Noelle Pappas
Staff Writer
Florida Southern band director, music educator, instrumental studies and associate professor of music, Dr. Jo Jossim, received the honor of being the first woman inducted into the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) Roll of Distinction.
A component of the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), the FBA is concerned with the promotion and development of band programs in the state of Florida by providing opportunities for in-service growth through clinics and conferences, and by acting as a resource for college and university pre-service training programs that encourage professional development.
The program also offers opportunities for realistic and constructive program evaluation through the sponsorship of solo/ensemble and large group ensemble Music Performance Assessments at the District and State levels.
Following an advanced degree in music performance and a highly successful career as a high school band director, Dr. Jossim was put on the map for the FBA to consider her for the Roll of Distinction. She has been described as an amazingly versatile and effective teacher at the college level, always offering invaluable service to her students and the FBA. Dr. Jossim was considered for the Roll of Distinction and was accepted as their 2022 inductee.
This high honor is reserved for those who teach in the collegiate ranks, have had longstanding careers in music in Florida, and have made impacts on music programs. Inductees cannot apply and the qualifications to join are not listed, but the honor is announced at the annual conference in January.
Dr. Jossim has been at Florida Southern since the Fall of 1999. She directs a band, co-teaches with Dr. Beth Gibbs and offers private oboe lessons to her students. She partakes in a cross-departmental position where she monitors field study students in the education program.
A part of this honor that Dr. Jossim graciously accepts is being the first woman inducted in the Roll of Distinction’s 21 year history.
Being the first woman inducted into the Roll of Distinction, Dr. Jossim didn’t want this to be the only reason she was selected. “You want to be selected because of what you’ve done,” she said. She acknowledges the differences, however. When she looked at the gallery, which is listed on the FBA Hall of Fame website, she realized it was all men and she was the first woman.
“I realized this was an important milestone,” Dr. Jossim said. “I realized this can open doors for young women behind me to realize that there are no barriers to achieve this. I’m proud to be the first, and I certainly do not want to be the last.”
This honor emphasizes that Dr. Jossim is paving the way for future female band directors to pursue careers in music and to excel in them. She does this by doing the job daily, serving as a role model for all of her students. Although the band director role is very male dominated, Florida Southern’s ensemble is a full cast of women. Dr. Jossim is unfamiliar with any other University that is like this.
Dr. Jossim says she wouldn’t be able to do it if she didn’t have Florida Southern and her students there and never “underestimated the privilege” she had with them.
