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Because...

Inspired by the children’s book Because by Mo Willems, Because… is a podcast hosted by Marc Zyla that explores the people, places, and things that helped us get to where we are today.

Latest Episodes
  • This week on Because… we hear part two of the becauses of Matthew Onstad.A Wisconsin native, Dr. Matthew Onstad serves as Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he teaches all things trumpet, coaches chamber music, and performs with the Whitewater Brass Quintet. He has held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra since 2022.While earning his DMA and MM degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Onstad served the Mead Witter School of Music as a Project Assistant performing with theWisconsin Brass Quintet, a faculty ensemble-in-residence. He holds the rank of Staff Sergeant in the132nd Wisconsin Army National Guard Band and has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin ChamberOrchestra, Orchestra Iowa, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and the Isthmus Brass. He held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra from 2016-2021.
  • Matthew Onstad – Performer/EducatorThis week on Because… we hear part one of the becauses of Matthew Onstad.A Wisconsin native, Dr. Matthew Onstad serves as Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he teaches all things trumpet, coaches chamber music, and performs with the Whitewater Brass Quintet. He has held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra since 2022.While earning his DMA and MM degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Onstad served the Mead Witter School of Music as a Project Assistant performing with theWisconsin Brass Quintet, a faculty ensemble-in-residence. He holds the rank of Staff Sergeant in the132nd Wisconsin Army National Guard Band and has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin ChamberOrchestra, Orchestra Iowa, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and the Isthmus Brass. He held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra from 2016-2021.
  • On this week’s episode we hear part 2 of the becauses of Nicolas Propes.Nicolas Propes is an experienced and versatile music educator and conductor, having taught and conducted musicians at all levels from elementary school beginners, to junior high, high school, college, community, and professional ensembles. In 2020, Nicolas was honored to have been presented with the American Prize in Conducting, Band/Wind Ensemble Community Band Division for his work with the Big River Brass Band, a British-style brass band consisting of members from the Quad Cities (IA/IL) area. He has recently been named as a finalist for The American Prize in Conducting, Band/Wind Ensemble Non-Collegiate Division in 2023 and is currently awaiting the selection of this season’s winner.Mr. Propes earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Iowa in 2002 and his Master's Degree in Conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in 2015. He began directing school band programs in 2003 in the Pleasant Valley Community School District and established himself as a qualified and respected teacher. Numerous ensembles under his direction received top ratings at festivals and contests, but more importantly, he inspired countless students to create music through their high school years, many of whom have gone on to be life-long appreciators of music.In 2016, Nicolas joined the staff of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra as Orchestra Librarian. In addition to working closely with and learning from the Music Director and musicians of the QCSO, during his two years as Orchestra Librarian, Nicolas used the opportunity to incorporate his passion for photography by taking photos and videos of the symphony and transferred to the marketing department in 2018 as the Digital Media Assistant in charge of photography, videography, and social media.He currently teaches band at North Scott Junior High, continues his conducting career as the director of the Big River Brass Band, and works with students at every opportunity including ensemble/sectional coaching, guest conducting, adjudication, and one-on-one conducting lessons. He is active in Iowa Bandmasters Association and Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association where he has been past Website Chairperson and is the current Public Relations/Election Chairperson.
  • On this week’s episode we hear part 1 of the becauses of Nicolas Propes.Nicolas Propes is an experienced and versatile music educator and conductor, having taught and conducted musicians at all levels from elementary school beginners, to junior high, high school, college, community, and professional ensembles. In 2020, Nicolas was honored to have been presented with the American Prize in Conducting, Band/Wind Ensemble Community Band Division for his work with the Big River Brass Band, a British-style brass band consisting of members from the Quad Cities (IA/IL) area. He has recently been named as a finalist for The American Prize in Conducting, Band/Wind Ensemble Non-Collegiate Division in 2023 and is currently awaiting the selection of this season’s winner.Mr. Propes earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Iowa in 2002 and his Master's Degree in Conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in 2015. He began directing school band programs in 2003 in the Pleasant Valley Community School District and established himself as a qualified and respected teacher. Numerous ensembles under his direction received top ratings at festivals and contests, but more importantly, he inspired countless students to create music through their high school years, many of whom have gone on to be life-long appreciators of music.In 2016, Nicolas joined the staff of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra as Orchestra Librarian. In addition to working closely with and learning from the Music Director and musicians of the QCSO, during his two years as Orchestra Librarian, Nicolas used the opportunity to incorporate his passion for photography by taking photos and videos of the symphony and transferred to the marketing department in 2018 as the Digital Media Assistant in charge of photography, videography, and social media.He currently teaches band at North Scott Junior High, continues his conducting career as the director of the Big River Brass Band, and works with students at every opportunity including ensemble/sectional coaching, guest conducting, adjudication, and one-on-one conducting lessons. He is active in Iowa Bandmasters Association and Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association where he has been past Website Chairperson and is the current Public Relations/Election Chairperson.
