Christopher Merz,
composer and saxophonist, is busy trying to figure out how to combine aspects of all of the music he loves (jazz, rock, pop, folk, and classical) into a satisfying and original whole. The music composed for and performed by CVH.B. inches closer to that goal. When not performing, writing, teaching or thinking about music, he spends his time trying to make his children laugh hard enough to shoot milk out their noses.
Michael Conrad
(Piano) is a composer, improviser, and teacher from Iowa. He has been recognized for his arranging and composing with four ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards and five Downbeat Student Music Awards, as well as many other accolades. As both a trombonist and pianist, Conrad is fortunate to play several different roles in a wide variety of ensembles, but serving as the pianist in Christopher's Very Happy. Band. is certainly one of his favorite things he gets to do.
Dave Tiede
(Drums) Pulling bits and pieces from a variety of musical sources and genres helps Dave Tiede create a versatile sound that he can call his own. Classically trained with a wide array of professional experience in music from Jazz to Rock, and everything in between, he is able to bring a fresh, diverse feel to each new musical situation. Along with performing, he is an educator, teaching privately and appearing as a guest speaker and clinician throughout the Midwest.
Drew Morton,
bassist and multimedia artist, is a regular musician with various groups in the area. In addition to CVH.B., he also regularly performs with Jack Lion, Laranja, and Koplant No. In addition to music, Drew creates graphics and animations that often accompany music recordings and live performances. Drew is a Gemini.
THE FELLAS:
