Slinger Area Music
Slinger High School history and sociology students have been gathering data about Slinger Area music history and culture since 2000. In 2020-2021, they added some new angles to the research to showcase "Finding Voice and Building Community" as part of a WI Humanities Council grant. Some of the research blending 2013 and 2020 research is below. Deep appreciation goes to all the Slinger students, alumni, and Slinger area musicians who have been part of this research over the years. The website will be added to over time as students find time to add more depth. Thank you to Dean Leisgang (CESA 7 Communications Director), 2021 grad Ethan Schulteis, 2014 grad Marek Bartusek, and 2014 grad Ben Lee for help with video production. Thanks to Megan Kelly (2021 grad) for help with website layout and creation.
"Music is the universal language of mankind."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
For more extensive data about local music history and culture from students from previous years and with select alumni and musicians, please click here.
Slinger HS Music Alumni (2008-2020)
Reflections
Story produced by Ethan Schulteis (2021 Slinger grad)
Scroll Down for More Video Stories
Choir
I
*2020-2021 school year choir profile video (above)
*Sociology student research about HS Choir and research about HS Choir and Community (Fall 2020)
*Sociology Middle School Choir and Library Outreach "Princess Party" student research (Spring 2021)
*Sociology student research on Music Culture (Spring 2014)
Music Commons
*2020-2021 video short about importance of music commons as gathering place (above)
*October 2020 HS choir feedback: Sociology qualitative data
*The Music Commons was added during a 2017- 2018 construction addition to Slinger High School
Pearl Harbor
2020-2021 Video Short with Students Reflecting on Pearl Harbor experience from 2019 (above)
*Footage courtesy of Candice Altenburg
Music in Pandemic
I2020-2021 Pandemic Story (above)
2008 Alum, Joe Neary, discussing music during the pandemic
Slinger Choir "Hope Lingers On" November 2020 (H. Peters video)
2009 Alumni, Andres Crovetti, discussing music during the pandemic
Slinger Choir "Stand Up!" November 2020 (H. Peters video)
Alumni Features
Andres Crovetti
2009 Slinger grad
*Andres Crovetti's website
*Andres performing with Matra
on vibraphones
*Andres interview with Matra
*Andres performing with the Tasty Tones on percussion
*Andres performing with Sound Color Theory on percussion
*Andres on keyboard with Michael Sodnick at No Studios (2020)
Hannah Mrozak
2016 Slinger Graduate
Click here for an interview excerpt of Hannah discussing her early years and American Idol experience from 2016
Click here for a video of Hannah performing on The Voice (2017), audio here
Click here and here for an article about Hannah's experience on The Voice (2019)
Click here for a clip of Hannah performing in the group Citizen Queen (2020)
For more data students have organized about Hannah from 2016-2020, click here.
Amy Pierchalski Schultz
1988 Slinger Graduate
*Framing Amy origins as told to two Slinger history students (2014)
*Journal Times 1998 story
*2000 link to Framing Amy
*2014 history student story about interview with Amy
*For more 2014 data from students, click here.
Article on Amy's former band, Gerard, with Eric Benet
Paul Spaeth
2001 Slinger Graduate
Click here for Paul's Music website
Click here for Paul's Redemption website
Click here for Lullaby for the Mending Heart video
Click here for a 2010 story about Spaeth's roots
Click here for more student data on Spaeth from 2014
Stories of Redemption (2014)
What Megastar Competition and Sharing Music Means to Paul (2017)
Joe Neary
2008 grad Joe Neary (left) was interviewed by the Sociology Class about Finding Voice, Building Community in May 2021.
Here is an excerpt of Joe discussing the pandemic with Slinger HS students (2021).
After HS, Joe toured with the band The Middle Ground and most recently, DOUBLECAMP.
Click here for historical data and scroll down to Neary.
Here is a link to DOUBLECAMP.
Here is a link to music samples.
Bernie Schaefer
Slinger graduate Bernie Schaefer (right) was interviewed by History Students in 1999. The Bernie Schaefer Band was well known in the area in the middle of the 20th century.
Click here for excerpts from that interview.
Click here for an article in the Slinger Historical Album
For more on Schaefer, click the 2014 student data link and scroll to the Schaefer section
Kaleigh Gamache
2009 grad Kaleigh Gamache (left) was interviewed by a Sociology/Music student in 2019
Excerpt from that interview about the transition from UW-M to professional music theater/opera, review of Opera Siam, video clip of Anne Frank
*Click here for an article about a 2015 performance at Third Avenue Playhouse
*Click here for an article about a 2016 performance at Third Avenue Playhouse
*Click here for an article about a 2017 performance at Third Avenue Playhouse
Mike Noegel
Slinger graduate Mike Noegel performing (above) at the Slinger Area History Culture Night in 2019. Mike was interviewed by History Students in 2014.
Click here for excerpts from that 2014 interview. More data here.
Click here for footage of Mike performing with the Julida Boys.
Click here for Mike in Cecil, WI
Mike is a member of the World Concertina Hall of Fame.
More Local music history/culture/SHS alumni research here
