By the Light of the Moon - May 2016
                   Wisconsin Singers Newsletter                   
 
Hello! I hope everyone had a great April. Hopefully we have seen the last of the snow. I'm sure many of the Singers are hoping the same, as they recently got back from their spring break tour to Florida. Once again, the troupe performed two shows at The Villages entertaining more than 1300 enthusiastic snowbirds.

The Singers are on the home stretch of their spring season. However, there is still plenty of time to catch one of our last four shows. So, make sure to check out the show schedule below or on our website to find one closest to you. I MPORTANT NOTE: we still need at least one more summer show to make fill out our schedule - can you help? Contact us at 608.332.8245 or send suggested booking to robin@wisconsinsingers.com. 

With the end of the season drawing near, auditions for the 16-17 troupe are right around the corner. If you know anyone who's interested, auditions will take place on April 30, May 22, 28, 29, or by appointment. These can be set up by calling 608.263.9499/608.332.8245 or emailing auditions@wisconsinsingers.com. If you know someone who would be interested in tech positions or business team internships instead, you can have them email their resume to techs@wisconsinsingers.com or interns@wisconsinsingers.com.

I hope you all have a great rest of the month and On, Wisconsin!

Jason Chladek
Alumni Spotlight: Brian Peterson 2001-2005

April's spotlight is on Brian (Kaisen) Peterson. Brian was a singer/dancer, vocal captain, and part-time sax player from 2001-2005. Reminiscing about his time with Singers, he says he misses being able to perform every weekend the most. His favorite memory from his time with the group was simply having the opportunity to learn, grow, make mistakes, and succeed surrounded by a close group of friends, who were embracing and fulfilling their passions. Brian's favorite show to perform was "Hey Mr. DJ." However, his all time favorite song was "Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong."

Brian graduated from the UW with a Bachelor's in Choral Music Education. After graduation, he moved to New York City and worked in professional regional theaters, dinner theaters, and did a national tour. He also had the opportunity to perform in Times Square on New Year's Eve with the USO Show Troupe of Metropolitan New York. In 2010, he went back to school for his Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and currently works at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Brian lives in Iowa City with his wife, Lena. They have been married for 5 months and will be expecting their baby's arrival in October. In his free time, Brian enjoys watching the Cubs, reading, running, or doing outdoor projects. Thinking about being a Wisconsin Singer, he feels that the program helped prepared him well for the rest of this life. He learned how to conduct himself appropriately in professional auditions, rehearsals, and shows and wasn't phased by having to work or practice long hours. Most importantly, Singers helped him develop the important skills of time management, responsibility, respect, punctuality (go, Lombardi time!), and professionalism allowing him to achieve his personal and professional goals.
2016 4W Summit Honors Two Badgers

Golden and DiPrete Brown
Since 2005, the Women's Philanthropy Council Champion Awards have honored one man and woman that have helped advance the status of women at UW-Madison. This year, two more members of campus will be honored at the 2016 4W Summit on Women, Gender, and Well-being. The individuals being honored this year are Lori DiPrete Brown and Robert Golden. 

Lori is the associate director for education at the Global Health Institute and directs UW's 4W (Women and Well-being in Wisconsin and the World) Initiative. Her efforts have focused on improving the lives of girls and women locally and around the world. Through her work, she has helped create programs designed to address women's financial independence, sex trafficking, and many others. 

Robert was the ninth dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. During his work, he helped recruit prominent female leaders as academic department chairs and provided support to these women to enhance their leadership skills. As part of the award, Lori and Robert will designate a $5000 grant to an initiative that benefits women. Lori has chosen to devote funds to the 4W Initiative, and Robert has given his gift to the Center for Women's Health Research.

Upcoming Events

May 1 - intern and tech apps due
May 20 - Portage High School - 7:30 p.m.
May 22, 28, 29- AUDITIONS
July 2 - New Berlin West High School - 6:30 p.m.
July 4 - Neenah Riverside Park - 1:00 p.m.

