Joel Becktell appears frequently on Baroque and modern cello and violoncello piccolo as a soloist and with ensembles throughout North America. Joel has collaborated in solo and chamber concerts with Yo-Yo Ma, the Markolivia Duo, Leon Fleisher, and many others. He is a co-founder, with Carla McElhaney, of the "classical band" REVEL, an ensemble dedicated to playing concerts in an intimate atmosphere that invites listeners to discard old attitudes about "classical" music and re-enter the world of an earlier time when audiences engaged directly with the musicians in concerts.

In addition to his private studio and his annual summer studios at various festivals, Joel has traveled widely as a clinician and presenter of masterclasses. He was co-founder of Becktell-Blackerby Fine Stringed Instruments in Austin, Vice President of Eastman Strings, and was also co-founder of Terra Nova Violins in San Antonio. He has been a consultant for a diverse array of music businesses, including string makers, manufacturers of violin bridges, and a company attempting to find a synthetic substitute for horsehair.