  • On this weeks Because… we hear part two of the becauses of Adam Peters.Adam has many irons in the fire and is currently the Director of Operations for Clock, Inc, a LGBTQ+ community center non-profit in the Quad Cities. He previously worked on Senate and Presidential campaigns (Franken, Biden, Buttigieg) in California, Iowa, & Pennsylvania. Adam has acted on shows like ABC’s The Goldbergs, FOX’s 9-1-1, and Amazon’s Sneaky Pete. Adam and Alex Hall co-hosted SHOW CHOIR LIVE and occasionally host live stream events for national competitions. In his spare time, Adam enjoys running, playing legos with his nieces Juliet and Emmelyn, and calling Bingo at the Raccoon Motel. Adam is proud of his decade of involvement at Showchoir Camps of America and urges all to join the fun!
  • On this weeks Because… we hear part one of the becauses of Adam Peters.Adam Peters is a freelance show choir clinician, show designer, collaborator, and adjudicator based out of Iowa. For the last fifteen years, Adam has worked in clinic settings with numerous award winning show choirs and adjudicated competitions across the country. Adam is extremely proud of his years as co-director of show choirs at Muscatine H.S. where he created innovative award winning story/concept shows. In 2014, Adam was honored to receive the “Spirit of Service” ASPIRE award at the FAME National Championships in Chicago, IL.
  • On this weeks Because, we hear part I of the becauses of composer Matthew Jackfert. Matthew is a native of Charleston, WV. He completed his undergraduate Composition degree at West Virginia University as well as his undergraduate Chinese degree. He also finished a Master’s in Composition at the University of Texas in Austin. Jackfert currently works in Charleston, WV as a composer and radio host with West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and he serves as adjunct Professor of Composition at Marshall University. In addition to his freelance composition work, he performs, writes, and arranges for the Appalachian-rock group,The Company Stores. Some of his TV work includes scoring shorts for HBO’s Sesame Street and more. His concert music has been performed by several top ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra among others.
  • On this week's Because, we hear part I of the becauses of composer Matthew Jackfert. Matthew is a native of Charleston, WV. He completed his undergraduate Composition degree at West Virginia University as well as his undergraduate Chinese degree. He also finished a Master’s in Composition at the University of Texas in Austin. Jackfert currently works in Charleston, WV as a composer and radio host with West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and he serves as adjunct Professor of Composition at Marshall University. In addition to his freelance composition work, he performs, writes, and arranges for the Appalachian-rock group,The Company Stores. Some of his TV work includes scoring shorts for HBO’s Sesame Street and more. His concert music has been performed by several top ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra among others.
  • On this episode of Because… we hear the becauses of St. Ambrose University Director of Choral Activities, Nathan Windt.As Director of Choral Activities at St. Ambrose University, Dr. Nathan Windt brings professional choral singing experience with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the May Festival Chorus, the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, the Camerata Singers of Lake Forest, and numerous church and synagogue choirs, singing masterworks under the batons of Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, James Conlon, and many others. While with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, he served as Musician-in-Residence with the South Shore Community Chorus, a community outreach choir that included choristers from the CSC. Dr. Windt is an accomplished baritone soloist, giving recitals (most recently Winterreise in February 2022), and singing both oratorio and operatic repertoire. His roles include Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Prince Yamadori in Madame Butterfly, the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Grandpa in The Tender Land, Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief, and Sciarrone in Tosca.An accomplished conductor of opera, Dr. Windt has conducted a variety of operatic styles and epochs, including Le Nozze di Figaro, Dido and Aeneas, Cavalli’s L’Egisto, and Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortileges, the latter receiving First Place in Class IV of the National Opera Association Competition for Best Production of the Year (2007). He has also served as vocal coach for a number of productions, including Stravinsky's Les Noces, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, The Fantasticks, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was a conducting fellow at the International Bach Festival in Toronto in 2005; the Oregon Bach Festival in 2007; and, the 2010 Chorus America a cappella conducting masterclass. Dr. Windt has studied with world-leading conductors in masterclass settings as conducting participant, including Helmuth Rilling, Peter Phillips and the Tallis Scholars, Dale Warland and the Dale Warland Singers, Harry Christophers and the Sixteen, and Stephen Darlington. Dr. Windt’s publications include a conductor’s guide to Mozart’s pre-Viennese sacred choral music, an interview with internationally acclaimed composer Ivo Antognini, and an analysis of a new chamber orchestra arrangement of Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, for which he conducted the American premiere in 2012. He