Royal Purple

Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Senior Janalyn Bump (left) sings in choir. Bump recently won two vocal awards. Junior Cassy Schillo (right) recently won a regional theater award.

In the midst of trying to balance school and extra-curricular activities, two current UW-Whitewater students have found the time to pursue a career in music and theater. Senior Janalyn Bump and junior Cassandra Schillo have recently won major awards for their talents.

Bump won two awards for her vocal talent this semester, as well as the UW-Whitewater Concerto Competition.

"The biggest competition I won was the Metropolitan Opera Wisconsin District Encouragement Award of $2000 at Carroll College in Waukesha," Bump said.

To prepare for the Metropolitan Opera competition, Bump had to prepare five full arias with full dramatic interpretation.

"I had to sing one selected song and then the judges would then decide if they wanted to hear any more," Bump said. "I ended up singing two and winning the Encouragement Award."

Bump competed against 40 other people, ages 20 to 30. Competitors ranged from undergraduates, like Bump, to professional singers.

"When I won at the [Metropolitan Opera], I was in disbelief," Bump said.

Having beat professional singers in the competition, Bump was surprised that she won as an undergraduate.

For the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, Bump had to prepare one aria and two art songs of contrasting styles. At the NATS, Bump competed against about 12 other people in her division. At the upper levels of the competition there are people who have been through five years of vocal training at the university level, so the competition is fierce. All competitors are there for one reason: to win. Having won previously in 2005 and participating in the competition last year, Bump knew what she was up against.

"When I won at NATS, that was the greatest feeling in the world, to win again," Bump said.

Bump is flying across the country this month for graduate school auditions and hopes to one day become a successful opera singer.

Cassandra Schillo recently competed for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Sound Design Excellence Award, held in Milwaukee at Marquette and Cardinal Stritch universities.

Continued...

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