St. John Bargas Jr. is a musician and a multi-instrumentalist. He is autistic and struggles with the spoken word, but not the language of music. St. John states music makes him “happy,” and he loves performing.

Here, St. John performs with his ensemble St. John and Friends. They play “Beyond the Sea”, based on “La Mer” by Charles Trenet, as arranged by Christina Erhayel and David Steadmen. St. John and Friends was formed in 2017, a music group passionate about live music, the power of performance, and the transformative power of music to inspire and enlighten. They perform classical, jazz, and contemporary pieces in the community and outside of Jacksonville, Florida. St. John and Friends is St. John Bargas Jr. (cello) and his teachers Christina Erhayel (violin) and David Steadmen (piano).

St. John  is a graduate of the North Florida School of Special Education (NFSSE) and is currently a postgraduate student at the school. He plays the cello and double bass in the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (JSYO) and is a Special Olympics Florida-Northeast Region athlete.

St John is is part of From the Top’s Musicians with Disabilities celebration! Throughout the spring, From the Top is spotlighting young disabled and neurodivergent musicians who have been invited to share their talents and stories on Daily Joy.