MONTICELLO, IA (April 2014) – Spring is in the air, as are the sounds of a nationally-acclaimed Iowa pianist in concert halls across the state. International Steinway Artist Jim McDonough and His Orchestra are currently touring Iowa with his "2014 SPRING TOUR."

McDonough has sold a quartermillion CDs, and has performed breathtaking concerts for tens of thousands of Iowans. Monticello native McDonough will appear at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, April 26th at 2:30 p.m., performing on the concert grand piano, and joined by his professional 14-piece orchestra and a cast of sensational singers.

This exciting new show features spectacular arrangements of songs from the silver screen and Broadway, as well as favorite big band, patriotic, Rat Pack, inspirational, country and classical music.

Tickets are $29 - $34 (including fees), and are available online 24/7 at www.CoralvilleArts.org, or by phone or in person at the Center?s Box Office (319) 248-9370 (open Wed. - Fri. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.; and Sat. 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.). Tickets are also available in person daily at the Coralville Recreation Center (1506 8th St). Discounts are available to groups of 10 or more.

Other "2014 SPRING TOUR" stops include : Monticello, Cedar Rapids, Manchester, Ottumwa, Elkader, and Dubuque. For more information, visit www.PianoFavorites.com, or call (800) 375-7095.

Jim McDonough has performed throughout Iowa for eleven years as part of his popular annual "Holiday Grande" concert tour. The spring tour is a result of requests from fans who also wanted to experience the spectacle of Jim?s live concert event outside of the holidays. "The spring tour gives us an opportunity to perform audience favorites from a variety of genres," McDonough says. "We?ve been hard at work to ensure that this show will be spring?s most spectacular event!"

ABOUT JIM McDONOUGH
After stints as a high school band director, cruise ship entertainer and air-traffic controller, Jim McDonough began selling his distinctive brand of soothing piano music in gift shops in eastern Iowa. Today, his CDs are available in 1,000 stores across the country and via his Web site, www.PianoFavorites.com. Jim?s independent record label, Jim McDonough Productions, Inc., has
already sold more than 250,000 of his CDs.

The road to success, though, has been paved with detours. In eighth grade, an accident nearly ended his musical career. An upright piano fell while being moved, crushing three fingers on his right hand -and nearly crushing his dreams in the process. Jim emerged from two hours of surgery with pins in his fingers and tiny fractures across his hand. But throughout more than a year of physical therapy, Jim kept playing - with a cast on his right hand - and concentrated on improving his performance with his left hand. "Playing the piano defined me," McDonough says. "It was my life, and I was determined to play again." He devoted nearly every spare moment to working to get back the dexterity in his right hand, and the rigorous rehearsing paid off. In ninth grade, instead of a car, Jim bought a Steinway grand piano to celebrate how far he?d come.

In 2010, Jim was honored by the legendary piano maker Steinway & Sons, naming him to its worldwide artist roster. As a Steinway Artist, McDonough joins an exclusive international list of the most accomplished and discriminating performing artists, from classical pianists like Lang Lang, to jazz stars like Diana Krall and Harry Connick Jr., to pop icons like Billy Joel, to "immortals" like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter. Jim McDonough?s 16 CDs are available at gift shops across the country and via his Web site, www.pianofavorites.com.

Discography includes: Requests (2002), Home for Christmas (2003), Projections: Songs from the Silver Screen (2004), An Ivory Christmas (2004), Music of the Night (2004), Simple Gifts (2005), With Love (2006), Homeward Bound (2007), Country Dreaming (2008), A Christmas to Remember (2008), Rat Pack Remembered (2009), Isn?t It Romantic (2010), Christmas Eve (2011), Young At Heart (2011), One Nation Under God (2012), and his latest release, Country Roads (2013).

For more information, visit Jim McDonough?s web site at www.PianoFavorites.com or call his music
hotline at (800) 375-7095.

ROMEOVILLE, IL (04/16/2014)(readMedia)-- Nearly 300 Lewis University undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty showcased their scholarly and artistic work April 10 during the 3rd Annual Celebration of Scholarship.

Celebration of Scholarship entries that were accepted were selected from submitted abstracts through a blind-review process. Expert and lay judges evaluated the poster presentations that reflected the best of undergraduate and graduate scholarship for 2013-2014.

Jake Dopler of Moline presented "Weather Derivatives: Risk Management, Value to Economy, and Valuation."

Several awards were given to poster presentations. Dr. Jason Keleher, assistant professor and chair of chemistry at Lewis University, mentored all the undergraduate poster winners. First place honors went to the poster "Probing Surface Interactions of Copper Substrates with Respect to Activation Energy and Electrochemistry Properties" by Meghan Nichol. "The Effectiveness of the Luminol Presumptive Test for Blood Under Arson-Like Conditions," by Samantha Brain, Nathan Hoffman and Caitlin Higgins earned second place. Third place honors were bestowed upon "Photocatalytic Nanocomposites for Alternative Clean Fuel Production" by Danielle Volk, Andrea Portillo and Kevin Kuchler.

Graduate posters earning honors included first place "Protecting the Company's Data in this BYOD Era" by Magnolia McShane. She was mentored Joseph Tomsic, instructor of management information systems. "Differences in Deaf Education" by Brian Dunne earned second place honors. Dunne was mentored by Richard Clish, assistant professor of secondary education. Third place honors were earned by the team of Christopher Hueg, Saule Grybauskas and Caitlin Slattery. Dr. Christopher Palmi, assistant professor of secondary education, mentored them in creating the poster "Inclusive Literature and Reading Interest in a Diverse Classroom."

Dr. Arnulfo Azcarraga, internationally recognized scholar and professor of Computer Science at De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines, offered the keynote address "Lasallians Connecting Seas: Scholarship, Ethics, and Collaboration."

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,600 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.

Opens Earth Day!

Tuesday, April 22 - 10am - 2pm and 5pm - 7pm

Fejervary Learning Center will open for the season on April 22, 2014.

Opening hours are 10am-2pm and 5pm-7pm.  Admission is free.

For opening day, we will have crafts and reading time by mother goose.  Explore the natural playground by digging for fossils, build a fort, make some music and much more. In the evening will have the model train running for all to enjoy. Come see the new additions to the train garden. A great place for kids to have fun and experience nature!

Fejervary Learning Center, 1800 W 12th Street, Davenport