Music

Lovers of music in this region have a rare opportunity on Friday, April 11, when a unique and highly skilled trio lands in the Chippewa Valley. At 7:30 on that date, Menomonie’s Mabel Tainter Theater hosts Terminal Three in concert. Three talented musicians join to combine ancient and modern, East and West, into a stirring mix of “progressive world music” — with runways into the future.

Guitar/bouzouki virtuoso, vocalist, and composer Greg Herriges plays his instruments with a unique approach honed by his studies of Asian and numerous international styles. Michael Bissonette juggles an array of percussion, including frame drums, cajon, air hose, Aztec death whistle and Glockenspiel. Rundio performs on the futuristic Chapman stick — a 10-stringed instrument that is tapped to sing like a bass, a piano, or an electronic orchestra. The music ranges from Mediterranean folk to Western pop, worldly surf-jrock, and dazzling all-of-the-above originals. You’ll hear unusual renditions of familiar tunes, and be treated to some of the most compelling new sounds.
 

Press Quotes:
“Majestic, epic, gorgeous, inspirational” —TUNEDLOUD
“WORLD MUSIC AT ITS BEST”—Skope magazine
“…the evocative energy of Marc Ribot mixed with the whimsical folk attitude of the Decemberists.” —The Bandcamp Diaries
 

Greg Herriges, founder and musical director, has been recipient of grants and fellowships from the Bush and McKnight Foundations, MN State Arts Board, and the twin cities’ Metro Regional Arts Council. Having released 4 CDs of original and trad. “whirled” music, he is also a soundtrack artist and music director for film and theater, and author of instructional music books published by Hal Leonard, specializing in world music for guitar and bouzouki. As a resident of Eau Claire in the 80s, he honed his performance skills with local bands.
 

Louis Sinclair, aka rundio, makes music including ambient/environmental washes of sound, classical and progressive rock and jazz, and his stunning originals. His state-of-the-art performance rig allowas a tremendous range of sonic expression, combining the modern technologies of looping, digital simulation, sampling, and synthesis with an emotive expression that can only come from a lifetime of “old school” performance.
 

Michael Bissonnette’s varied musical career has taken him from Massachusetts to California to Minneapolis, where he has become one of the area’s most sought-after drummers. He has mastered percussion instruments from around the world including the berimbau, cuica, and pandeiro of Brazil; the doumbek from the Middle East; the djembe, log drums and caxixi from West Africa; the Irish bodhran; and the American drum kit. He has performed and recorded with: Katie McMahon (the original voice of Riverdance); Laura MacKenzie; Heart of the City; Boiled in Lead; Glen Helgeson/Axis Mundi; Louis and Clarke; and many others.
 

The Mabel Tainter concert begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are $22 per seat, including all handling charges. Seats can be purchased online at: https://ci.ovationtix.com/32695/production/1211835?performanceId=11516502

A friendly, home-town open mic event for local writers and musicians to share their work.  Performers may sign up for a 10 minute slot.  Come to share or to listen and support the many talented people right in our own back yard. 
Free!

The Menomonie Singers will hold auditions for all sections (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) on January 20 and 21, starting at 6:00 pm, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 420 Wilson Avenue, Menomonie.  

The Menomonie Singers has been in existence since 1989 and presents four regular concerts of choral music per year. Under the leadership of Brian Klein, Conductor, the choir will present concerts on April 26 and 27.

The choir is hoping to expand to 45 members. Participants must be 18 or older or post high school. Previous choir experience is helpful but not necessary.

There is no need to prepare a piece; the audition will include the following:
    - A range check
    - A sight-singing exercise
    - Musicality showcase (singers will be asked to sing one of the following: Silent Night, Happy Birthday, or My Country Tis of Thee)    

Weekly rehearsals for the spring season begin Tuesday, January 28 at the UW-Stout Applied Arts Room 315. 

Contact Juliana Schmidt at [email protected] or [email protected], or 715-505-3525, to set up an audition appointment, or for more information.
 

 

The Menomonie Singers will hold auditions for all sections (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) on January 20 and 21, starting at 6:00 pm, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 420 Wilson Avenue, Menomonie.  

The Menomonie Singers has been in existence since 1989 and presents four regular concerts of choral music per year. Under the leadership of Brian Klein, Conductor, the choir will present concerts on April 26 and 27.

The choir is hoping to expand to 45 members. Participants must be 18 or older or post high school. Previous choir experience is helpful but not necessary.

There is no need to prepare a piece; the audition will include the following:
    - A range check
    - A sight-singing exercise
    - Musicality showcase (singers will be asked to sing one of the following: Silent Night, Happy Birthday, or My Country Tis of Thee)    

Weekly rehearsals for the spring season begin Tuesday, January 28 at the UW-Stout Applied Arts Room 315. 

Contact Juliana Schmidt at [email protected] or [email protected], or 715-505-3525, to set up an audition appointment, or for more information.
 

 

The UW-Stout Symphonic Band will present a concert titled “Winter’s Colors.” The concert will feature the world premiere of a new piece by Minneapolis based composer Clare Howard, titled Over the Blue & Green. The piece explores the experience of astronauts awed by the sight of the earth from space. The rest of the concert will feature more colorful and wintery favorites that all are sure to enjoy!  

The concert will be in the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center. Tickets are $5 and are available online at uwstout.universitytickets.com, at the Service Center in the Memorial Student Center, and at the door. UW-Stout Students with Stout I.D. will be admitted free of charge at the door. 

The concert, titled The World on a Human Scale, focuses on the experience growing up as adults. How do we understand the world around us as we leave adolescence for adulthood? What does it mean to be yourself? Or build a life with someone? How do we grow old? There will be songs of a variety of genres on love, on life milestones, on memories, on moving on, and on celebration. 

$5 Admission, Students FREE

For Immediate release: May 26, 2024

Colfax Music in the Park

For info: Sally Kiekhafer, 715-962-2097

COLFAX MUSIC IN THE PARK

Eight musical groups have been scheduled for the summer Music in the Park in Colfax this year. Concerts take place from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays in Tower Park in downtown Colfax. Rain location is the Colfax Fairgrounds on Railroad Avenue.

Members of the public should bring lawn chairs. There is no charge to attend. Refreshments will be available and the annual pie sale by the Colfax Municipal Building Restoration Group will be held at the concert on August 15.
 

June 20 – Poppa Bear Norton

June 27 – Jim "Doc" Milleer

July 4 – No concert tonight - Happy 4th of July

July 11 - White Pine Ramblers

July 18 - Red Cedar Sounds Sweet Adelines and Dunn County Northern Lights Barbershoppers.

July 25 - Ukulele Club of Eau Claire

August 1 – Craig and Pete

August 8 – Maple Ridge Band

August 15 - Jim Herrick and friends.

Music in the Park is co-sponsored by the Colfax Woman’s Club, Dairy State Bank, the Colfax Messenger (DeWitt Media), and other community donations.

Tower Park is located on Main Street/Highway 40 next to the Colfax Municipal Building, eight miles north of the Hwy 40/US Highway 94 intersection.