Nathan Koehlert ?24

Nathan Koehlert

Class Year

’24

Hometown

Algonquin, Illinois

Major(s)

Music Performance and Accounting

Nathan Koehlert ’24, a recipient of the Hazel-Bothe Music Scholarship, has participated in two Christmas Festival concerts, multiple Carthage Choir concerts, and two Opera Workshop shows at Carthage. He believes each production has helped him become a better musician and performer.

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“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.”

Nathan Koehlert, ’24

Why Carthage?

“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.”

Faculty mentors

“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.”

Favorite 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.”

Toughest class

“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.”

Campus involvement

“I am part of the music fraternity Lambda Kappa. We are a group of musicians who all work together to help the Office of Visual and Performing Arts 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.”

Internships or campus employment

“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.”

Career goal

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

Favorite spot on campus

“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.”

Favorite memory

“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.”

What would your 8-year-old self think of you now?

“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.”