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Staff
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Francis Graffeo, Executive Director
Francis Graffeo was appointed Executive Director in 2005, bringing to the organization a distinguished list of accomplishments in the non-profit arena. In his first two years at the helm he has led the School to two fiscal surpluses, reversing the trend of the prior two years. His work has dramatically increased the School's community contacts and visibility, boosting many areas of support, all the while maintaining or increasing in-house and outreach services and staff. He first came to Knoxville as general director of Knoxville Opera from 2000 to 2005, during which time he was consistently recognized for his innovative, artistically significant productions, as well as his leading role in the cultural life of the region. Mr. Graffeo is the creator of Knoxville's popular Rossini Festival, which is still going strong. He continues to seek means by which he can apply his talents to enrich the arts and education in the region.
Mr. Graffeo has served as grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington. His in-school education programs have taken music to thousands of students in Tennessee, Colorado and Oregon. He also maintains an accomplished career as a conductor of opera, symphony and ballet, enjoying engagements with Atlanta Ballet, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Oregon Mozart Players, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmonica de Lima - Peru, Nashville Opera, Opera Theater of Lucca - Italy, The Symphony of the Mountains, AIMS Orchestra, Graz – Austria, Opera Delaware, Arizona Opera, San Antonio Opera, Orquesta Clasica de Guatemala, the Oberlin Conservatory Opera and many others.
Mr. Graffeo was educated at Texas Tech University, The New England Conservatory of Music and Centro Linguistico Sperimentale in Italy. He is also a graduate of Leadership Knoxville, 2004. Mr. Graffeo's community service activities include the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Music Director Search Committee, as well as the Tennessee Theatre Grand Re-opening Committee. Mr. Graffeo was also a member of H.A.B.I.T., the Human Animal Bond in Tennessee, visiting schools, care facilities and hospitals with his wife Christy and their therapy dogs. The couple lives in Knoxville with their young son Enzo.
Russell Fuquay, Accounting and Finance Manager
Born in Big Spring Texas, Russell started singing at age three and playing guitar at age five. In high school he studied jazz piano, worked for a local radio station, and was the #1 Texas All-State Choir Bass in 1978.
Russell won a voice scholarship to Texas Christian University, where he sang with the Dallas Symphony Chorus, taught guitar at a music store and studied classical guitar. In 1983 Russell joined the Air Force. During his 16 year career he accumulated an array of management training including extensive medical and logistics skills. He achieved multiple Associate Degrees in the various fields of Science.
In 1999 Russell left the military and moved to Knoxville. He completed his BA in Business Management and was Contemporary Music Director at a Methodist church. Home schooling his special needs child soon became the top priority.
Russell’s diverse background in management, logistics, and music coupled with understanding of special needs children and non profit agencies make him a great fit for his work at The Joy of Music School.
Barbara Coates, School Administrator
Ms. Coates has spent her entire adult life in the administrative arena, while continuing to nurture her love of working with children in the capacity of a Preschool Teacher, event planner for children’s events, and business owner. She has managed to combine her interests in the last few years by bringing her talents to work for social service and nonprofit agencies in the areas of administration, marketing, fundraising and human relations.
Faculty
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Julie Carter, Director of Music Education
Julie Charisse Carter holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Tennessee with additional studies at the Juilliard School and Stetson University. She joined the School in October 2005 after having served 10 years at the National Music Conservatory (NMC)/Noor Al-Hussein Foundation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan where she was Associate Director of Development, Principal Flute of the NMC Orchestra, and Instructor of flute and saxophone. Ms. Carter co-authored the Music Textbooks Project for the Ministry of Education of Jordan in addition to teaching and developing curriculum for NMC music courses. Previous experience includes work as instructor of general classroom music at the Amman Academy, flute instructor at High Wycombe Abbey School, England, and extensive experience in recording studio management. Currently, she performs as a member of the Three Generations Trio with her mother, pianist Patricia Carter and her daughter, violinist Lili Sarayrah, and has served as part-time music instructor music at Greenway School in Knoxville.
Will Carter, General Music Teacher
Mr. Carter teaches general music classes off-site at Boys and Girls Clubs and Emerald Youth Foundation sites. He is involved in the music ministry at Corryton Church. Mr. Carter also runs a private guitar studio of more than 20 students and has been teaching privately for the last 6 years. He is the 2003 Tennessee All-State Jazz Guitarist and played trumpet for the Carter High School Band from 6th through 12th grade. He attended UT Knoxville, studying jazz performance and educational psychology. He currently tours professionally for Embassy Records, a Christian record label in Nashville, playing close to 200 studio/live dates a year. Mr. Carter’s main instruments are guitar and trumpet, but he also plays dobro, mandolin, keyboard, banjo and bass professionally. He has been featured in many singer/songwriter showcases around the region, and enjoys something of a regional following for his own music.
Volunteer Teaching Staff
These individuals give one to three hours per week teaching disadvantaged and/or at-risk kids in piano, drums, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, voice, flute, guitar and more. The Joy of Music School could not exist without the generous contribution of time and talent these people give to our young students.
Greg Adkins, Piano/Guitar
Erin Archer, Violin
Nicholas Baker, Guitar
Jessica Bolinger, Piano
Ann Buckle, Violin
Will Carter, Guitar
Emilie Casey, Piano
Jerry Coker, Piano
Oslo Cole, Saxophone
Trey Coleman, Guitar
Maurie Douglas, Piano
Susan Eaton, Piano
Charlie Edmonds, Clarinet
Sonya Eichler, Piano
Russ Fuquay, Guitar
Sarah Gault, Piano
Greg Hall, Guitar
Hillary Herndon, Viola
Dave Hogue, Guitar
Anthony Hussey, Trumpet/Guitar
Benjamin Maney, Piano
Jane Marsilio, Saxophone
Nathan Montgomery, Guitar
Patrick Morgan, Percussion
Charlie Morris, French Horn/Trumpet
Lucie Novoveska, Violin
Charles Parham, Piano
David Potter, Guitar/Piano
Geoffrey Proud, Guitar
James Rice, Piano/Choir
Michael Sawyer, Piano
Mary Shults, Violin
Andrew Skoog, Voice
Mattie Smith, Piano
Amanda Taylor, Flute/General Music
Meridith Thompson, Piano, Violin
Rick Wetta, Piano
Abby Williams
Linda Wise, Piano/Voice
Katherine Xue, Piano
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"Where words fail, music speaks."
--Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) Danish short-story writer, poet
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