The Talent
Joel has been playing and performing in many styles and with many instruments since he was in grade school. His interest in music began when he was very young. In 5th grade he began playing the violin. In 8th grade, he switched to voice. After graduating from North Side High School he attended IPFW majoring in music with a focus on voice, piano and guitar. While attending IPFW, Joel played bass in the IPFW vocal jazz ensemble as well as in local rock bands Blah Blah Blah and Rhino. He also played in the local band ButtonHead for several years recording 2 original albums and playing many venues. Later, playing with the band Amarillo, Joel began playing with some new friends which later became The Joel Young Band. Joel is currently teaching himself resonator guitar and mandolin. He hopes to write and record originals in the near future. His influences range from classical music to today’s country to modern rock/alternative. Some of his favorites are: Mozart, Rush, Sammy Hagar, Vivaldi, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss, Hank Williams, Roger Miller, Van Halen, Green Day, Blink 182, Billy Joel, The Eagles and Florida Georgia Line.
Mitch started playing music at 7 years old, picking up the acoustic guitar first, soon it spread into electric guitar with the goal of being a rock star! When he was 8 years old he saw a few local bands and the bass caught his eye. Deciding that was the new avenue to try he went and bought one and started learning. Quickly he joined up with a few buddies to the start the Crappy Garage Band. As time went on his goal broadened wanting to learn and play every common stage instrument. So he picked up drums and piano very briefly, but kept coming back to bass. Joining a few more bands including Group 318, Common Ground, Shake and Bake, and Allan and Ashcraft. With his 2 little boys Izekiel and Izaiah wanting to follow in his footsteps he is constantly trying to learn new songs and fun songs for them to sing along with. Currently playing with the JYB he is incorporating backing vocals into his musical abilities.
Born and raised in Seymour, Indiana, Jeff graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington and became a sportswriter for the Columbus Republic (IN) for 5 years. Jeff is a self taught keyboardist. He came to Ft. Wayne with a road band and ended up staying. He has been on the road full time for 12 years appearing in such popular regional bands as Overlynd Express, River City Band, Gypsy Circus, Close Range and the Roger Marshall Band. In 2004 he was on national TV on Great American Country (GAC) for 8 weeks in video for a song Hidin in the Wide Open (Google it). Jeff has four children, Nikolette, Zach, Kayla and Kirst
Ben began studying music at the ripe age of five years old when he began taking piano. He participated in several competitions where he received superior rankings. Though he played well, it was not his passion. He discovered his true passion after watching a group of friends perform Extreme's More Than Words. Having already picked up guitar, this sent his motivation into overdrive. He studied classical guitar for a period of four years and eventually expanded his playing style to include rock, blues, jazz, and... country. He has since been in several different bands including, The Mystery Machine, Stone Symphony, and iNNER iRVING. While playing with JYB, Ben has been able to step out of his comfort zone and experience music in a new way.
Todd participated in marching, jazz, pep, and concert band at Bluffton High School. He went on to study music at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne. Todd played in a few local bands but with limited success. He quickly realized the struggle as a new band to book shows. You can't play certain clubs until you have a following but you can't gain a following until you have a place to play. So he put music aside as a hobby and was focused on a career until 2014 when he decided to join the Joel Young Band. The opportunity came up to join a working band and he couldn't pass it up. Todd enjoys the regular maintenance of his kit and spends a lot of time tuning each drum to get the best possible sound.