Composer, theorist, and tuba player, Joe L. Alexander (November 9, 1958; New Bern, North Carolina) joined the faculty of Mississippi University for Women’s Department of Music in the Fall of 2016. He was previously on the faculties of Louisiana Tech University, Bossier Parish Community College, Centenary College of Louisiana, Birmingham-Southern College, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Samford University, the University of Alabama, Judson College, the University of Montevallo, Lamar University, East Central University (Ada, Oklahoma), University of North Texas, and James Madison University. He holds degrees from East Carolina University (B.M. in Music Education), James Madison University (M.M. in Theory/Composition), and the University of North Texas (D.M.A. in Composition, with extensive theory minor). He studied composition with Newel Kay Brown, Douglas Knehans, Alan Leichtling, Martin Mailman, Cindy McTee, and James Riley; and tuba with Bruce Mosier, Ken Meisinger and James Michael Dunn.

     Alexander's compositions have been performed on recitals/presentations at conferences of the Birmingham Art Music Alliance; the College Music Society; the Louisiana Composers’ Consortium; the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors; several chapters of the National Association of Composers, USA (NACUSA); the Society of Composers, Inc.; the Southeastern Composers’ League; the Southeastern Electro-Acoustic Composers Collective; the International Trumpet Guild, the International Tuba Euphonium Conference; and the NACUSA, National Conference. His music has been featured at the Birmingham New Music Festival, Bowling Green State University’s New Music & Art Festival, Festival Internacional de Música de Campina Grande, New Music on the Bayou Festival, the Electroacoustic Barn Dance, Spectrum Music Festival (Kazan, Russia), Assisi Festival for the Performing Arts (Assisi, Italy), and the New Music for Young Ensembles' Composers Competition. Because it was the winning composition, Sonarequasta (flute, Bb clarinet, viola and piano) was performed in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. 

     In 2019, Alexander's Partita #4 for unaccompanied euphonium was selected for the Semifinal Round of the 2019 International Tuba Euphonium Association's Solo Euphonium - Artist Division competition at the ITEC held in Iowa City, Iowa. That same summer, he composed Dilly Dally for the Starkville Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, he was commissioned by the Mississippi Music Teachers Association to compose Sipsey Sweet, a guitar piece for Alan Goldspiel. He was also commissioned in 2012 by the Louisiana Music Teachers Association to composed a five movement song cycle, Scenes from Heinrich Heine’s North Sea Pictures, for fellow Louisiana Tech faculty members Lawrence Gibbs, clarinet/bass clarinet; Randall Sorensen, trumpet; Greg Lyons, vibraphone; Cain Budds, guitar; Lisa Maxedon, soprano; and Ann Sorensen, violin. In 2003, the Monroe (Louisiana) Symphony Orchestra commissioned Louisiana Blue (baritone voice, flute, piano with orchestra accompaniment, text by L. B. Morgan).

     In the fall of 2020, the Wild Basin Winds' album, Uno Due Tre, included Alexander's Five Duets for Oboe and Bassoon. His SATB choir piece, The Lighthouse (text by Katie Ballinger), is on Ablaze Records' New Choral Voices, Volume 4; his Chopawamsic (trumpet and soundfile) is on Ablaze Records' Electronic Masters, Volume 7; and his SATB choir piece, Summer Sounds Beckon Me (text by L. B. Morgan) is on Ablaze Records' New Choral Voices, Volume 3. Alexander's Two Bryant Songs (soprano, Bb clarinet and piano) are recorded on Winds and Voices, by Living Artist Recordings. 

     As a tubist, Alexander has performed as a soloist with the Louisiana Tech Chamber Orchestra, on Louisiana Composers’ Consortium concerts, on Southeastern Electro-Acoustic Composers Collective events; at meetings of the Louisiana and Mississippi Music Teachers Association, and on Sounds New and Mid-South - NACUSA concerts. In addition, he has performed solos and chamber pieces at conference meetings of the Society of Composers, Inc.; the College Music Society and the Southeastern Composers League. In 2009, Alexander performed his Infamy... (for tuba and soundfile) at the NACUSA National Conference held in Murfreesboro, NC; in 2013, Alexander, along with Dr. Gregory Lyons on marim ba, performed Greg A Steinke's Memories of Chief Joseph at the NACUSA National Festival held in Ruston, LA; in 2014, he performed his Pop Music Suite at the NACUSA National Conference held in Atlanta, GA; and in 2016, along with Cody Ford, he performed his Dialog #4 for euphonium and tuba at the NACUSA National Conference held in Knoxville, TN.

    In the Fall of 2021, Mississippi University for Women promoted Alexander to Full Professor, where he teaches Theory, Composition, and Brass. Past service to the profession includes serving as Secretary-Treasurer for the Southern Chapter of the College Music Society; Secretary, Vice-President and President for the Southeastern Composers’ League; Treasurer, Vice-President and President of the Mid-South Chapter of NACUSA; as well as National Treasurer, and chair of the National Advisory Council for NACUSA. Under his direction, Louisiana Tech University hosted the 2005 & 2010 Southeastern Composers League’s Forum and the 2013 NACUSA National Festival.