On this episode of Because… we hear part 2 of the becauses of St. Ambrose University Director of Bands, Nicolas Enz.Nicholas Enz serves as the Director of Bands at St. Ambrose University, where he conducts the Symphonic Band and the Jazz Ensemble and teaches courses in music and music education.Enz is an active guest conductor and clinician with appearances throughout the Midwest and Great Lakes region, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio.Before joining the faculty at St. Ambrose University, he served as the Director of Bands at Michigan Technological University and taught in the Copper Country Intermediate School District.Throughout his career, Enz has earned distinctions teaching at the college and high school levels. His high school jazz program received numerous awards and recognitions, including "Outstanding Jazz Ensemble" at the Northern Michigan University Jazz Festival and second place at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jazz Festival. The program also received eight grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Michigan Tech Superior Wind Symphony embarked on six performance tours and was honored as an ensemble-in-residence at the Historic Ironwood Theatre. The 250-member Michigan Tech Huskies Pep Band was selected four times by the WCHA as the host band for the WCHA/NCAA Final Five Hockey Tournament. Enz received the 2016-17 St. Ambrose Faculty of the Year Award.Under Enz's leadership, the St. Ambrose Symphonic Band traveled to Ireland in 2019 to perform on various stages, including the CIT Cork School of Music and the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum, and was the first band from the United States to be invited to perform with the Royal Irish Academy of Music Band on their season finale concert.As a saxophonist, he has performed with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Pine Mountain Music Festival Symphony Orchestra. Enz was also a featured soloist with the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra.

On this episode of Because… we hear the becauses of St. Ambrose University Director of Bands, Nicolas Enz.Nicholas Enz serves as the Director of Bands at St. Ambrose University, where he conducts the Symphonic Band and the Jazz Ensemble and teaches courses in music and music education.Enz is an active guest conductor and clinician with appearances throughout the Midwest and Great Lakes region, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio.Before joining the faculty at St. Ambrose University, he served as the Director of Bands at Michigan Technological University and taught in the Copper Country Intermediate School District.Throughout his career, Enz has earned distinctions teaching at the college and high school levels. His high school jazz program received numerous awards and recognitions, including "Outstanding Jazz Ensemble" at the Northern Michigan University Jazz Festival and second place at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jazz Festival. The program also received eight grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Michigan Tech Superior Wind Symphony embarked on six performance tours and was honored as an ensemble-in-residence at the Historic Ironwood Theatre. The 250-member Michigan Tech Huskies Pep Band was selected four times by the WCHA as the host band for the WCHA/NCAA Final Five Hockey Tournament. Enz received the 2016-17 St. Ambrose Faculty of the Year Award.Under Enz's leadership, the St. Ambrose Symphonic Band traveled to Ireland in 2019 to perform on various stages, including the CIT Cork School of Music and the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum, and was the first band from the United States to be invited to perform with the Royal Irish Academy of Music Band on their season finale concert.As a saxophonist, he has performed with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Pine Mountain Music Festival Symphony Orchestra. Enz was also a featured soloist with the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra.

On this weeks episode of Because… we hear part 2 of the becauses of hornist, Ellen Dinwiddie Smith.Ellen has been a member of the Minnesota Orchestra since 1993 and currently serves as third horn. Smith is Adjunct Professor of Horn at the University of Minnesota and has served as Young-Artist-Program faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music Summerfest. She was the founding Artistic Director of the Colonial Chamber Series (2006-2017) and organized the Musicians for Tsunami Relief benefit concert (2005) and Community Emergency Service Benefit Concert (2012), both held at Colonial Church in Edina.As a soloist, she has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, Kenwood Symphony Orchestra, Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra and Mississippi Valley Symphony Orchestra.Smith is a 1987 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Myron Bloom and was a member of the Curtis Wind Quintet, a top prize winner in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Prior to studies at Curtis, Smith attended the Juilliard School and the University of Texas at Austin. Her teachers include Myron Bloom, Wayne Barrington, Greg Hustis and Michael Hatfield.

Ellen has been a member of the Minnesota Orchestra since 1993 and currently serves as third horn. Smith is Adjunct Professor of Horn at the University of Minnesota and has served as Young-Artist-Program faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music Summerfest. She was the founding Artistic Director of the Colonial Chamber Series (2006-2017) and organized the Musicians for Tsunami Relief benefit concert (2005) and Community Emergency Service Benefit Concert (2012), both held at Colonial Church in Edina.As a soloist, she has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, Kenwood Symphony Orchestra, Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra and Mississippi Valley Symphony Orchestra.Smith is a 1987 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Myron Bloom and was a member of the Curtis Wind Quintet, a top prize winner in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Prior to studies at Curtis, Smith attended the Juilliard School and the University of Texas at Austin. Her teachers include Myron Bloom, Wayne Barrington, Greg Hustis and Michael Hatfield.

