Q. Why be a Wisconsin Singer? A. Love the stage? This is where you will find the thrill of performing for more than 50,000 people each year while going to an internationally renowned University. If you play an instrument, sing, dance, love to work behind the scenes in the areas of lighting/sound/stage management or any combination of the above, Wisconsin Singers is YOUR place to shine! Furthermore, after you graduate you'll carry with you lifelong friends, a network of alumni connections in many different areas, and a comprehensive set of skills including performance, time management, communication, public relations, and professionalism that will serve you well in whatever area you pursue. Q. What does "we do more than just sing" refer to? A. Wisconsin Singers aren't just singers! The troupe consists of singers, dancers, actors, instrumentalists, stage technicians, and all are teachers of workshops throughout the state, entertainers, and ambassadors for the University of Wisconsin. Q. What kind of music is performed? A. The Singers bring their own unique brand of pop, Broadway, jazz, rock, and country to the audiences across the state and nation each year. Their Broadway-style review is written by professional arrangers especially for these collegiate musicians. Students learn all about vocal, instrumental and dance styles in all areas of pop music. Q. Who can be a Wisconsin Singer? A. Any UW-Madison student, including freshmen and transfer students, is eligible to audition. ALL majors are welcome - you do not need to be a music student! Q. What technical positions are available? A. Recent years have seen the technical duties solidify into three specific positions: the sound engineer, the lighting designer, and the site manager. See the "What do the Technical Positions Involve?" section for more details.

Q. How do I join the Singers tech staff? A. Technical positions are filled through an interview process that is similar to the process used to fill many professional jobs. You will be asked to provide a resume and references and go through an interview with the director and staff members. If possible, you might be asked to accompany the troupe on a weekend show in order to introduce you to the process and get a sense for how things work. Q. When are interviews held? A. The Wisconsin Singers are currently looking for an Assistant Sound Technician for Spring semester 2008. CALL 608-849-6884 now for information. Interviews are normally held during the spring for the following year. We like to fill these positions as soon as possible so that new techs can start training right away. Call our office at 608-849-6884 to schedule your interview today! Q. Where are the interviews held? A. Interviews are usually held at the Humanities Building on the UW campus. However, if this doesn't work for you, feel free to contact our office and we will do our best to accomodate you. Q. Do I need to have technical experience? A. Experience in stage production is helpful, though we will train the right person.

Q. What does the Sound Engineer position involve? A. The Sound Engineer is responsible for the entire system of amplified sound that the Singers travel with. The Sound Engineer directs set-up and soundcheck, coordinates sound with any opening groups that may be performing and is responsible for running the soundboard during the show. Q. What kind of sound equipment will I work with? A. The Wisconsin Singers uses the following equipment when on tour. Mixing Console and Signal Processors 1 Soundcraft Series-TWO 40 channel mix console 1 Rane AC22 stereo 2-way active crossover 1 Ashley GQX-3102 stereo graphic equalizer 1 Rane ME60 graphic equalizer 1 Rane ME30 graphic equalizer 1 dbx 266 compressor/expander/gate 1 TC-Electronics D-TWO digital delay and effects processor 1 Yamaha REV500 digital reverb 4 dbx 1046 4-channel compressors Microphones 5 Shure U2 handheld transmitters with Beta 87A heads 16 Shure U1-UA wireless beltpacks 16 Countryman Isomax hypercardiod headset microphones 8 Shure UC1 body-pack transmitters 8 Shure WM98 microphone capsules and A98KCS horn clamps 3 Shure SM81 1 Beyerdynamic M201TG 1 Sennheiser E604 “Evolution” 1 AKG D-112 4 Shure SM-58 1 Shure LS24/Beta 58 2 Beyerdynamic M-69 2 Crown PCC160 House system 2 JBL SR4722A loudspeakers 2 Sonic 118TL/EV Proline subwoofers 1 Crown Macro-Tech MA1200 1 Crown Macro-Tech MA2400 Monitor system 5 Bag End TA2000-CF monitors 2 Ramsa WS-A200 loudspeakers 3 Sony MDR-7506 monitor headphones 3 Sony MDR-7505 monitor headphones Q. What kind of show is this from a sound engineering point of view? A. The show is an incredibly fast-paced revue-style show that requires developing a good mixing skill on the part of the sound engineer. Because the venue changes with each show, the sound engineer has to be quick-thinking and flexible. Q. What are some qualifications/experiences the Singers are looking for from a sound engineer? A. Singers sound is an exciting opportunity to gain an understanding of the sound engineering industry. Experience with amplified sound is extremely helpful in this position. The interview questions will attempt to find your strengths with any and every kind of stage work. It is always best when the three technicians (LD, SM, and SE) bring a variety of experiences and unique strengths to the team. Note that our past sound engineers have ALL been hired right out of college for work in the profession