S. Joel Norman began playing music by the age four at the piano. “Mom probably got sick of me pounding on her antique piano as a toddler, so she put me in lessons”. Hailing from the south suburbs of Chicago, Norman got his musical start playing and composing gospel music in the church. “Some of the guys who played were working musicians, and after playing a couple Sunday mornings at church, they asked me to come play with them on Saturday nights. I was only in junior high.”
He went on to study and graduate from The Wheaton Conservatory of Music, where he began composing and arranging pieces for orchestra, chorus, and jazz ensemble.
He’s toured worldwide with a variety of artists and played alongside jazz greats Ira Sullivan and Marquis Hill, as well as rock and roll heroes, Billy Ozzello (Survivor) and Chip Znuff (Enuff Znuff), and he went on the road playing keyboards with Eddie Money. Joel was the resident artist at some of Chicago’s finest venues, including; Soho House, The Hoxton, Tack Room at Thalia Hall, and performed original compositions for the dining experience at Alinea. He’s a signed Warner Chappell Artist and was featured in Conde Naste Traveler and Chicago Magazine. He’s led worship at the largest RCA church in the world, and scored plays for Arena Theater and The University of Chicago’s Shakespeare program. Joel’s produced and performed hundreds of tracks for fellow artists and is currently writing and recording music for upcoming albums, commercials, film, and television.