Nic Arp

Nic Arp: Songs, guitar, vocals; Matthew Bernemann: Drums; Jennifer Horn-Frasier: Bass, vocals; Dave Rosazza: Guitar, vocals; Sean Seaton: Keys

The Nic Arp Band Bios 

Nic Arp (Songs, vocals, guitar) 

Nic is a songwriter and musician who lives in Iowa City, Iowa. He has kept his day job.

He released his first CD, Faces & Words, in 2006, and followed up with Tiny Wings in 2013. In 2018, the Nic Arp Band released Way In Between. 

The Crossing is Nic's latest effort, released in 2021. Except for backing and lead vocals by Leah Meinel, the album was written, performed, produced, recorded, and mixed by Nic. 

He performs with an outstanding group of musicians under the moniker The Nic Arp Band. He and bassist/vocalist Jennifer Horn-Frasier (and sometimes guitarist Dave Rosazza) also are a folk-pop-roots thing, called The Fritters. 

Matt Bernemann (Drums) 

Matt attended the University of Iowa and majored in percussion performance with a jazz emphasis. His past teachers include Mark Dorr, James Dreier, Tom Davis, John Rapson, and Matt Wilson. Matt currently performs with the Saul Lubaroff Trio, Nic Arp, Shade of Blue, and Martin Carpenter. 

In his spare time, Matt enjoys watching films, cooking, reading, and studying history. When not playing or teaching, he spends his time with wife Jody and sons Gabriel and Noah. 

Jennifer Frasier-Horn (Bass, vocals) 

Jennifer studied flute at the University of Iowa and spent about 10 years playing as half of the duo called McCain and Horn: The Flutepuets. She aspires to be like flute professor Betty Bang Mather when she grows up. She also had a career of about 10 years performing a nightly request-oriented piano lounge act in her living room for the bedtime of her daughters. She has dabbled in alto saxophone, acoustic guitar, and nose flute and has sung in various choirs. Along the way, however, she realized that there was nothing quite like the feeling of a bass guitar reverberating in a person’s chest, and she is grateful to have been able to play the low end of things and sing in a few bands around Iowa City over the past couple of decades, currently with the Fritters and the Nic Arp Band. It is possible that she previously performed music under the pseudonyms Mrs. Winkytoes and Legs McGillicuddy. 

Dave Rosazza (Guitar, vocals) 

Dave has been a highly sought-after teacher in the Iowa City area for over twenty years. As one of the most successful teachers in the area, Rosazza has developed techniques in guitar, piano and bass that are tailored to each individual student. He has taught all ages and levels of difficulty. Through the use of lesson materials, performance knowledge, and technology the student gets to explore music from many different angles and viewpoints. 

Rosazza began music with the trumpet and drums, but quickly turned to the piano. Classically trained since 1977, in 1985 he picked up the guitar. In 1989 Rosazza formed the group Shade of Blue, which went on to be voted the best area band four times. At this same time Rosazza began teaching guitar and piano in private lessons at J Hall Keyboards in Iowa City. 

Rosazza graduated from the University of Iowa in December of 1992 to pursue music full time. Since then he has recorded twelve studio albums on piano and guitar with a variety of bands. He was an original member of the Funkdaddies (Press-Citizen's best band of 2006) as well as a member of Voices of Soul. Rosazza continues to perform with Shade of Blue on the Kraven Maven Recording Label (Denver Colorado). “Iowa City's perennial guitar player” (Jim Musser, Iowa City Press-Citizen). 

Rosazza has shared the stage with the Beach Boys, the Monkees, George Clinton and the P Funk Allstars, Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows, The Kinsey Report, Koko Taylor, Maceo Parker & the J B Horns, and many more. 

In 2007 Rosazza opened Rosazza Lesson Studios. This was a long time dream fulfilled. Teaching continues to be the focus of his musical career. 

Dave is happily married to and endlessly supported by his lovely wife, Becky. 

Sean Seaton (Keys) 

Sean Seaton grew up in a musical family and dabbled with playing many instruments as a child. After cutting his teeth on the music of Ray Charles, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Donald Fagan, and Billy Joel, it is no wonder Sean gravitated towards the piano. He also plays trombone and studied with master trombonist George Krem as a music performance major at the University of Iowa.

Sean has been playing in Eastern Iowa bands for over 30 years, sharing the stage with Soul Asylum, Koko Taylor, George Clinton, and the Monkees. He currently plays with the R&B band Shade of Blue, the Steely Dan tribute band The Fez, singer/songwriter Nic Arp, original rockers Crystal City, the blues-based Tanya English Band, and many others. He also was a founding member of the Quad Cities-based soul and funk band 10 of Soul, with whom he occasionally still performs today. Previously, Sean played with Blueprint, Dr. Feelgood, and The Electric Koolaid Trio. In 2020, Sean was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Shade of Blue.