Pianist Joy Graves obtained a B.S. in Music Education from Maranatha Baptist University, an M.M. in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College, studied at Westminster Choir College under renowned pianist and author Ingrid Clarfield, and is currently finishing up a D.M.A. Piano Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi under the instruction of former president of MMTNA Dr. Ellen Elder. Her dissertation topic area involves teaching piano to students with autism.

Joy Graves grew up in northern VA. She starting taking piano lessons at an early age. She was homeschooled and liked playing sacred music. Over the years Joy Graves has had a variety of teaching experiences. During most of her time as an undergraduate student she taught at the Maranatha Piano Prep School working with students individually, coaching piano ensembles, and helping with a music theory class. She also taught early childhood music at the Kiddie Kampus of Maranatha Baptist University. She worked at the Westminster Conservatory as an internship teacher, at Mel’s Music, and has done freelance teaching. She has taught a wide age range of students and has worked with students with special needs. In addition, Joy Graves gained cross-cultural experience as an English teacher in Xi’an, China where she taught oral English to graduate students. During her doctoral studies at USM, she taught both class piano and private lessons at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Currently, she teaches piano at her in home piano studio and at the Taylor School of Mississippi College. She has taught keyboard/piano at Conehatta Elementary School which is a Tribal School of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians where she taught students ranging from Pre-K through 7th grade. Joy Graves has experience teaching piano students ranging from four years old to seventy-eight. She has had former piano students accepted as piano majors at William Carey University one of which currently studies at Peabody Institute.

Joy Graves has studied with internationally renowned teacher and pianist Ingrid Clarfield. She has also studied under renowned Paul Sheftel, and Phyllis Lehrer. She has observed lessons given by Marvin Blickenstaff at the New School of Music in Kingston, NJ. Joy Graves has given solo recitals and done collaborative piano work. During her time at The University of Southern Mississippi, she collaborated with solo instrumentalists and vocalists, the Concert Choir, and the Concert Band of the university. She has also done a lecture recital recording featuring all contemporary music including music by Cowell and Crumb that required extended techniques as well as music by John Cage for prepared piano, which involves placing objects in the piano to alter the sound. She has accompanied the choir of Kendall Park Baptist Church. In 2016 she had the opportunity to sing in the Westminster Symphonic Choir with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Yannick Nezet-Seguin in Carnegie Hall. During her time as an undergraduate and graduate student, Joy Graves participated in different performing groups at a variety of capacities including ten tours with different performing groups such as choir tours (soprano), band tour (flute), percussion ensemble tour, and national bell tour (handbell choir). 

Joy Graves is married to Mason Graves, has one child, and resides in Jackson, MS. She is a member of the choir (soprano) and accompanies one of the children's choirs at First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, and is a preschool music teacher at Christ United Methodist Church of Jackson. Some of her interests include riding bikes, hiking, and camping. 
​

Joy Graves

Get to know Joy better to find it if her studio is the right fit for you

Pianist Joy Graves obtained a B.S. in Music Education from Maranatha Baptist University, an M.M. in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College, studied at Westminster Choir College under renowned pianist and author Ingrid Clarfield, and is currently finishing up a D.M.A. Piano Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi under the instruction of former president of MMTNA Dr. Ellen Elder. Her dissertation topic area involves teaching piano to students with autism.

BS (Music Education),
MM (Piano Pedagogy and Performance),
DMA (in progress),
NCTM