when they have chosen to go on to this career (see photos). Past alumni sound engineer, Jim Uphoff who majored in History, is currently working on Broadway and SE alumnus, Joe Eckberg (Journalism major) has recently been hired as the Technical Director for the Weidner Center in Green Bay. Lighting Designer Q. What does the Lighting Designer position involve? A. Due to the small technical staff, the responsibilities of the technicians both overlap and reinforce one another. At pre-production camp (about two weeks before classes begin,) the Lighting Designer and the Stage Manager work primarily on the props, costuming, and similar aspects of production while the Sound Engineer, dancers, and band learn their aspects of that year s show. When the show goes on the road it is the LD s responsibility to quickly fit the show to the given venue (this includes hanging, focusing and cuing their lighting system, staging and masking, and giving follow spot cues.) There are two times the lighting designer takes a full-scale plot to stage: at a first semester, campus performance in the Wisconsin Union Theater; and for a video produced second semester. At the other performances, the show and the lighting are formatted to the specific venue. This diversity of lighting situations makes the LD s job with the Wisconsin Singers unique and exciting! Q. What kind of equipment will I be working with? A. Because the show is in a different place each time, the lighting systems you will be working with vary widely. They include high school auditoriums all over the state as well as professional theaters such as the Weidner Center in Green Bay and the Appleton Performing Arts Center. Q. What kind of show is this from a lighting design perspective? A. The best way to describe the lighting atmosphere of a Singers show is an extremely fast-paced, pop concert/show choir/Broadway revue. The possibilities are limitless and exciting because nothing compares with the energy of a Wisconsin Singers performance. You will work with a tight-knit trio of technicians, for a group that encourages lasting friendships amongst the entire troupe. It is an incomparable opportunity to work in diverse venues while perfecting your design technique. Most significantly, you can keep up your interest in theatre by working with a professional road production. Q. What are some qualifications/experiences the Singers are looking for from a lighting designer? A. Singers lighting is an exciting opportunity to gain an understanding of the lighting industry that is most valuable if you have seen some of it before—doable if you have high school or college production lighting experience. Having a good grasp of at least one lighting system is important, as is having worked with a range of lighting instruments. Familiarity with props construction and road show production are a plus. The interview questions will attempt to find your strengths with any and every kind of stage work. It is always best when the three technicians (LD, SM, and SE) bring a variety of experiences and unique strengths to the team. Production Manager Q. What does the Produciton Manager position involve? A. The Site Manager is responsible for a multitude of things. The Site Manager is the Singers liason with the technical contact for every show site. The SM makes sure that the technical director of a site knows the Singers' technical requirements, and documents the specific details of the site so that the tech crew is well prepared before arrival. The SM also contacts the directors of guest groups to make sure they know the details of the show, including scheduling and technical requirements. Within the group, the SM is the coordinator of the tech crew, organizing repairs, new equipment installation, and coordination of load-in policy and jobs. On site, the SM will also take on the roll of Stage Manager, directing stage calls to the performers and ensuring that any technical problems that may arise during the show are addressed quickly. Q. What kind of equipment will I be working with? A. As Site Manager, you will be working with the Singers entire sound system, listed above under the sound engineer section, as well as a full staging set-up and props. Q. What kind of show is this from a site management perspective? A. Despite being a highly involved show, the Singers show is designed to be highly flexible in terms of fitting different venues. As such, the Site Manager must determine how the show will fit in each specific venue prior to arrival. During the show, the fast-paced nature means that the SM must always be on his or her toes, ready to deal with any situation that may arise, and solve problems so that the audience never knows that anything went wrong. Q. What are some qualifications/experiences the Singers are looking for from a production manager? A. Singers site management is an exciting opportunity to gain an understanding of site management of a touring group. Stage management experience, either at the high school or college level, is a definite plus. In addition to those skills, the SM will also need good time management and interpersonal skills, essential for the office work involved with the position. The interview questions will attempt to find your strengths with any and every kind of stage work. It is always best when the three technicians (LD, SM, and SE) bring a variety of experiences and unique strengths to the team.