is a regular contributor to The Choral Journal, reviewing choral recordings and choral interest publications.Dr. Windt has taught at the elementary, middle school, and collegiate levels, including general music courses, studio voice, and humanities courses in American Popular Music, and is in demand as a conductor and clinician throughout the United States. Before coming to St. Ambrose University, Dr. Windt held teaching appointments at Central State University (Wilberforce, OH), Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH), and most recently, Tennessee Wesleyan College (Athens, TN), where he received the Exemplary Teaching Award for 2012, given by the Division of Higher Education of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. In 2016, Dr. Windt received the Faculty Member of the Year award, given by the St. Ambrose University Student-Alumni Association, and nominated by students of St. Ambrose, and in 2022, he was awarded the Community Choral Arts Winner for the North Scott Community School District. Dr. Windt’s church experience includes a variety of liturgical experiences as vocal section leader, music and choir director, and service accompanist and organist. He currently serves as the adult choir director at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, IA. He is an active member of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA), the National Collegiate Choral Society (NCCO), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Chorus America, the American Bach Society, and the College Music Society (CMS).
  • On this episode of Because… we hear the becauses of St. Ambrose University Director of Choral Activities, Nathan Windt.As Director of Choral Activities at St. Ambrose University, Dr. Nathan Windt brings professional choral singing experience with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the May Festival Chorus, the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, the Camerata Singers of Lake Forest, and numerous church and synagogue choirs, singing masterworks under the batons of Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, James Conlon, and many others. While with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, he served as Musician-in-Residence with the South Shore Community Chorus, a community outreach choir that included choristers from the CSC. Dr. Windt is an accomplished baritone soloist, giving recitals (most recently Winterreise in February 2022), and singing both oratorio and operatic repertoire. His roles include Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Prince Yamadori in Madame Butterfly, the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Grandpa in The Tender Land, Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief, and Sciarrone in Tosca.An accomplished conductor of opera, Dr. Windt has conducted a variety of operatic styles and epochs, including Le Nozze di Figaro, Dido and Aeneas, Cavalli’s L’Egisto, and Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortileges, the latter receiving First Place in Class IV of the National Opera Association Competition for Best Production of the Year (2007). He has also served as vocal coach for a number of productions, including Stravinsky's Les Noces, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, The Fantasticks, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was a conducting fellow at the International Bach Festival in Toronto in 2005; the Oregon Bach Festival in 2007; and, the 2010 Chorus America a cappella conducting masterclass. Dr. Windt has studied with world-leading conductors in masterclass settings as conducting participant, including Helmuth Rilling, Peter Phillips and the Tallis Scholars, Dale Warland and the Dale Warland Singers, Harry Christophers and the Sixteen, and Stephen Darlington. Dr. Windt’s publications include a conductor’s guide to Mozart’s pre-Viennese sacred choral music, an interview with internationally acclaimed composer Ivo Antognini, and an analysis of a new chamber orchestra arrangement of Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, for which he conducted the American premiere in 2012. He is a regular contributor to The Choral Journal, reviewing choral recordings and choral interest publications.Dr. Windt has taught at the elementary, middle school, and collegiate levels, including general music courses, studio voice, and humanities courses in American Popular Music, and is in demand as a conductor and clinician throughout the United States. Before coming to St. Ambrose University, Dr. Windt held teaching appointments at Central State University (Wilberforce, OH), Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH), and most recently, Tennessee Wesleyan College (Athens, TN), where he received the Exemplary Teaching Award for 2012, given by the Division of Higher Education of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. In 2016, Dr. Windt received the Faculty Member of the Year award, given by the St. Ambrose University Student-Alumni Association, and nominated by students of St. Ambrose, and in 2022, he was awarded the Community Choral Arts Winner for the North Scott Community School District. Dr. Windt’s church experience includes a variety of liturgical experiences as vocal section leader, music and choir director, and service accompanist and organist. He currently serves as the adult choir director at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, IA. He is an active member of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA), the National Collegiate Choral Society (NCCO), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Chorus America, the American Bach Society, and the College Music Society (CMS).