77), Dennis Schneider (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) 1980-83, John Henes, Chicago Metropolitan Opera trumpet section (Alexander technique for trumpet) 1995.

Joel Edwards performs with various groups in the area that include the Solid Brass Quartet, Omaha Brassworks, Omaha Trumpet Ensemble, Lincoln Trumpet Ensemble, Omaha Big Band, Resurrected Swing Big Band and Gooch’s Las Vegas Jazz band that performs in Omaha regularly.

Joel has also performed with Ray Charles, Temptations, Four Tops, The Mighty Sam McClain, Johnny Mathis, Omaha Symphony Pops Orchestra and has played trumpet on many Broadway shows coming through the Omaha Metro that include Grease, Cinderella, Annie, Sound of Music, Damn Yankees, Crazy For You, Dream Girls (Dianna Ross Story), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Fiddler on the Roof, Spamalot to mention a few. Also listed to his credit is the longest running locally-produced professional show called Bee Hive, music review of the 50’s and 60’s rock era.

Joel has been a member of Blue House with the Rent-to-Own Horns for over 20 years. Blue House is a blues band that mixes a twist of blues with powerful 3 part horn lines and interludes that separate us from other local and national blues bands. Blues house was on my radar before I was asked to join the band. The term rent to own horn section was not a mistake. The horn parts were original charted by our original guitar player, Jon Novak. The parts were fairly intricate and interesting to play. Many trumpet players wanted to play in the band because of the well orchestrated charts. It is the tension or ying and yang between the horn section and rhythm section that set us apart from many other groups. It is great to be a “Rent to Own Horn” section player.