Directors
Joel Powell
Director of Orchestras
Joel Powell is an accomplished conductor and music educator, serving as the Director of Orchestras at Avon High School in Avon, IN. Known for his dynamic approach to music education, Mr. Powell is a national leader in string pedagogy and orchestral education. His innovative teaching methods and commitment to excellence have earned him recognition as a transformative figure in both the classroom and the broader music education community.
Mr. Powell’s ensembles have consistently earned international recognition and honors. Under his baton, two of his orchestras have been invited to perform at the prestigious Midwest Clinic Band and Orchestra Conference. The Avon High School Symphony Orchestra is also a four-time Indiana state orchestra champion (2025, 2022, 2019, 2018). Mr. Powell’s ensembles have been featured in The Instrumentalist, a leading music education magazine. Recognized for his outstanding contributions to music education, he was named the 2019 Orchestra Teacher of the Year by the Indiana chapter of the American String Teachers Association.
As a highly sought-after clinician, conductor, and adjudicator, Mr. Powell regularly conducts all-state, honor, and regional orchestras across the United States. He also leads professional development workshops for music educators nationwide, embracing the digital age with innovative methods. Through his online platform, including his YouTube channel Joel Powell, Conductor, he reaches a global audience, sharing insights, string teaching techniques, and educational resources. Additionally, he has also been a featured speaker at the Midwest Clinic Band and Orchestra Conference, offering insights into developing an exceptional orchestra curriculum.
Mr. Powell earned his Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Music Education, graduating magna cum laude, and his Master of Arts from Ball State University. He studied conducting with Kirk Trevor and Bohuslav Rattay and has participated in master classes with Kevin Noe.
Beginning his career at Goshen Community Schools in Goshen, IN, he taught high school and middle school orchestra. Mr. Powell later served as the Director of Orchestras at Carmel Middle School (Carmel, IN) and as a conductor for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestras (Indianapolis, IN).
Chris Grifa
Associate Director of Orchestras and Director of Orchestral Wind Studies
Chris Grifa serves as Associate Director of Orchestras and Director of Orchestral Wind Studies at Avon High School. In this role, he works with Avon’s nationally recognized orchestra program, helping lead one of the largest and most successful high school orchestra programs in the country while overseeing the development and integration of orchestral wind studies within the department.
Mr. Grifa brings more than twenty-two years of music education experience, including the past sixteen years in Carmel, Indiana, where he currently serves as Director of Bands at Clay Middle School. Under his leadership, ensembles have performed at both The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference and the Indiana Music Educators Conference.
A highly respected educator, clinician, and presenter, Mr. Grifa has served as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician for concert and marching bands throughout the country. He has presented sessions on personal growth in music education, student practice strategies, and the implementation of fundamentals at The Midwest Clinic and numerous state music education conferences. Since 2016, he has served as an Educational Clinician for Conn-Selmer’s Division of Education and has worked extensively with Music for All, including as a conductor at the Summer Symposium and as a judge for the Western Ohio Regional Concert Band Festival.
Mr. Grifa has also maintained extensive involvement in the marching arts. He has served on the staff of the Carmel High School Marching Band, a perennial Bands of America Grand National Finalist and six-time National Champion. As a performer, he marched with the World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps and later served on the brass staffs of The Cadets and The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.
In 2021, GIA Publications released Foundations: The Essential Elements for Building a Successful Middle School Band Program, a book edited and compiled by Mr. Grifa and Chip De Stefano. He has also contributed articles to The Instrumentalist magazine. Mr. Grifa was inducted into Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity in 2021 and was named Teacher of the Year at Clay Middle School in 2024.
Mr. Grifa earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a minor in Trombone Performance from Old Dominion University and his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Florida.
In addition to his work in music education, Mr. Grifa is passionate about supporting educator wellness and professional growth, sharing strategies that help teachers build happier, healthier, and more sustainable careers. He resides in Westfield, Indiana with his wife Suzy, son Geno, and goldendoodle Mickey.
Meagan Barnett-Hickey
Assistant Director of Orchestras
Meagan Barnett-Hickey is the Assistant Director of Orchestras at Avon High School in Avon, IN and is an avid freelance violist and violinist across the state of Indiana. Previously, she taught 6th grade beginning orchestra at Avon Intermediate West, 6th-8th grade orchestra at Lincoln Middle School in Pike Township and K-5 General Music at Fishback Creek Public Academy also in Pike Township.
Mrs. Barnett-Hickey's orchestras have consistently earned Gold ratings at the Indiana State School Music Association Organizational Festival, and many of those groups have earned the highest honor of "with distinction". In her first year at Avon High School, the four-time state champion Symphony Orchestra was named ISSMA Concert Final Runner-Up Orchestra for 2026.
Being an active member of the Indiana chapter of the American String Teachers Association, Mrs. Barnett-Hickey has attended numerous string educator conferences and is the Indiana Junior All-State Orchestra Coordinator that corresponds with the Indiana Music Educators Association Conference. She continues to serve Indiana Educators and advocates for string music education.
Mrs. Barnett-Hickey earned her bachelor's in music education and viola performance from Butler University and studied viola with Richard Auldon Clark and violin with Lisa Brooks. She has extensive orchestral experience performing with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Muncie Symphony Orchestra, and Anderson Symphony Orchestra. She has travelled to Bangkok, Thailand to perform at the International Viola Society conference with a viola quartet made up of former students of Richard Clark. She has also performed in New York City and has been featured in studio recordings of new chamber music compositions. She consistently performs at events with several local orchestras and quartets around Indianapolis.