Nathan Koehlert

“After I receive my bachelor degrees in music and accounting, I hope to either perform in shows or become an accountant for musicians.”

“My relationships with faculty have helped me succeed because that is all they want me to do. If I have questions on how to pronounce a word in a foreign language, my voice lesson teacher is more than willing to help me work through it. They are even willing to help me with things that have nothing to do with their class.”

“My favorite class so far has been Opera Workshop with Professor Greg Berg. This class is a lot of fun because it is a way for me to practice performing in front of an audience and to learn about the genre of opera.”

“I am part of the music fraternity Lambda Kappa. We are a group of musicians who all work together to help Fine Arts at Carthage and the Music Department by bringing musicians together. I am also part of the Carthage Choir; this is the highest choir on campus. We got to travel to Ireland over the summer and to Washington D.C. over spring break. The trip to Ireland was a great experience because we sang under three different conductors and got to sing in all types of venues, like cathedrals and churches. There were also alumni who came on the trip, and it was really cool to talk to them about their experiences at Carthage.”

“My toughest class at Carthage so far has been Aural Skills IV during my sophomore year. This class was a culmination of the first three Aural Skills classes and really tested our abilities as musicians. We are able to use the skills that we learned in our ensembles and voice lessons.”

“Right now, I have a job with the sound group for fine arts events. The sound job helps me learn what goes on behind the scenes of different performances.”

“I have been a part of two Christmas Festivals. As a member of the Carthage Choir, I got to sing with the orchestra and band, as well as with the other two choirs on campus during the festivals.”

“I received the Hazel-Bothe Music Scholarship through Carthage. Receiving this scholarship was definitely a surprise, but it helped me realize that this is what I want to do.”

“One of my favorite memories at Carthage would have to be the Christmas Festival in 2021. This was my first real experience with the festival, and it was really cool to see all these musicians come together for one big concert. Also, seeing people from all around completely filling the A. F. Siebert Chapel and lifting candles all at the same time was really fun to watch.”

“My favorite spot on campus is the H. F. Johnson Center for Fine Arts. Every time I go in there, I see somebody I know. I also enjoy just sitting in a practice room to work on homework or practice singing.”

“8-year-old me would not be shocked that I kept with music, but I think that he would be shocked that I chose to go into accounting. I never would have guessed growing up that I would be an accounting major in college, but here I am.”

“I recommend majoring in music performance because you get to learn how to become a better musician, not just in singing or playing your instrument — you also get to learn how to conduct. The teachers want to see you succeed and will help you with anything that you might need.”

“I chose Carthage because it was a smaller school, and I could tell that the Music Department was close like a family and that was exactly what I was looking for.”