Randy Leasman of Davenport has written songs since he was 12, but the veteran bassist and guitar player hasn't been able to sing his own material on a record or in concert over the years. That changed recently for the 37-year-old Davenport West alum, with the release...

Becoming a music industry professional requires a base level of knowledge. Whether you’re looking to become an artist, producer, manager (the list goes on), there are fundamental aspects of the industry to know early on.  Know the ins and outs of your stage plot. ...

Sam Koester is a rare bird in the aviary of the Quad City region’s music biz. The friendly, 41-year-old Muscatine native now resides in Moline, owning and operating River+City Collective. RCC is an ​​entertainment production company producing shows primarily in and...

The Quad City Arts Performing Arts Signature Series (PASS) is tailor-made for a unique, charismatic musician like Bassel Almadani, who has quite a story to tell. The first-generation Syrian-American – born in Ohio – fronts the funk and soul band Bassel & The...

It’s fitting that the last Quad City Symphony Orchestra performance before the Covid shutdown was Verdi’s Requiem, a piece written in memory of a dear friend. The first Masterworks program to welcome a full-capacity audience since then (Oct. 2-3, 2021) will feature...

It takes an army of volunteers and sponsors to make the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival possible, and perhaps no more important than this year. Following the pandemic-plagued 2020, when the fest was canceled along with so many events, the all-volunteer Mississippi...

After becoming a full-time musician in 2018, Lewis Knudsen found himself on the edge of a precipice. The Covid Pandemic forced him to try other avenues that were not live music.  “After the shutdown, I looked around and asked myself, "how can I make music if I never...

The River Music Experience and Sean Moeller of Codfish Hollow have partnered to bring "Baby GARP" to the Quad Cities this year. The one-day festival will take over Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Rock Island, IL, on Sept. 11.  Scheduled initially for Codfish Hollow in...

The Covid pandemic has tested everyone’s patience. But even pre-pandemic, award-winning composer, pianist, and music professor William Campbell was at his wit’s end. Fortunately, he found some peace, wisdom and channeled his boundless creativity into a new album, “All...