Coralville, IA - February 26, 2015 - West Music is springing into March by hosting their third annual social competition called March Music Madness, beginning on Thursday, March 5, 2015.  13 participating area high schools have submitted videos of their pep band in an effort to prove which pep band is the best in the area.  To view the official bracket, tournament rules, and to begin voting, visit westmusic.com/MarchMusicMadness.

Participating schools are:

·         Bellevue

·         Center Point-Urbana

·         Columbus Community

·         Easton Valley

·         Edgewood-Colesburg

·         Independence

·         Fillmore Central

·         North Linn

·         Maquoketa Valley

·         Moline

·         Oelwein

·         River Ridge

Coralville, IA - February 23, 2015 - West Music, provider of music therapy services to the Central and Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois region since 1994, is proud to announce its participation in Music Therapy Awareness Week, February 23 to February 27, 2015. Music Therapy Awareness Week is intended to help educate the public about the benefits of music therapy for individuals in a wide variety of circumstances or settings. West Music will celebrate the week by honoring their on-staff music therapists, sharing with the community the benefits and value of music therapy, and by showcasing tools and products designed for music therapists and the therapy setting. Additionally, Music Therapists from around the state of Iowa will gather at the Iowa State Capitol on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 to educate state legislators about music therapy and its uses.

About Music Therapy

Music therapy is the clinical and evidenced based use of music to achieve non-musical goals such as cognitive, emotional, social, and motor skills in addition to communication skills. A Music Therapist uses both instrumental and recorded music to help individuals work on these specific goal areas. Individuals of all ages can participate in music therapy. Therapists work with clients to develop a program that is unique to them and based off of their personal music preferences. No prior musical knowledge or experience is required to participate and benefit from music therapy.

About Music Therapy Services at West Music

Music Therapy Services at West Music believes in the therapeutic value and benefits of music for all people. West Music is dedicated to enhancing the lives of all clients through successful musical experiences that address specific needs with respect and dignity. Music Therapy Services of West Music currently provides support and services to more than 500 clients weekly in a wide variety of settings including West Music studios, school systems, hospice, and private homes. Music Therapy Services available through West Music include one to one individual therapy, small group therapy (3-6 people), large group therapy (6-12 people), recreational music classes and adaptive music lessons. For more information about Music Therapy Services at West Music, please visit musictherapy.westmusic.com or contact Kelly Carlson, MA, MT-BC, Director of Music Therapy Services at West Music at kcarlson@westmusic.com.

The Aurora University Chorale and Chamber Choir will be performing at Good Shepherd on Friday, February 27th at 7:00 pm.  This concert is free and open to the public.  The choirs will provide a varied program of literature that spans centuries and genres.  Listeners will enjoy works by American composer, Gwyneth Walker, as well as compositions by Morten Lauridsen, F. Melius Christiansen, J.P. Sweelinck, W.A. Mozart, vocal jazz and other music from the 20th century.

We hope that people around the QCA can enjoy this opportunity.

Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church

2324 18^th Avenue, Rock Island, IL  61201-3615

309.788.4050; www.goodshepherdpres.org

February marks the release of his new album Jury of My Peers which aspires to bring this versatile session player and private guitar instructor center stage. The new album combines hard and modern rock, blues, and a little funk in 13 original instrumental songs of melodic sensibility and top-notch musicianship, with just the right amount of technical precision.

The album opener and lead single "Roman's Road" is a wah-fueled shred fest with a driving low-end. This song has particular importance to Dave as it was inspired by and dedicated to his young nephew, Roman, who was born four months premature. A music video was filmed featuring Roman and Dave's nieces intermingled with footage of Roman's plight from the hospital to home, and proceeds from the sale of the single are being donated to charity.

This album is 100% guitar, but the musician's track listing reads more like a Who's Who of the Midwest's finest musicians. Californian musicians relocating from the coast have become the recent trend, and Dave has grasped this opportunity to work with the best players he could find; not only to backup his arrangements, but to step into the forefront of the mix when needed.

Former LA drummer and Modern Drummer columnist Rick Long, now active in the Kansas City music scene, appears on three tracks including the blues-based "Seeds on Stones", which also has Dave Paris Group member Barbe Paris pulling double-duty on keyboards and acoustic bass.

Before Brent Harknett, current drummer of The Dave Paris Group, took up residence in Iowa, he had an active career in the LA music scene. His musical resume includes work with Jeff Watson of Night Ranger, Blue Cheer, and most recently John Elefante formerly of Kansas. Harknett cuts loose with Barbe on bass for the 7-string, hard rock tune "Last 2nd." He later adds a funky beat and energetic solo to the Talk Box-driven "Penguin Love."

Other rock-blues highlights include the very raw, traditional blues piece "Wood, Wire, Wind." Dave's good friend and collaborator Cyprian Alexzander trade leads on this piece with Dave's contribution from a three-string, fretless cigar box guitar and Cyprian on blues harp. "Chapter and Verse" features a guest appearance by world-renown, Kansas City-based guitarist Jeff Scheetz, with a reggae-like breakdown where Barbe lays down a keyboard solo.

"Night Before Last", a symphonic rock arrangement too big to fit into earbuds, features violinists from the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra carrying the melody and backing Dave's blistering solo. Dave utilizes the eBow guitar effect to emulate a Moog-style keyboard on the progressive rock of "The Author of Fate." The straight-ahead, double-kick rhythms of "Free B", is pure modern rock with a driving groove and singable lead line.

Musicians, particularly guitarists, are going to love this album, but non-musicians will lock into the melody-intense songs with its larger-than-life arrangements and production. Final mix down, editing, mastering, and design layout was handled by Doug Johnson at Cedar Rapids' Recording Guy's Studio. RGS Productions has worked on hundreds of internationally-known projects and artists over the years, and has a reputation for major-label quality and hometown ethics.

Jury of My Peers, as well as other singles, and the Dave Paris Group's 2010 release "Words and Music" are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby and other outlets. Of course, you can hear it live when Dave and his band hit the road throughout 2015 to support the release; It's going to be epic.

Visit the official website at daveparis.com for more info including music videos, free music downloads, and photos.