Why You Joined WPCS
After a 10-year hiatus, I couldn’t stand not being in a choral ensemble any longer. I chose WPCS because it’s a professional-level choir that’s open to people who have non-musical careers.

Day Job
Writer and editor for a nonprofit; co-founder and editor of Graze magazine

Favorite Type(s) of Music
Folksy rock, indie electronica

Favorite Composers
John Adams, Philip Glass, Moses Hogan

When and How You Became Involved in Music
I turned to vocal performance when I realized I was an awful actor. It’s a much better fit.

What is Your Favorite Song to Sing in the Shower
Think of the most horrible and embarrassing showtune: I have likely sung it in the shower. This week.

Why You Joined WPCS
After I college I yearned for a refined musical outlet and a top notch ensemble with which to sing.  I found WPCS on youtube and auditioned less than a week later!

Day Job

General Music Teacher, St. Josaphat School
Director, SJS Children’s Choir
Director, SJP Youth Choir

Favorite Type(s) of Music
Spirituals, Folk, Lieder

Favorite Composers
Franz Schubert, Benjamin Britten, Johann Brahms

When and How You Became Involved in Music
I began singing in my school choir in 5th Grade and just continued joining ensembles.

What is Your Favorite Song to Sing in the Shower
Lean On Me

Why You Joined WPCS
After deciding during my first year of college to stop pursuing a BM in Composition, I knew that I needed to find a community choir that would provide me with a fun, challenging musical experience!

Day Job
Full-time student at DePaul University, double majoring in Women’s & Gender Studies and Psychology. I’m also a sales associate at Old Navy, and the Social Media Intern at SocialScope Productions.

Favorite Type(s) of Music
Alternative rock and hip-hop, electronic, experimental, showtunes!!

Favorite Composers
Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Henri DuParc, Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre, Erik Satie, Leonard Bernstein, and György Ligeti.

When and How You Became Involved in Music
I joined choir in 9th grade because I wanted to improve my voice for musical theatre – incidentally, over the course of high school choir became my biggest focus. I then started composing choral works, even getting the opportunity to have one of my pieces premiered at the end of my senior year.

What is Your Favorite Song to Sing in the Shower
“Marry Me a Little” from Stephen Sondheim’s Company

Free Admission

Open to the public

How will you choose your entertainment for the evening?  That’s easy!  After the choir gives you a taste of what they have to offer, simply drop your voting tokens in the containers for whichever pieces you’d like to hear start to finish.  At the end of the night, they’ll perform a choral adventure perfectly tailored to your musical tastes.

Standard admission includes two voting tokens, and an Adventurer ticket will include 15.  Additional tokens may be purchased at the event for $1 each.

See the video! http://vimeo.com/40452893

When: 7pm – 10pm, Saturday April 21, 2012

Where: Jackson Junge Gallery – 1389 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Price:$30

We look forward to seeing you there. Space is Limited so get your tickets today!

Because alchoholic beverages will be served, attendees must be 21+

February Chorister of the Month: Jamie Simone

Jamie Simone, Soprano

How long have you been in WPCS? 

I have been a member since fall of 2008.

What is your favorite WPCS memory so far? 

Our summer 2011 concert at St. Vincent de Paul. Mark (our conductor) sang the opening solo of the concert as we processed in and stood around the fountain in the center of the church. It’s so rare for Mark to be able to sing with us, the setting was so beautiful, and the sound of the water in the fountain added a different dimension to the music.

What hobbies do you have outside of choir? 

It’s nerdy, but I like to crochet amigurumi stuffed animals. I also like to sew. I’ll redeem myself by saying I also love to travel. My husband and I just bought plane tickets for a trip to Scandinavia this summer!

If your life had a soundtrack what songs would be on it? 

Wow. I feel like I need some time to think this over. Off the top of my head, I think I could assemble 10-12 songs by Prince, Tori Amos, Indigo Girls, Sade, and Bjork that would take you on a tour of my life.

What is your guilty listening pleasure? 

The Bee Gees. And 90′s hair metal.

If the choir were to plan a flash mob, what location would you choose and why?  

A sporting event. Probably a Blackhawks game. For as loud and rowdy as people get during the national anthem, the stadium is actually really quiet. I often wonder what it would be like to just start singing in such a crowded place where no one would expect to hearing singing.

You can learn more about Jamie and other choir members by visiting out Meet the Choir page!  Feel free to congratulate Jamie on her leadership and let her know awesome she is in the comment box below. 

January Chorister of the Month: Jonathan Schildt

Jon Schildt, Tenor

How long have you been in WPCS? 

I joined WPCS in the fall of 2010.

What is your favorite WPCS memory so far? 

Probably our twelve-hour “Choirstravaganza”: the performance on the local news morning show with the early call time, a noontime concert at Fourth Presbyterian on Michigan Avenue, a  lunch outing with the choir, caroling at Cloudgate in Millennium Park, and an awesome end of the year choir party.  It was great!

What hobbies do you have outside of choir? 

Travel, outdoor adventures with my family, and attending any kind of music or dance performance wherever I happen to be.

If your life had a soundtrack what songs would be on it? 

Pretty much any song by Rufus Wainwright, Baroque opera arias of Cecilia Bartoli, and the Bach Goldberg Variations.  That’s all.

What is your guilty listening pleasure? 

Sigh . . . Britney Spears.

If the choir were to plan a flash mob, what location would you choose and why?  

8:30 a.m. on the el on a weekday morning.  We can break the silence and (hopefully) bring some joy to all those people dreading their workdays.

You can learn more about Jon and other choir members by visiting out Meet the Choir page!  Feel free to congratulate Jon on his leadership and tell him how awesome he is in the comment box below.