NewVoices

Jeanie Kruka Reimer, Executive Director of NewVoices, talked about how NewVoices is an adult choir comprised of 75 men and women.  All singers are auditioned and about half are professional musicians involved in teaching or performing instrumental and vocal music who live and work in Northeast Wisconsin.  About 50% of the singers are under the age of 40 and 4 are founding members.  Many have a Bachelors or Masters degree in music.  When they are not singing, they are chemists, lawyers, engineers, etc.  NewVoices sings a variety of genres such as jazz, contemporary, classical, sacred, spiritual and calypso music.  Lawrence Memorial Chapel is the performance hall for NewVoices. Phillip Swan serves as Artistic Director/Conductor for NewVoices. He has been a member of the Lawrence University Conservatory for ten years and is a tenured Associate Professor of Music.  NewVoices is involved in many community collaborations such as Voices of the Valley Concert (Hmong and Native American singers), Spirited Songs (Appleton Boy and Girl Choirs), Celebrate 100 Years with the Girl Scouts, Trout Museum of Art and High School Masters Singers Program.   The choir started in 1983 and was originally called Wisconsin Vocal Ensemble.  In 1983, they changed their name to White Heron Chorale.  They changed their name to NewVoices in 2013 which stands for Northeast Wisconsin, a new/fresh approach to singing and voices is their instrument.  They hope to draw in younger singers and patrons.  NewVoices income comes from sponsorships (23%), ticket sales (25%), individual donations (25%), biz/grant donations (9%), dues (7%), special performances (5%) and miscellaneous (6%).  Expenses come from marketing (35%), assistant conductors/accompanists (15%), facility rental (13%), printing (13%), music/royalties (10%), guest musicians (6%), ticket sales tax (2%), postage (1%) and miscellaneous (2%).  Future plans include continued collaborations, continued excellence in performances and Italy in 2015.  NewVoices 2014 Cabaret Fundraiser "Falling in Love" will be held on Saturday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the OuterEdge in Appleton.