Joel Henry Pianist from Fort Worth, TX

Joel Henry began studying music at the age of five. For over twenty-five years he has been performing across the country as a professional musician and entertainer, satisfying audiences' palettes for great music and great fun with his uncompromising blend of passionate musical performance and warm, engaging personality. At five years old, he was introduced to his teacher, Fanny DiDomenico, who was a significant influence for the following thirteen years of Joel's classical music development. “I remember rehearsing for a competition when I was very young,' Joel recalls, 'and Mrs. D (deliberately) slammed a book on the table behind me, so, I naturally stopped to see what had happened. She lightly scolded me and told me that no matter what happens, always focus, and don't let anything interfere with my performance. . .no matter what, always perform to the best of my ability. It's funny, but now that I look back, I realize that one simple lesson in musicality became a paradigm of excellence in every aspect of my life.” As the years continued, Joel became more proficient as a classical artist, and musically, more intuitive, broadening his education by studying jazz, playing popular music, and writing original compositions, though it wasn't until college that he began to mature into the versatile musician he is today. Joel explains, “The goal of earning a college degree is a close second to the journey of self-discovery a lot of people in college, including myself, embark upon with the hope of answering that one, big question. . .what the heck am I going to do when I grow up? The unequivocal answer for me was music.” Life and Joel's professional music career have taken him across the United States, but he finally found his true home when he relocated to Fort Worth, Texas in 2004. “I often wake up and pinch myself to make sure I'm still not dreaming and remind myself that I get to play great music for a living and put smiles on peoples' faces, and at the end of the day, when my mom can watch me perform and be proud of her son, I know I've already succeeded.”