Dick Marr
Board President
Instrument: Trombone

Dick Marr is a retired engineer from Stanley Consultants in Muscatine, Iowa.  Upon retirement, Dick started his own engineering company, Marr Engineering, Inc., in 1996.

Dick also retired from the Muscatine Elk’s Chanters after almost 30 years in that men’s vocal group.  The Chanters featured a “swing band” in its annual concerts which provided an avenue for picking up the trombone after being dormant since high school.  Formal training consisted of Jr. High and Sr. High band in Lyons (Clinton), Iowa.

Dick and Evie have lived in Muscatine continuously since 1960 after returning from a 2-year tour of duty in the Army.  Two sons, Michael and Craig, were born in Muscatine and graduated from Muscatine High School in 1976 and 1979 respectively.  Michael is a high school teacher and coach in Westby, Wisconsin.    He and Barb have two children, Erich and Katie.  Craig is a lawyer in St. Louis, Mo.  He and Ann have two children, Eve and Mia.  Dick joined the orchestra in 2002 and plays 2^nd trombone.demarr@earthlink.net.  

Richard Sessler
Board Member / Finance Committee Chair

Richard Sessler currently teaches general music in the Muscatine Community School District.  He holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Iowa.

Richard taught piano at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois and at Muscatine Community College.  He also teaches many students at his home studio.

Richard resides in Muscatine with his wife Mary Alice, who teaches art in the Muscatine schools.  They have two grown children, Sarah and John.  sessler@machlink.com

Ryan Stacy
Vice President / Publicity Committee
Instrument: Cello

Ryan Stacy lives in rural Muscatine County on a small farm.

Ryan played the cello for 3 years in grade school in Buffalo, Iowa and had not played the instrument again until a few years ago. He joined MSO the second half of their first season and has served on the MSO Board since its inception.

Ryans's other interests include aviation, Harley Davidson's, old tractors and of course music.

Ryan owns and operates Stacy Printing Company in Muscatine. ryan@stacyprint.com

Lori Carroll
Secretary / Publicity Committee

Lori Carroll holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Education from Iowa State University and is currently the fifth and sixth grade band instructor and choral accompanist for the L & M School District. She has nearly 30 years of experience teaching both vocal and instrumental music to Iowa children in grades K – 12.

Lori and husband Paul have lived in Muscatine since 1984. She has taught in both the public and private schools as well as teaching private piano lessons in her home studio. She participates in the music programs at Ss Mary & Mathias Catholic Church and Wesley United Methodist Church.

Lori plays piano, piccolo, flute and an occasional bass drum with the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra as well as serving on the MSO Board and the MSO Guild. lorising2me@yahoo.com 

Jan Pohl
Treasurer / Finance Committee
ljpohl@muscanet.com

Jan Pohl is the widow of Pastor Leif Pohl of Muscatine. She is a life long Lutheran and has been active in the 4 parishes that Leif served in his 39 years in the ministry. She sings in the choir, has taught Sunday school and been active in women’s organizations at the local, synodical and national levels. She is currently a member of Grace in Muscatine.

Jan has been an active supporter of the instrumental music programs in the two school districts her children attended, Portage, IN and Muscatine Community School District. All of her children have played the piano in addition to being involved in their school bands and orchestras. Her oldest son played cello in the Iowa City Youth Orchestra. Her twin sons also played in college bands. Jan attended as many of their concerts as possible and supported her children’s participation as a member of several instrumental support organizations.

Jan took her husband, Leif’s place on the Lutheran Chaplaincy Outreach of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics board after his death and is also a member of the Resource Development Committee of LCO.

Jan holds a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Iowa and retired in June of 2006 from Iowa State University & Muscatine County Extension. She was employed as specialist on accounting in county offices, supporting the bookkeepers in all county extension offices in Iowa and also worked as the bookkeeper and office assistant in the Muscatine County office. She currently keeps the books for a yard care service.