Q. When do you rehearse? A. We learn the entire show in two sessions during the summer. Vocal Camp, where the entire troupe assembles to get to know each other and to learn the vocal score (band and techs too!) takes place over a weekend in July. This weekend is filled with great bonding activities and well as costume fittings and photography sessions. Dance Camp, where the whole troupe learns the entire show, takes place over 16 days at the end of August, running daily from August 16th - August 31st, 2008. During first semester, rehearsals are on Sundays from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. During second semester, there are no official rehearsal times, though we do spend an hour or two rehearsing on site before each show. Q. What is the performance schedule like? A. We do about 40 shows a year, almost exclusively on weekends. Q. How do you balance school and Singers? A. Understand that Wisconsin Singers values your academics above all else. It is a proven fact that those who learn time management skills are head and shoulders above their peers. You will always have your performance schedule in handin plenty of time to plan for the entire semester. Because shows are generally on weekends, that leaves plenty of time for classes and homework during the week. To be honest, when speaking with professors about your participation in the Singers, you immediately become a student that is recognized as a committed achiever. Performances are never scheduled during exam week. Q. Can I have a job and be a Singer? A. Absolutely. Many Singers hold down part-time jobs during the school year. The key is finding a job that works with your schedule. Q. I'm interested in another group too. Can I do both? A. Many Singers in years past have participated in other groups at the UW, such as the Marching Band or the UW Choirs. The important thing, as with any other committment, is keeping on top of your schedule. Q. How do you balance having a social life and being a Singer? A. Being a Singer IS having a social life. One of the best qualities of the troupe is how close everybody becomes over the course of just those few weeks of camp during the summer. Freshmen tend to find that being a Singer makes the transition to college easier, as they've already got 25 good friends before the rest of the freshmen even show up at the dorms. Of course, there is life beyond Singers. Our students generally have plenty of time for other activities. Q. What other opportunities does Singers offer? A. Besides performance, the Singers offer multiple positions of leadership within the organization called, collectively, the "student staff." Positions available include Company Manager, Assistant Music Director, Site Manager, Dance Captain, Vocal Captain, and others and are generally available after your first year as a Singer. Q. How do scholarships work? A. Scholarships are awarded based on years of membership, staff position, and years on staff, if applicable. First-year Singers receive their scholarships during second semester, while Singers in their second year or more receive scholarships during both semesters. The amount of scholarships available varies from year to year. Q. Can I get class credit? A. Singers is worth 1 intermediate level music credit. Performing staff members receive 2 credits. Q. What's this about Spring Break? A. Spring Break is spent traveling the country, performing in Ohio, Kentucky, and Florida, followed by some much-deserved free time. Past years have seen visits to Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Vero Beach. Q. How do summer shows work? A. Summer shows are shows scheduled during the break between Spring and Fall semesters. They are expected, though not required. Exceptions are made for students working or living out of state or with jobs that don't allow them time off. Because they are not part of the regular show schedule, Singers who participate in summer shows are paid per show. Q. Does it cost anything to be a Wisconsin Singer? A. Costs associated with the program are minimal. Singer/dancers have to pay a deposit on their costume, which will be returned to you at the end of the year when you turn in your costume. Occasional meals on the road are the only other expense. Spring Break usually includes a few social activities, but every effort is made to keep these costs to a minimum. Money should not be an issue in deciding to be a Singer.