By the Light of the Moon - October 2016
                   Wisconsin Singers Newsletter                   
 
Hello! I hope you all are having a wonderful transition to the fall season. Although the weather is changing, the Singers are in full swing preparing for their busy Fall schedule! Managing class, midterms, social lives, and their Singers activities (to name just a few things!) keep this year's troupe busy every day of the week. 

We are all looking forward to seeing this year's show -
In Living Color - come alive at Memorial Union for On Campus in November.  We are also thrilled to have a few new Professional Staff members helping us get there! 
This year's troupe is having a blast working with Gino De Luca and Georgi Edgington, our new Artistic Director and Executive Producer, respectively. Keep scrolling to learn more about Gino, and stay tuned to next month's newsletter to learn about Georgi!

Don't forget to buy your tickets for one of this year's On Campus shows on Saturday, November 12th at 8pm and Sunday, November 13th at 3pm! The troupe is once again performing in Shannon Hall at the Memorial Union. Be ready to sing along to hits by Bruno Mars, Madonna, Beyoncé, and more! Visit this link to buy your
 tickets:  http://www.wisconsinsingers.com/news/2016/9/22/on-campus-2016 

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your October, and On, Wisconsin!

Lexi DesRochers
Alumni Spotlight: Jenna Mood, 1999-2005


This month's spotlight is Jenna Mood! The Wisconsin Singers was fortunate to have Jenna as our trombone player from 1999-2005, of which the last three years she was our Assistant Music Director. After playing her trombone on stage for many years, Jenna decided to hang out with the Singers program a little longer, and from 2005-2011, was our Vocal Arranger. 

She says that some of her most memorable times with Singers were the many bus rides she took over the years. "Of course there are a lot of things I remember, but the bus rides keep popping into my head. I think they were the perfect combination of fun, boring, and bumpy." She says she loved jamming with the band and playing with excellent musicians who were part of the Signers. 

Jenna currently lives in Cottage Grove, WI on a hobby farm with her husband (Michael - who she met through Wisconsin Singers) and three boys - and many animals, too! 

After graduating UW-Madison, Jenna started her own music arranging business, Triple Forte Arrangements. She says she still does arranging today, although homeschooling her three boys, directing her church's Children's Choir, and playing trombone in several bands around Madison keep her busy!

When asked about her favorite spot on campus as as student, Jenna said, "Room 1351 in Humanities. Ok, not really but that is where I spent a huge majority of my time." Her advice to current Signers is something that Arlie Mucks always used to say - "Today is the bet day of your life until tomorrow."

And finally, a huge congratulations to Jenna and Michael who are expecting their fourth child in March! They are looking forward to welcoming a new brother or sister to their family - and adding another member to their family band!
1916 fire changed the face of Bascom

Bascom Hall, built in 1859
A century ago, disaster struck the heart of UW-Madison's campus.
On Oct. 10, 1916, the dome on top of what was then called Main Hall caught fire. Many students helped fight the blaze.

The dome collapsed into a water supply tank, extinguishing the fire and saving the rest of the building. But the structure, which even then was a powerful symbol of the university, would never be quite the same.

Four years later, the building was renamed Bascom Hall in honor of John Bascom, the university president from 1874 to 1887.

The gallery below traces the evolution of Bascom Hall through the years.


Read the whole article and see many more pictures of how Bascom Hall has changed over the years here: http://news.wisc.edu/fire-a-century-ago-changed-the-face-of-bascom/

Upcoming Events

Oct 22 - Parent's Weekend - 7:30 pm 
Oct 29 - Farmer's Market - 9am
Nov 5 - Monona Grove HS - 7 pm
Nov 11 - Homecoming Parade - 6 pm
Nov 12 - On Campus - 8 pm
Nov 13 - On Campus - 3 pm
Nov 19 - Wausau West HS - 7 pm

Check out the full 16-17 schedule! here: http://www.wisconsinsingers.com/schedule
In This Issue

Introducing Gino De Luca - Our New Artistic Director

We are thrilled to welcome Gino De Luca to the Wisconsin Singers program as our new Artistic Director!  Gino says he ended up in this new role by chance and fate. Through his position as a pianist and singer at Rare Steakhouse in Milwaukee, he connected with Bobby Neremore, Friends of Wisconsin Singers President. The position seemed right to Gino and he fit in well with our program - and the rest is history.

Gino began his professional music career at the young age of fifteen, where he played in a wedding band. Since then, some of his other professional gigs have included performing on the Costa Classica Cruise Ship in Genoa, Italy, being Music Director of the 2nd National Tour of Into the Woods, playing the role of Mary Sunshine in Chicago, and holding many director and pianist/singer jobs in cabaret shows across the Midwest and in New York.

When asked about what he enjoys most about music, Gino's answer was, "The way it transforms other people - each in their own special way. I truly love being an inspiration to others in their journey of wanting to be better people. This is how I can change the world!" In addition to singing and dancing, Gino can play the piano, guitar, accordion, and recorder. He is excited to carry this year's troupe through the transition of having a new Artistic Director and Executive Producer, as well as bringing them to a new level of performance, professionalism, outreach, leadership, and audience transformation. Gino gets to utilize his many musical talents to help continue the excellence of the Wisconsin Singers program!

Although he couldn't pick just one favorite song from this year's show, his top ten are: Bye Bye, Blackbird, Family, Material Girl, Caspar the Friendly Ghost, True Colors, American Pie, Little Red Corvette, Summer Nights, All Night Long and Boogie Shoes.  They each correspond with a certain period in his life that was special and memorable. 

Although his free time is limited, Gino enjoys reading, practicing piano and singing, spending time with friends, attending daily mass, and driving from Lake Michigan to Lake Mendota. 

In the near future, Gino is excited to announce he has accepted to play Liberace in a one-man cabaret piece. He has three months to practice his classical piano repertoire - stay tuned, he says. 

Gino's passion for music shows through his devotion to his own music as well as helping others transform their lives through music. He could not end his interview without stating that he owes everything he is today to his parents Honey and Joe De Luca, who gave him music lessons, life skills, and encouragement to do whatever he set his mind to. 

Wisconsin Singers Spotlight: Isaac Buttke
Isaac, a junior who is from Wausau, WI, is this year's Company Manager! He is majoring in Marketing and International Business, and getting certificates in German and Supply Chain Management. Now as a third year member in the troupe, he has made some great memories performing. He says one of his best memories is from a dance clinic at Franklin Middle School in Green Bay, WI. "The way that those students and I connected made the entire experience so much fun."

Isaac says one of the hardest parts about being a Singer/Dancer is retention. " There are always a lot of things to do as CM and plenty of things for me to improve upon each time I step onto stage, but retaining the notes I receive and implementing them during every show can be challenging with all the other things on my mind." He says the program has helped him grow professionally - by managing more things on his plate and being a better communicator. 

Isaac has obviously showcased his musical talents over the years - one hidden talent of his, though, is writing. He loves to write, especially about sports, and is currently employed as a baseball writer for Rotowire. To no surprise, Isaac enjoys watching and following sports in his free time - "especially baseball". 

After graduation, Isaac would like to work in a marketing or supply chain related field - but would love to incorporate his love for sports into his career! 

Outside of Singers, you can find Isaac cheering on the Badgers at Camp Randall on game day.  Being his favorite spot on campus, Isaac says, "The energy created there by the students and other fans is like nothing I've ever seen."
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Madison, WI 53706

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