Jan has 4 grown children, Eric, who is a camera repair technician in Rock Island, IL, Jennifer, who is studying to be a cosmetologist in Des Moines, and twins Andrew, who is a production systems administrator Troy, Ohio, and Thomas, who is a computer engineer in Des Moines. Jan has 9 grandchildren, 7 boys, including a set of twins and 2 girls, and number 10 is due in October.

Shirley Jean Drake is the wife of State Senator Richard F. Drake.  She and her husband have two children, Rick, who is a farmer in Muscatine County and Cheryll, who is a concert pianist residing in Connecticut. They also have six grandchildren.

Shirley graduated with a FA degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa majoring in piano, organ and voice.  Her music background includes: piano, organ, clarinet, marimba and xylophone.  Shirley is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, professional music sorority and has played in the Deagan Marimba Symphony in Chicago.

Shirley served two terms on the Iowa Arts Council and as president of the Council.  She has also served two terms on the Iowa Humanities Board.  She is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Quad City Symphony, the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra, and director of the bell choir at Grace Lutheran Church in Muscatine. rsdrake@machlink.com

Brian comes from east central Indiana where he was the Assistant Conductor of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra and Ball State University Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the East Central Indiana Youth Symphony Orchestra.  Mr. Dollinger gave his professional conducting debut with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra. 

Brian has been a participant at various conducting workshops which were organized by the American Symphony Orchestra League, and the Conductor’s Institute of South Carolina, among others.  He has studied conducting with Manuel Alvarez, Larry Rachleff, Glenn Block, Leonard Atherton, and Tomasz Golka.  Mr. Dollinger is expecting to finish his Doctor of Arts degree at Ball State University with a primary emphasis in orchestral conducting and a secondary emphasis in double bass performance.  Mr. Dollinger graduated from Illinois State University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Double Bass Performance and in 2000 with a Master of Music Degree in Orchestral Conducting and Double Bass Performance.   conductingbassist@hotmail.com

Jan Phillips
Ex-Officio Member
Director of Music, Muscatine Community College
Instrument: Oboe

Jan Phillips plays oboe and was a part of the first orchestra that was organized in Muscatine in 1975.  For the past several years she has been a part of the Muscatine Woodwind Quintet. Jan is the Director of Music Activities at Muscatine Community College and is very pleased that the Orchestra is a part of their fine arts community.  Jan also directs the Muscatine Civic Chorale and a church choir.

Jan was originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin but currently resides in Muscatine with her husband Steve, and their two children, Kristin and Tim.  jphillips@eicc.edu

Nancy is a retired homemaker. She and her husband Dwayne are originally from Ottumwa, Iowa.  They have two grown children who were both very active in music while attending school in Muscatine.

Nancy has been involved in many aspects of volunteer work in Muscatine.  Most recently her involvement includes: MSO players committee, MSO Librarian and Personnel Manager, T.T.T. Society, and is a member of St. Mathias/St. Mary Church.

Nancy was born and raised on a farm in Southern Iowa. As a very young child she found music to be the outlet she needed to maintain a balance in life.  She served as Sunday School pianist and later as substitute organist, as well as playing clarinet and tenor sax in the high school band.  She says, “Music has always been at the heart of her life.” njstoos@machlink.com

Dan Warschauer has chaired the MSO guild since its inception in 2003. He is also the official photographer for the Orchestra. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and raised in Queens, New York, Dan attended new York College of Music (now part of NYU) as a Music Theory Major. After a tour in Viet Nam as Chaplain's Assistant and organist, he completed his BA in Music at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY. He received his MME degree with a choral emphasis from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

   Recently retired from a successful thirty-six year teaching career, Dan is a long-time member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and is still heavily involved in many aspects of Barbershopping, including directing, singing, coaching, and arranging for quartets and choruses. He is currently the director of Muscatine's heartland Harmony Barbershop Chorus. Dan is also a collaborating composer/lyricist with Peter and Marie Press for "Muscatine! The Musical". Dan's wife, Irene, is principal flutist with the MSO. They have two children, Averi, a veterinarian in Sacramento California, and Jason, an engineer with Texas Instruments in Dallas, both active and talented musicians. danwarsch@hotmail.com