Joe Holmquist - Career
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I was born in 1951 in Benson, Minnesota, which is a medium-sized community out in the west-central part of the state. In this case, medium-sized means 3,000 souls. There wasn't much along the line of organized activities for kids, so it was common to participate in music organizations both at school and at church. At the time, I didn't think I was learning anything in particular from those music activities, but I was!
TIMELINE

1956 - joined Cherub Choir at church

1957 - started piano lessons

1961 - joined school band as a drummer (they wouldn't let me play trumpet)

1966 - started first band The Chilly Winds, a folk quartet playing banjo and singing

1966 - started getting parts in school plays

1969 - as freshman began studying music theory and talking lessons at Macalester College, St. Paul, MN

1970 - joined college orchestra and band at Mac, joined St. Paul Civic Orchestra as timpanist

1971 - started highly successful rock trio "Tecumseh" playing drums and singing

1972 - joined Macalester College Festival Choir, directed by Dale Warland

1973 - had first performances with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra playing timpani

1974 - started grad school at New England Conservatory in Boston as Vic Firth student

1976 - got first grant of many for new music projects

1977 - finished grad school and resumed free-lance career in Minneapolis/St. Paul playing with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, VocalEssence, and other groups

1977 - formed new music ensemble Zeitgeist which toured nationally and throughout Europe

1984 - started teaching percussion at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota

1989 - drumset etudes books published by major publisher Neil A. Kjos Music Co.

1993 - quit Zeitgeist

1994 - started Helios, the repertoire is a mix of jazz pieces and contemporary works

2000 - moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, began free-lance work with Omaha Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Third Chair Chamber Players. teaching at home studio only.

2003 - began playing with Lincoln's newly formed contemporary ensemble New Music Agency

2004 - played with Kansas City Symphony for the first time, played 2 series with Nebraska Brass Quintet, snare etudes books published by same publisher     

2007 - founded the Anima Christi Singers, a nonette, whose purpose is to sing sacred music that I write or arrange.

2009 - join Lincoln Youth Symphony staff as coach of percussion section. Tour Italy with LYS.

2011 - tour Budapest and Vienna with LYS

2012 - Third Chair changes its name to Nebraska Chamber Players and extends its activities