Because...

On this episode of because we hear the becauses of Rachel Price, Quad City area Youth Advocate.  Rachel has worked in the youth development field for over six years, where her passion is creating a supportive and safe environment for all youth to thrive.Rachel was born and raised in West Virginia, where she also attended college and received a Bachelor's in English. Rachel and her husband and Because.. host Marc Zyla, also from West Virginia, moved to the Quad Cities six years ago and are proud to call the community their second home. Rachel, a former competitive rower, enjoys kayaking, hiking, and exploring the Midwest with her husband and two rescue dogs, Dolly and Roxie. 

**Valentines Day Special Episode!**On this episode of because we hear the becauses of Rachel Price, Director of the Nourish Program at the Two Rivers YMCA.  This program provides meals to over 1,000 youth in the Quad Cities daily, and Rachel works with community partners and YMCA staff to ensure all youth have a nutritious meal at their after-school program.  Before joining the Two Rivers YMCA in 2021, Rachel has worked in the youth development field for over six years, where her passion is creating a supportive and safe environment for all youth to thrive.  Rachel was born and raised in West Virginia, where she also attended college and received a Bachelor's in English. Rachel and her husband, Marc, also from West Virginia, moved to the Quad Cities six years ago and are proud to call the community their second home. Rachel, a former competitive rower, enjoys kayaking, hiking, and exploring the Midwest with her husband and two rescue dogs, Dolly and Roxie. Support the show (https://qcsymphony.secure.force.com/donate/?dfId=a0n5d00000SJXSBAA5&)

On this Episode of Because... We hear the Becauses of composer, Jacob Bancks. Praised as “colorfully orchestrated, invitingly lyrical” (The New York Times) and “highly caffeinated” (The Boston Globe), the music of Illinois composer Jacob Bancks (b. 1982) has engaged and inspired musicians and audiences around the world. At the core of his output are works for orchestra, with performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, the Sarajevo Philharmonic, the Annapolis Symphony, the South Dakota Symphony, the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony, and the New York Youth Symphony.

On this episode of Because… we hear the becauses of Brian Baxter. Brian Baxter is a musician and orchestra manager who composes music inspired by family, place, and poetry. He writes primarily chamber, orchestral, and vocal music. Brian resides in the Quad Cities and serves as Executive Director for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. 

On this episode of Because.. we hear the becauses of David Renfro. A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, David is the Principal Horn of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2005. He also serves as the ASO's Chief Development Officer. Prior to that appointment, David taught horn and chamber music at Henderson State University. He received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Horn Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where his primary teachers included Myron Bloom, Michael Hatfield, and Richard Seraphinoff. 

On this episode of Because… we hear the becauses of violinist and conductor, Kyle Dickson. Kyle is quickly building a reputation as an innovative and compelling presence on the podium. Recipient of the 2021 GPMF Advocate for Arts Award, Dickson is a Salonen Conducting Fellow with the San Francisco Symphony under the guidance of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen through the Colburn School in Los Angeles. 

In today’s episode, we hear the becauses of New York City based low brass multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator Reginald Chapman. Reginald enjoys interfacing with a variety of situations and genres, his career includes a long list of studio credits and extensive touring itineraries with brass bands like Lucky Chops and NO BS Brass, indie rock groups such as Foxygen, as well as Broadway/Classical/ and Jazz performances. I hope you enjoy our chat! Reginald Chapman Support the Show

In Episode 8 of Because we hear the “becauses” of Boise Philarhmonic Executive Director, Laura Reynolds. Laura’s story begins as a beach baby in California and follows her path to the Seattle Symphony and the Boise Philharmonic where Laura is instrumental in pushing orchestras to embrace their important roles in their communities.  Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts!  https://because.buzzsprout.com 

In Episode 7 of Because we hear the “becauses” of Augustana Voice Faculty member and Mayor of Moline, Sangeetha Rayapati. Sangeetha’s story begins in Westchester, PA and follows her path to becoming head of voice faculty at Augustana College and Mayor of Moline, Illinois.   Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts!  https://because.buzzsprout.com 

In Episode 6 of Because we hear the “becauses” of QCSO Assistant Conductor and QCSYE Music Director, Ernesto Estigarribia. Ernesto’s story begins in Paraguay and weaves through the Midwest with stops in Pittsburg… Kansas, Minneapolis, and the Quad Cities.  Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! 

In this episode of Because we explore the "becauses" of Renee Elise Goldsberry. Renee Elise Goldsberry received the Tony Award, Grammy Award, Drama Desk Award and the Lucille Lortel Award for her performance off and on Broadway in the musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since winning the Tony Award, she has appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down for Netflix and shot the title role for HBO’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks opposite Oprah Winfrey. She is currently starring in the Netflix series Altered Carbon. You can also catch her in the new NBCU show Girls5eva with Sara Bareilles. Quad City Symphony OrchestraCarnegie Mellon UniversityHouston International Theater School (HITS)Cranbrook SchoolsSee Renee Elise Goldsberry with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra on May 15th, 2021! Purchase Tickets

In this episode of Because, we hear the “becauses” of Quad City Symphony Orchestra Associate Principal 2nd violin, Janis Sakai. Janis’s story begins with a sprint towards a string quartet as a baby and continues along a musical path that goes from Chicago to London to Japan and back again!  Janis’s story also shows what can happen when a musician is inspired to use their music-making for positive change. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Quad City Symphony OrchestraKnox Galesburg Symphony OrchestraSouth Bend Symphony OrchestraNew World SymphonyHyogo Center for the Performing Arts Black Composers Project Videos

In this episode of Because, we hear the “becauses” of the League of American Orchestra’s President and CEO, Simon Woods.  Simon’s story begins in Wimbledon, England, and explores a musical life that began with an eclectic listening background, a strong connection to a piano teacher, and what can result when an individual remains flexible and follows opportunities as they present themselves! Stops on this journey include Abbey Road Studios, Philadelphia, Seattle, New Jersey, and New York.  Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a 5-star review!

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!  Quad City Symphony Orchestra University of Minnesota School of Music Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies

In this episode of Because, we hear the "becauses" of West Virginia Symphony Orchestra 2nd Hornist, Luke Zyla.  Luke's story takes us from his middle school days in Parkersburg, West Virginia to his eventual success as a member of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and as a music educator in the state of West Virginia.  Quad City Symphony Orchestra West Virginia Symphony Orchestra SoftStands

Welcome to Because! Join QCSO Principal Horn, Marc Zyla, as he finds the "becauses" of people we can all admire!Because is a podcast inspired by Because... by Mo Willems, illustrated by Amber Ren.Quad City Symphony Orchestra

Thank you so much for listening to Because... I am excited to announce that Because.. is now being produced by WVIK, Quad Cities NPR. I look forward to bringing you more of the content you love on the new RSS feed! Please take a minute to visit www.wvik.org/podcast/because and click on your favorite podcast player to subscribe!