Welcome to NWSA band department

 A native of Goose Creek, SC Joshua Artz is entering his first year as the Director of Bands at Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC. Mr. Artz holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree with Clarinet Performance Focus from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. In his time at Winthrop, Mr. Artz served as the Principal Clarinetist of the Winthrop Wind Symphony for seven semesters. In 2013, He won the Bruce Thomson Concerto-Aria Contest and performed “Black Dog” with the Wind Symphony. While at WU he also performed with the Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Clarinet Choir, Carolinas Wind Orchestra, South Carolina Intercollegiate Honor Band, and the College Band Directors National Association Honor Band. Mr. Artz had other opportunities at Winthrop including; Studies in Music Composition, Arranging, and traveling to Greece, Italy, and France.

Upon receipt of degree, Mr. Artz accepted the position of Director of Choirs and Assistant Band Director at Goose Creek High School. In his time as the Director of Choirs he managed to grow the program from 40 students to 100+, placed more students in SCACDA in recent program history, and made the program’s first appearance at Concert Performance Assessment. The Bands of Goose Creek under his direction have received consistent superior ratings in Grade IV, V, VI, and Masterworks at SCBDA CPA and received invitations for the SCBDA State CPA. Mr. Artz has performed on the National Stage with the Goose Creek Bands twice. Most recently the Goose Creek Bands were featured in the 2018 National Adjudicator’s Invitational in Atlanta, GA. Apart from ensemble accolades, Mr. Artz has also had a number of students place in the SCBDA Region and State Honor Bands, State Jazz Bands, Honor Band of America, and SCBDA Master Recital each year. The program at Goose Creek offered an all encompassed curriculum of ensemble playing, solo literature, winter ensembles, and music theory. The Goose Creek program featured: 2 Concert Bands, 2 Jazz Bands, Concert Percussion Ensemble, Indoor Percussion, 

Winter Guard, Marching Band, Chamber Groups, and Solo Recitals.

Mr. Artz served seven years as Co-Director of Bands at Stratford High School. During his time at Stratford the band program has seen record numbers in the county, region, and state level events. The marching program was awarded its first Lower State Champion title in 2019, BOA Regional Finalist in 2023, and largest membership during the 2024 season. The Marching Knights competes in class 6A and has placed among the top 8 for the past 3 years. The Stratford concert band program has consistently been a recipient of the Superior with Distinction rating at the SCBDA Concert Performance Assessment in Grade IV/V/VI/Masterworks. The Stratford Wind Orchestra has been a featured ensemble at the USC Band Clinic in 2019 and 2024, an event open to bands across the south east. The Stratford Wind Orchestra was a featured ensemble at the 2020 Music for All National Concert Band Festival held at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, and selected for the 2025 National Festival. The Stratford Wind Orchestra was also a featured performer in the 2023 President’s Cup National Festival held in Washington, D.C. The Stratford Trumpet Ensemble was a National Semi-Finalist in the 2023 National Trumpet Competition held in Boulder, Colorado. The Stratford Jazz Orchestra has been a featured performer at the 2024 SCMEA Convention and the 2025 Jazz Education Network Conference. Mr. Artz is a recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence for the various achievements of the program.

Being an active musician, Mr. Artz has performed with the Carolinas Wind Orchestra, Charleston Wind Symphony, Summerville Orchestra, and Sacred Winds Ensemble. He has studied Clarinet with Lanie Radecke, Thomas Richardson, Michael Hough, Catherine Bushman, and Debbie Loomer. Mr. Artz has served as the Lead High School Band Director for Berkeley County School District. In 2022, Mr. Artz was recognized as the SCMEA Outstanding Young Music Educator of the year. His professional affiliations include NAFME, NCMEA, SCDBA, Winthrop Alumni Association, and the International Clarinet Association. Mr. Artz currently resides in East Charlotte North Carolina with his wife Aly, daughter Elan, and their cat Cinnamon.