Justin Colwell, MM, NCTNM

Hello, and thanks for checking out our congregation! My name is Justin Colwell, and I serve as the Music Director. I began serving All Souls as their pianist starting in the summer of 2019. Since then, I have not only enjoyed making music with our wonderfully talented congregation, but also found myself warmly embraced by this community. I assumed the role of Music Director in 2022.

My journey in music began at age four, when I began piano lessons in my hometown of Greentown, Indiana. In addition to piano, I loved to sing and learned cello, saxophone, and conducting. As a high schooler, music consumed my extracurricular time—band, choir, church, barbershop quartet, a basement-based cover band. My path in music was clear (at least to me)!

I earned my Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Humanities at Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, IN) and my Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In addition to my work at All Souls, I serve as a dance accompanist at Hope College (Holland, MI), choral accompanist and adjunct instructor of music at Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI), and cofounder of Yellow Door Music Studio (Grand Rapids, MI).

I married my wonderful partner Melia in 2015, and in 2021 we welcomed our daughter Margot into our family. You’ll also find cats Murray and Mama bathing in the sun and dog Emmie lounging on the couch in our home.

Why church music?

I feel grateful to have grown up in a warm, supportive church community in the Wesleyan tradition that encouraged my musical development from an early age. In high school, I played piano nearly every Sunday at my church and frequently led music in worship. In graduate school, I had the chance to music direct at an Anglican church plant.

So why church music? …It’s so much fun! Music in church communities is the accompaniment to worship and life. And how many places in society give us the opportunity to connect voices and musical skills of all ages in celebration of the human experience?

Join us!

No matter your age or skillset, you are warmly invited to be a part of music at All Souls. Check out our Music and Choir page to learn more about our offerings, how we’ve adapted to the pandemic, and what lies ahead.