“Music helps us speak to our emotions even when we don’t have words or sentences to express them.  For me, music is meant to bring joy,” said Father Jordan Neeck, chaplain and theology teacher here at Notre Dame Academy.

Fr. Jordan, who sang a duet at Cabaret Night last week, has been singing since he was in high school. 

“I have no formal training, but in elementary school and then in high school I played trombone in the band, but our music teacher taught both band and choir.  For extra credit we could be in Chamber Singers and Show Choir.  The show choir was always looking for men to be in it in order to sing and dance because there were more women interested and to get more women they needed more men to join,” Fr.Jordan explained. 

Fr. Jordan, a Norbertine priest, originally had a career in finance before joining the order. 

“I wasn’t feeling fulfilled in my job in finance, so I began to discern priesthood because I became attracted to it when I was a student at St. Norbert College having Norbertine priests on campus and working on the college campus.  I thought it was great seeing priests who worked and served together, and it was something I saw myself doing,” said Fr. Jordan. 

Fr. Jordan, whose favorite music genres are country and bluegrass, originally did not want to sing at Cabaret Night. 

“I definitely did not want to sing but was convinced by some students to do a trio together. Nick Gruesen, who initially got Joe Hunt and myself involved,  dropped out, so it was a duet with Joe and me,” said Fr. Jordan.

The two sang an entertaining rendition of a little known song called “Dolphin Boy,” a song Fr. Jordan described as “a mess hall song from Boy Scout camp.”

“I wanted to do something humorous that most people wouldn’t know,” he said.

And the auditorium audience loved it.

“My favorite thing about music is how it inspires creativity.  Those who compose music are amazing and those who play and sing well are incredible in using their gifts to bring joy to others,” said the priest.