Born on the south side of Atlanta, Joel is the son of a Dixie land jazz musician and spent spent his childhood improvising with his father and learning the fundamentals of both concert and popular music. He has held fellowships and scholarships at the Aspen Music Festival and at the University of Michigan where Joel received a D.M.A. in composition studying with Pulitzer-Prize Winner, William Bolcom; Michael Daugherty; and MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient, Bright Sheng.
The Washington Chorus, recipient of the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, commissioned and premiered Joel's work This Mourning, for chorus, orchestra, 40 wine glasses and tenor soloist, to rave reviews at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Of the third movement Baltimore Sun critic Tim Page said, "The final movement reaches profound heights. As the chorus intones Dickinson's lines, 'There must be guests in Eden, All the rooms are full,' a cathartic, almost ecstatic rise of melody and emotion unfolds."
For the 2010-2012 seasons, Puckett has been named Composer-In-Residence for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. As part of this partnership, Puckett will write works for all six of the CYSO orchestras and work with the students in music theory and composition.
He has received numerous national awards including a B.M.I. Student Composer award and the first American Bandmasters Association/University of Florida Commission.
In the summer of 2008, Puckett joined composers Zhou Long, James Matheson, Mason Bates and Kevin Puts as the featured composers at the Westport Arts/ South Shore Music chamber music series entitled, "The Composer Project"
where Antares premiered Colloquial Stanzas.
Joel has served as an adjudicator for national competitions for young composers, such as the SCI/ASCAP competition. He also frequently gives guest lectures and master classes. He most recently has lectured at City College in Harlem, NY; The University of Michigan, Indiana University in Bloomington; The University of Texas-Austin; Michigan State University, Western Washington University and the Crane School of Music.
This fall Joel joined the full time faculty of Peabody Conservatory after previously having served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at his alma mater Shenandoah Conservatory.
