is the founder of the Next Step Theatre Festival and the creator of the musical Ocean in a Teacup, Joel’s first musical, and he has been stewarding it through its many levels of development.  Joel is also the leader and founder of “The JK Band”, through which he has performed and entertained at over 2800 private parties and events in the NYC area.  Always a prolific songwriter pursuing a singer/songwriter career, he has turned his musical aspirations toward theater and Ocean in a Teacup because this show is personal for him, since he received the true story, and the mission to tell it, directly from the source.