Joel McNeely因其90年代的配乐作品给人们留下了深刻的印象，他是好莱乌最具造诣的指挥之一。起初McNeely卓越才能显示在其为很多电视作品谱写的配乐上，比如：华纳的"Tiny Toons Adventures"。也就是在那时起McNeely被很多大师认为是好莱乌最具前途的年轻配乐人，The Avengers 是其主要作品之一。
Born into a musical family in Madison, Wisconsin, McNeely's interest in music began at an early age. A meeting with legendary composer Elmer Bernstein at the age of 12 inspired him to embark on a career writing music for film. At age 14, he was accepted into the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and began concentrated music studies in composition and flute performance. After graduating from Interlochen, McNeely headed to the University of Miami, where he studied jazz composition and performance. While still an undergraduate, he toured the world, playing with legendary performers including Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Al Green, Melissa Manchester, Chuck Mangione, Bobby Caldwell, Jaco Pastorius and Dave Leibman.

McNeely earned a master's degree in composition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where the renowned educator Rayburn Wright influenced him deeply as both a composer and an orchestrator. At Eastman, McNeely also studied with well-known composer Christopher Rouse.