RWB Stephen E. Jones

Stephen is a composer, pianist, organist, choir director and music teacher. He has
composed music for solo piano, song cycles for piano and voice, chamber ensemble as
well as orchestral pieces.

He studied music composition and theory with composer John Huggler at the University
of Massachusetts Boston MA. After completing a BA in Theory and Composition and a
BA in English Literature He went to graduate school in SUNY Fredonia New York. His
primary composition teacher there was Donald Bohlen. He completed his Masters degree
in Composition and Theory and he earned his teaching certificate in Vocal music K-12.
He worked his way through school and worked at a variety of jobs to continue his music
studies

After twenty-five years teaching vocal music in the St. Louis Public Schools he retired
from teaching in June 2015.

Stephen’s career as a part-time church musician began when he started student teaching.
He had been a choir director and an organist in New York before he moved to St. Louis.
In St. Louis he was the organist at St. Philips Lutheran for ten years and he was the
Minister of Music for ten years at Church of the Open Door UCC. His most recent
position was Music Director at St. Stephens Catholic church. His position was eliminated
when three parishes were merged into one as a result of the “ All Things New” initiative.
He was recently hired at St. Lucas UCC as their new Music Director and he looks
forward to rebuilding their music program.

He is married to his wonderful wife Dolores, a chiropractor and a fine pianist and
organist in her own right. They enjoy playing piano four hand duets as well as organ and
piano duets. They have three grown sons Jeremy, Joshua and Matthew and a large family of pets.

In Jan 2021 he started a YouTube channel to present his compositions. As of today, his
channel has over two thousand views.

Artist Statement:
I compose music in order to make some sense of life. Music has the capacity to engage
emotions, intellect and the kinesthetic. Even when text is used the words undergo a “ sea
change “. The original meaning of the words are amplified, distorted and subsumed by
the music. I also enjoy the process of composition when a single melodic idea can create
its own sonic world that mirrors the process of life itself.