In this episode of Because, we hear the "becauses" of Quad City Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor, Mark Russell Smith.Mark's story explores the immeasurable impact that his mother had on his musical upbringing. We also go with Mark on his journey from his childhood in Arizona to his collegiate days at the Julliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music and we see how his career as a conductor was shaped along the way!

On this week’s Because we hear part two of bassoonist and educator, Benjmin Coelho's becauses. Benjamin has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, teacher, and clinician in several countries including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Panama, Portugal, France, Romania, Australia, Canada, and the Czech Republic. In the United State Mr. Coelho has played with the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony (Iowa), The Camerata Chamber Orchestra (Indiana), The Bloomington Pops Orchestra (Indiana), The Bronx Opera Company (New York), and Orchestra Iowa. Currently, he performs as the principal bassoon with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (Iowa/Illinois) and the Iowa Woodwind Quintet. He also worked extensively as a performer in his native Brazil, including principal positions with symphony orchestras in Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, and Belo Horizonte. An enthusiastic proponent of new music, Mr. Coelho has commissioned, performed, and recorded many works by European, American, and Latin American composers. His recordings include Bassoon Images from the Americas (2003), released by Albany Records; Bravura Bassoon (2005), Pas de Trois (2006) released by Crystal Records, and Explorations (2007) released by MSR Classics. As a member of the group Wizards! A Double Reed Consort, Coelho has recorded two CDs released by Crystal and Boston Records in 2000 and 2003 respectively.

On this week’s Because we hear the becauses of bassoonist and educator, Benjmin Coelho. Benjamin has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, teacher, and clinician in several countries including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Panama, Portugal, France, Romania, Australia, Canada, and the Czech Republic. In the United State Mr. Coelho has played with the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony (Iowa), The Camerata Chamber Orchestra (Indiana), The Bloomington Pops Orchestra (Indiana), The Bronx Opera Company (New York), and Orchestra Iowa. Currently, he performs as the principal bassoon with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (Iowa/Illinois) and the Iowa Woodwind Quintet. He also worked extensively as a performer in his native Brazil, including principal positions with symphony orchestras in Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, and Belo Horizonte. An enthusiastic proponent of new music, Mr. Coelho has commissioned, performed, and recorded many works by European, American, and Latin American composers. His recordings include Bassoon Images from the Americas (2003), released by Albany Records; Bravura Bassoon (2005), Pas de Trois (2006) released by Crystal Records, and Explorations (2007) released by MSR Classics. As a member of the group Wizards! A Double Reed Consort, Coelho has recorded two CDs released by Crystal and Boston Records in 2000 and 2003 respectively.

On this episode of Because we hear the becauses of cellist, Hannah Holman.Hannah Holman, cellist, joined the New York City Ballet Orchestra at the beginning of the 2012-2013 season. Her career has encompassed orchestral and chamber music, solo performances, and teaching. In a review of the second CD she recorded with pianist Rene Lecuona, Fanfare magazine declares "her tone and technique are the stuff that cello legends are made of "... Holman's cello sings with a lustrous tone that's hard to resist."In addition to her work with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Ms. Holman is the principal cellist of the Quad City Symphony, a position she has held since 2008. She began her professional career in England playing with the English String Orchestra under Yehudi Menuhin and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle.

On this episode of Because… we hear the because of Theatrical Artist Shelley Cooper.Cooper is currently the Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL . Shelley has performed all over the world for a number of companies such as Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Monroe Symphony, Chicago Summer Opera, Opera Quad Cities, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Shawnee Summer Theatre, Redhouse Arts Center, Varna Opera Theatre, Bangkok Theatre Festival, and the Simbiose Produções (MOVE Studio) in São Paulo, Brazil and the Venetian Macao in Macau, China. Most noted performances are “Johanna" in Sweeney Todd starring Tony-Award Winning Actress, Faith Prince, “Nellie” in South Pacific,“Cinderella” in Into the Woods, “Ariel” in The Little Mermaid, "Armida" in Rinaldo, “Edith” in Pirates of Penzance, “Berta” Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Varna Opera Theatre in Bulgaria and the Soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah with Bangkok International Orchestra. Her original one-woman show, La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas has been performed on three continents.Shelley has also found great success as a director for opera directing the world premiere opera, Karkinos and Two Remain for the Quad City Symphony. Shelley is a proud Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Society.

On this episode of Because… we hear the becauses of cartoonist and author, Jason Platt.Jason’s full-length graphic novel series, Middle School Misadventures, has won praise from SLJ and has been on the Texas Library Association’s Little Maverick Reading List. Jason fell in love with cartooning early in his childhood. Drawing early inspiration from Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts), Jim Davis (Garfield), and Jim Henson (The Muppets). Later working as both a professional actor and a puppeteer, Jason focused on the art of illustration and graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design (or SCAD, for those in the know). While he trained in several styles he found that whenever he drew for fun, or just for himself, it was always cartooning.