PELLA, (11/12/2014)(readMedia)-- Davenport native Nathan Thiessen will perform throughout Iowa -- then tour to Mexico -- with Central College's jazz band.

The group's January tour will include stops in Merida, Playa del Carmen and Cancun. In addition to sight-seeing and performing, students will benefit the Yucatan Youth Music program by donating instruments, lesson books and instrument accessories to underserved students.

Communion Clubnights in November are right around the corner with another incredible new lineup! Every month Clubnights brings together a roomful of talented artists for a unique musical experience and November is no different. We are excited to announce some of this month's artists including Highasakite, Count This Penny, The Soil and The Sun, and Mikhael Paskalev. Check out the full lineup's for all cities and get pre-sale tickets at www.communionmusic.com

Oslo residents, Highasakite make pop music, but an adventurous brand of indie pop full of contrasts. Once you hear Highasakite you'll wonder how you ever got by without them, they have an endless sound oscillating between density and spaciousness. Their debut album, Silent Treatment is filled with radical texture and startling immediacy, Ingrid Helene Håvik's idiosyncratic vocals perfectly joins the albums eccentricity and accessibility. With drummer Trond Bersu, Øystein Skar and Marte Eberson on synthesizers, and Kristoffer Lo on guitar, flugabone and percussion make up the rest of the band. All of this combined gives the band a richer texture and more potent sound.

Count This Penny formed in 2009 when Amanda and Allen Rigell cancelled their cable and picked up a couple guitars. In the time since, they've appeared on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, seen their debut EP chart in the iTunes singer songwriter Top 10, and shared stages with The Head & The Heart, Shovels & Rope, Kacey Musgraves and The Lone Bellow.  After amassing sold out shows throughout Wisconsin, they were named one of "10 Wisconsin Bands to Watch" by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The duo has since expanded to a four piece band for their forthcoming EP Wolves Are Sheep. Catch them at Communion Club Nights in November.

The Soil & the Sun is corn-fed, Michigan-made, Experiential Spiritual Orchestral Rock. Originating in 2008 as a two-piece band, the group has grown and matured into a seven-piece community of friends and musicians. Oboe, violin, guitars, accordion, percussion, piano, keys and vocals, cooperate to create complex harmonies, layered melodies, and driving rhythms. The careful orchestration and intentional instrumentation will speak to your soul.

Mikhael Paskalev makes pop music with a twist, but roots in indie and alternative country rock, inspired by names such as Paul Simon, The Shins, Edward Sharpe, The Mamas and the Papas and The Everly Brothers. His songs are recognized by the instrumentation, unusual structures and strong melodies. At times they are shamelessly catchy, but never leave the lovely and raw soundscape in which he and producer wonderkid Joe Wills chooses to operate.

Listen up New York City, this month's clubnight will be running their Les Amis thrift store in support of The Bowery Mission. The Bowery Mission feeds over 8,000 people on Thanksgiving day alone! All the money raised will go directly to feeding the homeless on Thanksgiving day so come out on Tuesday, November 4th at Rockwood Music Hall and shop for a good cause.

We couldn't be more excited to bring all of these artists to you! It's been one year since we launched Clubnights in the US, and we're glad to have such a fantastic community of artists and listeners in our family. With over a year of tours under our belt -- we still feel the best is yet to come and we'll be back next month with another round of specially curated shows. Stay tuned!

MOUNT VERNON, IA (11/06/2014)(readMedia)-- Students from Cornell College performed in the Steel Drum Ensemble concert on Oct. 30.

The concert, held in Cornell College's King Chapel, featured Halloween favorites, including the theme from the Addams Family and "The Monster Mash," as well as crowd-pleasers like the theme from "Star Wars" and "Crazy Train."

Stephanie Campbell of Bettendorf was one of the 26 students who performed in the concert.

Andrew (Drew) Klocke of Coal Valley was one of the 26 students who performed in the concert.

The Steel Drum Ensemble is one of seven of the college's highly regarded ensembles, open to all students by audition. In addition to building group performance skills, the ensembles also offer exceptional undergraduate solo opportunities.

One of the 40 "Colleges That Change Lives," Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, is a national liberal arts college with a distinctive One Course At A Time curriculum. The One Course schedule provides students the chance to dive into their studies, focus more intensely on the disciplines of their choice, and learn authentically with the unique freedom to shed the confines of the traditional classroom to study off-campus, pursue research, or accept an internship-all without missing out on other classes.

Cornell has been recognized by numerous publications for the value its education offers and for academic excellence. This year it was named one of the 20 "Best Buys" in higher education by the "Fiske Guide to Colleges," and one of the 100 best values in liberal arts education by Kiplinger's. It has also been called a "Great School at a Great Price" by U.S. News and World Report. Ninety-three percent of Cornell graduates earn their degrees in four years, compared to the national average of slightly more than five years. In 2013 Cornell was named one of the 25 colleges with the best professors by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. For more information, visit www.cornellcollege.edu.