John Stafford II is the Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Co-Coordinator of the Music Department at Kansas City Kansas Community College. Professor Stafford was recently selected as the 2020 Henry Louis Excellence in Teaching Award Winner (KCKCC’s Faculty of the Year Award) and in 2015, was a recipient of the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for outstanding teaching and leadership at the community college level.He has also received two other teaching awards from KCKCC for Recruitment and Teaching Excellence. Stafford was appointed at Millikin University, Eastern Illinois University, and Danville Area Community College teaching composition, theory, orchestration, history, and vocal jazz. He holds degrees from Millikin University (music business), Bowling Green State University (composition), and has done additional doctoral studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (choral conducting).

Among his professional activities, Professor Stafford serves as the Jazz R&R Chair of the Kansas Choral Directors Association and Commercial/Contemporary Music R&R Chair of the Southwestern Division of the American Choral Directors Association. He is also a member of the National Association for Music Educators, Jazz Educators Network, and American Choral Directors Association. Since 2014, Professor Stafford has served as the Choral Director of Community Christian Church (architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright) in Kansas City, MO. He also currently serves as the Artistic Director of the m-pact Vocal Festival at KCKCC.

Professor Stafford directs, The Standard, the award-winning contemporary vocal jazz ensemble from Kansas City Kansas Community College.