Staff

Brad Hudson has been the Director of Bands at the Kirksville R-III School District since 2007. Prior to this he taught at the Leeton School District for six years. Mr. Hudson graduated from Kirksville High School in 1995 and attended Culver-Stockton College to pursue a degree in music. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Culver-Stockton Mr. Hudson was selected as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Kansas State University in Manhattan. He graduated in 2001 with a Master of Music Degree emphasizing in education and conducting. Mr. Hudson and his wife Stacie have been married since 2001 and they have 3 kids: Laura, Lillian, and Lee.

Mr. Hudson is currently the President of the Northeast Missouri Music Educators Association (NEMMEA). Before becoming President of NEMMEA he also served as Mentoring Chair for the Northeast District. He has been actively involved with the Kirksville Community Teachers Association being a Building Representative and serving two terms as President.  Mr Hudson has been a MSHSAA Festival Manager for the past 8 years and also has served on the MSHSAA Advisory Council.  He is also actively involved with the Missouri Bandmasters Association.  

Karen Harrison started teaching in the Kirksville School District in 2002. Before this, she taught for the Palmyra School District for three years. Mrs. Harrison graduated from Chillicothe High School in 1993 and attended Truman State University; there she earned her BA and Masters in Education. Karen is married to Kevin and they have 2 children: Andrew and Madilyn.

is the Color Guard Instructor with the Kirksville Marching Band.  She was the music teacher at Linn County School District in Purdin, MO for six years.  Besides with the color guard, Valorie has also been a Parents as Teachers Educator at the Kirksville Early Childhood Learning Center.   She is now teaching Kindergarten through Second Grade Music at Kirksville Primary School.

is the Percussion Instructor at Kirksville High School as well as a Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant at Truman State University.  He works with the marching drumline as well as the percussion ensemble in the spring. He is from Willard, MO.  

Joel Gordon is a saxophonist and music educator, having just finished the last three years teaching in Kansas City with the Platte County School District serving annually over 500 band students district-wide.  During his time with PCR-3, Joel instructed marching band, concert ensembles, jazz groups, and beginning instrumental classes. As a musician and teacher, Joel strives to balance life on “both sides of the fence,” active in concert classical and jazz contemporary circles. Joel regularly performs with {trés}, diligent in bringing baroque and classical era works into contemporary saxophone repertoire. The ensemble performed at the 40th Annual International Saxophone Symposium in Washington D.C and the inaugural American Single Reed Summit. Joel also fronts the jazz quartet “Joel Gordon’s Happy Habitat” throughout the Midwest.  Joel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music (2015) and a Master of Arts in Education of Music (2016) from Truman State University. Currently, Joel is an Area Director of KLIFE, a nonprofit parachurch ministry focused on discipleship for youth. Joel lives in Kirksville, Missouri with his wonderful wife Megan, (expected) delightful daughter Ellie, and their two curious cats Izzy and Ollie.