Check out the full 15-16 schedule here: http://www.wisconsinsingers.com/schedule

In This Issue

Making the Troupe: How to Audition as a Singer/Dancer

With the end of the spring season in sight, auditions for next year's Wisconsin Singers troupe are quickly approaching. "How does one go about auditioning?" you ask. Well, don't worry, we're here to tell you all about how to audition for the troupe as a singer/dancer. 

After calling 608.332.8245 or emailing auditions@wisconsinsingers.com for an audition time, you should arrive on site (Humanities Building at 455 N. Park St.) dressed to impress. The registration table will have you fill out some paperwork and you are welcome to bring your performance resume if you have one. When the time comes, we'll escort you into the room with a small group of other auditioners. Remember that first impressions count so plan to listen carefully to instructions, thank the accompanist we provide, and then relax and enjoy the ride! Once in the room, the staff will call you up one at a time to first introduce yourself and then sing one of your two solos (note: make sure your solos have been trimmed to no longer than 2 minutes each). After some simple vocal scales to show us your range, you'll sing your chosen solo (pick the one that shows your best vocal quality- are you a great stylizer? Have a warm ballad voice?). After each auditioners has sung, othe Singers' dance captains will teach you a movement sequence, allowing time for any questions along the way. Remember: it is not critical that you are a "dancer/dancer"- we're looking for those who can improve with instruction and "sell" the song.  Once the dance is taught, you will perform it in small groups in front of the panel. SMILE, SMILE, SMILE!

Congratulations - your initial audition is complete! Callbacks are announced within 15 minutes and if you make it to the next step, you'll be coming back to us later the same day. CALLBACKS: everyone takes a turn singing their second song choice and the best 8-16 measures of your first song. You may be given some suggestions for trying something differently- take this as an opportunity to show the panel that you can take direction and don't hesitate to step outside your comfort zone and give it a whirl! The entire group then works with the dance captains to improve the movement sequence that was taught earlier that day. 

All of the auditioners who make callbacks also participate in a short interview with some of the professional and student staff. The purpose of this interview is for the staff to get to know more about you and looks for a "good fit" for a troupe that spends time together promoting the UW in a variety of different situations. The entire audition process ends with a Q&A section with student staff members. This is your chance to ask any questions you may have about the program and what it's like to be a Wisconsin Singer. The singer/dancer auditions are not only a very fun and unique experience, but give students a fantastic chance to practice and learn professional auditioning. Our goal is to make your experience a productive, fun one (some of our auditioners end up becoming lifelong friends and event roommates). 

Most important thing to remember is that in the audition business, your fit with the upcoming show is the most important thing for us-if you are not what we need for next year's show, it is NOT a reflection of your talent but rather what is needed for the upcoming season. Come back to us the following year and give it another shot. Every year, there are Singers onstage that did not make the troupe their first time and you'd never guess which ones they are! 
Wisconsin Singers Spotlight: Aaron Mleziva
This month's spotlight is on Aaron Mleziva. Aaron is a freshman from Denmark, Wisconsin and is in his first year with the Wisconsin Singers. He is currently studying Political Science with plans to go to law school after graduation. Aaron decided to audition for the group because he wanted to keep performing in college. 

So far, his favorite part of Singers has been the On Campus shows because he had never performed in front of such a large audience before. He also enjoyed getting to perform on this hometown stage with his new troupe of Wisconsin Singers. Aaron really likes this year's show, and his favorite song is "Walk Like a Man." 

Outside of Singers, Aaron also participates in rec volleyball and loves playing other sports in his free time. From hockey to golf to figure skating - he enjoys the competition and the real drama it creates. He's also a huge fan of good old-fashioned card games and, as a Poli Sci major, talking politics.
Contact Us
1320 Humanities Building 
455 N. Park St
Madison, WI 53706

608.263.9499



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