Joel Holmes was born in Arizona on December 6, 1982. The family moved to Virginia where at school during Black History Month, Joel heard the musical sound that would change his life, “I first heard ragtime at music class. It was like a window opening.” With a growing passion, Joel soaked up a steady influence of jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. At the age of 10, Joel would sit at the family piano and play along with these great musicians, naturally following their lead. His mother Theresa first noticed her son's musical talent. Encouraged by his initiative his father Dennis, a trumpet player for the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corp in Fort Myers, started off his son’s music education by teaching him all he knew about basic piano. He learnt enough to play in the local church band and a teenage go-go band. With his family finally settling down in the city of Baltimore, MD Joel formed his first band, in the last year of middle school, aptly named J-Groove. His talent was impressive enough for his mother to suggest he pursue an education in music. Enrolling in the Baltimore School for the Arts was a natural step where Joel’s admission was based purely on talent. After high school, Joel won a full scholarship to the acclaimed Peabody Conservatory of Music, John Hopkins University where he became an understudy of Gary Thomas, the institute’s Director of Jazz. He gained popularity with his fellow students as they played impressive performances at various festivals and venues in both the classical and jazz genres. Joel has studied with Bobby McFerrin, Roy Hargrove and a slew of other respected musicians. He has also taught music and theory at the Rock Junior Academy, the Baltimore School for the Arts as well as given individual private lessons in jazz and classical music. A recent Bachelor of Arts graduate in Jazz Performance, Joel’s accolades include a gold medal in the Act-so Competition of the NAACP, a silver medal in the Local and National Levels and an honorable mention in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition. Now at 22, Joel composes his own style of music blending an array of traditional and contemporary jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, hip-hop, neo soul, funk, classical and pop. Although unique, Joel’s music reflects several influences like Keith Jarret, Art Tatum, Herbie Hancock and Ahmad Jamal, albeit steadfastly maintaining a Joel Holmes identity. A self-declared improviser, his music is what he refers to as “a direct expression of musical influences, spiritual freedom and personal interpretation.” In addition, he plays a repertoire of over three hundred well-known tunes and is a respected pianist both nationally and internationally, with an impressive fan base of several hundred people. He has opened for The Temptations, The Manhattans, Tonex, Regina Bell and Phil Perry. Joel has had the honor of performing at The Kennedy Center, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, The Litchfield and The Hartford; Morgan State University’s tribute to Baltimore Legends; performed jazz with the Baltimore Divas featuring Ethel Ennis and Ruby Glover, the Dontae Winslow Trio and Quartet, The Rhonda Robinson Trio; played for theatre companies such as The Theatre Project, Center Stage and Everyman Theatre; and takes pride in performing at jazz festivals both solo as well as with various jazz groups including his own, The Joel Holmes Trio. Formed in 2001, when Joel was still a student at Peabody, The Joel Holmes Trio has grown in reputation. The group, with Joel on Piano, Herman Burney Bass, and Eric Kennedy Drums. Formed in 2001, when Joel was still a student at Peabody, The Joel Holmes Trio has grown in reputation. The group, with Joel at the helm, consists of two sets of talented musicians, Anthony Jenkins (upright/electric bassist) with Devin Gray (drums) and Eric Kennedy (drums) with Herman Burney Stick (upright bass). As part of a solo and group affiliation with national musicians, Joel is now taking his unique blend of original compositions and repertoire of standards overseas for the first time. In September 2005, The Joel Holmes Trio performed in Taiwan and Singapore. The group is currently getting radio airplay at Mosaic Online, a popular online jazz radio station, and 88.9 a jazz station in Baltimore MD. Due to increasing popularity, The Joel Holmes Trio is touring extensively throughout the East Coast and has just completed his new Album "Eternal Vision."