@JonCasteelMusic

Also, at the age of 16, I began directing our church choir under my dad's supervision. I began attending many concerts when my country singer heroes would come to town.  Being in the presence of so many great singers and musicians definitely fueled my desire to pursue music professionally. I joined the high school choir where my chorus teacher said I should go to East Tennessee State University and audition for a choral scholarship. I did and shortly after, I was blessed to receive a full choral scholarship to ETSU where I learned a world of knowledge about music as I sang in the University’s men’s ensemble and co-ed chamber choir for three years.

Through many conversations and reflections, I chose to set the dream of pursuing a music career aside to embark upon a more predictable and stable career of teaching Technology Education courses. While it was a good decision, and while I have enjoyed teaching engineering and computer courses to thousands of students over the past 23 years, music has always been a part of my life “in the background”.

At every church I’ve ever been a part of, I have sung in the choir at minimum, and in most cases, I ended up directing/leading the music programs.  I also was very blessed with the opportunity to sing in a local Southern Gospel Quartet with some great and talented folks for a few years while I lived in NC. Growing up, my father was in his own family Southern Gospel Quartet which included my Grandfather, my dad, and my two Aunts. Some other folks from time to time either sang or played live music with the group for the majority of my childhood. My Southern Gospel roots run VERY deep, and I remember the very first SG album that I ever bought was Gold City’s “Accapella Gold” CD which was released when I was in high school. I’ve been able to see Gold City and many other SG Quartets throughout the years such as Brian Free and Assurance, The Hoppers, and many others. Since the early nineties, one of my absolute favorite things to do is to go to Dollywood and hear the amazing Kingdom Heirs sing! I still love hearing them to this very day every time we go to Dollywood, which is at least once a month!️
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Upon graduating college, while at my first job out of school I was given the awesome honor of being a part of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA).  I was an active member for a year or so before I moved to NC where I began my first teaching job.
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Fast-forward to 2020 ... While I had participated in music for many years via church, church choirs, and gospel quartets, my personal passion for song-writing and pursuing music on a more professional level had been put on hold.  In 2017, I did begin auditions for America's Got Talent and The Voice, (and I even took my daughter to audition for American Idol), and these experiences definitely fanned the flame of musical performance in my soul! 
 
Over the years I have written several songs and I've tinkered with performing here and there, but being a husband, father, teacher, and even preacher/pastor had taking priority over any musical entertainment endeavors that I would dare to tackle.  But in 2020 ... now having 4 children ages 7, 11, 13, & 19, and having been married to my high-school sweetheart of 23 years ... and through much reflection during the pandemic of 2020, I decided I wanted to get back into music and make it a more integral part of my life than ever before.  I currently serve as a Worship Pastor at a local church and I've most recently begun teaching music lessons to anyone interested in using music as a means to enhance their life!
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I'd been playing guitar for around 30 years, but I had abandoned my piano skills decades ago.  In January 2021, I started learning to play the piano, and here only a few months later I've learned so much about music that I never took the time to learn before.  It is with that knowledge and passion for learning and teaching music that I am offering to help YOU to learn music theory and play piano & guitar, even if you have NO musical knowledge or skills at this point.  If you will dig into my lessons and take the time to learn a few basic concepts, you'll be AMAZED at how much progress you will make in a VERY short amount of time.
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Sign up TODAY and begin YOUR journey to a more fulfilling and prosperous life that never imagined could be possible!  I'm here to help, and I can't wait to see how much progress you make over the next few weeks, months, and years!  SIGN UP TODAY!!