Joseph Martin, a native of North Carolina, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Subsequently, he earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Texas, Austin.

His first solo piano recording, American Tapestry, was nominated for a Dove Award. This album, along with his other recordings (Songs of the Journey, Celtic Tapestry, A Christmas Tapestry, and A Symphony of Carols), has been enormously popular in the sacred and secular markets. He has recorded for Yamaha's Disklavier series and has composed hundreds of commissioned works.

Recognized throughout the United States for his many choral compositions, both sacred and secular, Joseph's music is published by numerous publishing houses. Over two thousand compositions are currently in print, and the list continues to grow.

He is the Director of Sacred Publications at Hal Leonard Corporation and Shawnee Press, Inc. where he oversees the editorial and creative direction of the company.

He has performed his compositions in such diverse locations as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City; Constitution Hall in Washington DC; St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City; and in hundreds of worship services in churches across the United States and Canada. He continues to surprise audiences with the variety and scope of his compositions and arrangements.