Jon-Paul Hurt is one of RiteSong’s lead pianists. JP started playing piano at age 5 and drums at age 11. He learned bass guitar and acoustic guitar while earning a BA in music theory (with piano as his principle instrument) at the University of Notre Dame. He was a percussionist in Notre Dame’s marching band for four years. (In fact, if you look closely, you can spot JP in two scenes in the movie “Rudy”!)
As percussionist for the Notre Dame Folk Choir, JP recorded three CDs and performed in Ireland three times. While directing his residence hall’s liturgical music group, JP also found time to direct the children’s choir at the nearby St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
JP served as director of music at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and Cornerstone Bible Church, both in Terre Haute, Indiana. JP and his piano were featured in the track “Joy to the World” on the St. Tom’s CD project Lift Up The Child. For the song ”Jesus, My Everything” on St. Tom’s Christ In Me Arise CD, JP recorded every instrument – piano, drums, acoustic guitar, and bass guitar. He performed Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight” in concert at St. Tom’s in April, 2005.
JP is the pianist for the Tippecanoe County Homemakers’ Extension Club Chorus and teaches piano and percussion. He played piano with St. Tom’s Music Ministry, primarily with the Sunday 9:00a choir, for three and a half years. JP also directed music at First Christian Church in Lafayette and St Lawrence Catholic Church in Lafayette.