Xavier Eikerenkoetter


Xavier Eikerenkoetter, son of American minister and prosperity preacher, Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II, better known as Reverend Ike, was formerly the President of the United Palace, a theatre in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. He was also the Spiritual Director of the United Palace House of Inspiration, formerly the United Church or Palace Cathedral, founded by Rev. Ike; and is the founder of the United Palace of Cultural Arts.

Education

Ordained at 18, Eikerenkoetter spent three years at the Center for Personal Transformation in the study of deep meditative techniques, received a BA in philosophy from Columbia University and a master's in counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, focusing on Jungian and depth psychology.
Eikerenkoetter's musical studies include four years at the Harrison School of Music. He also studied shamanic training and healing and initiatory drumming techniques with Quechua, Dagara, and Sangoma medicine men, and with the Masai tribe in Kenya. He learned the art of djembe, dunun, and Mandingue drumming from Mamady Keïta and Malinke.

Career

Since 1983, Eikerenkoetter has served as a minister and, since 2009 when his father, Rev. Ike, died, spiritual leader of the congregation housed at the United Palace, formerly known as United Palace Cathedral, and now the United Palace House of Inspiration, a non-denominational spiritual community. He founded two non-profit organizations: the United Palace of Cultural Arts in New York City and Rhythm Arts Alliance in Los Angeles. Both organizations work with young people, fostering the development of conscious, soulful living in the world, with emphasis on the transformational power of art and music.
As a musician, Eikerenkoetter's three albums recorded to date are Mystic Journey, Global Soul and Re-Enchantment: Music to Conceive By. Other works include Xavier Eikerenkoetter's Guided Meditation.
Xavier’s work has led to his involvement in transformational initiatives and movements and to establishing organizations in New York City and Los Angeles. As a master’s degree candidate in counseling psychology, he worked in group homes and probation facilities with incarcerated youth, creating drum therapy and rites of passage programs that evolved into Rhythm Arts Alliance . As a metaphysical minister, he lead the United Palace House of Inspiration , a nondenominational church based on universal spirituality. As a patron of arts and provider of community programs, he cofounded and ran United Palace of Cultural Arts with his wife Annette.
As a composer and musician, Xavier has recorded four albums. Earthkeeper: Mystic Journey, is a score for a long form meditation conducted on the Big Island of Hawaii that involves swimming with wild dolphins. Global Soul, is an experiment in the fusion of classic R&B/soul styles with indigenous vocal and instrumental elements. Both are available on iTunes and Spotify. The next two will be released as part of collections on his Soul Streams platform.
Xavier and Annette live in Napa Valley among cabernet vineyards that they organically and biodynamically tend.
The sum and synergy of his life’s soulful rhythm, inspiring communication, artistic richness, and love of nature is newly presented on Xavier’s platform, Soul Streams.