​Joseph Eckelkamp started playing piano at age 3 in his hometown of Washington, MO, when he’d come home from church and sound out the hymns on the keyboard.  By age 5, he was taking lessons.

“I never was athletic.  Both my brothers would play Little League. I would bring my keyboard out to the ballpark and I would play ballpark organ for them,” he recalls. 

​​​Eckelkamp, now 31, is the new music and choir director at St. John’s.  He applied for the position after a friend told him about the opening and was introduced to the congregation last Sunday, Sept. 24. 

​​While he retains his position as music director of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, his work was cut in half when St. Joan recently switched from four masses to two each Sunday. He finishes there now at 8 a.m., which gives him plenty of time to come over to St. John’s and prepare for our 10:30 a.m. Eucharist.