John Peabody
Music & Adult Choir Director

John has been a life-long musician and has worked in churches since 1990. Raised in the Episcopal Church at the Cathedral Church of St. Mark in Minneapolis, he loved fine organ and choral music from a very young age. As a clarinetist, John took two years of music education after high school and also a year enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. He played clarinet, saxophone and keyboards in the National Guard and Army Bands for 27 years. His service locations included an assignment with a multi-national band in Belgium, which toured to several European countries.

John joined local churches near his duty assignments, continuing his music ministry.  After marrying Caroline in 1994, she worked alongside of him by leading children’s choirs. Following his retirement from the Army in 2004, he completed a Bachelor of Music in organ performance at Old Dominion University, graduating in 2010. After a total of 25 years of organist and choirmaster positions, John joined Grace on Main in 2018, where he has been happy to lead the Ensemble, Women’s Choir, and the Sanctuary Choir.

The highlights at GCPC have included two Christmas Cantatas with orchestra and playing clarinet with a visiting Dixieland Band one summer. John always feels that the music should be a worship experience that reflects our spiritual lives in and outside of the church.