James Madison University - Bluestone Schoolmaam Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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• • Madisonians proved to be a rare treat last fall at a Valley Mall performance (far bottom). Debbie Lauman belts out to an appreciative crowd (far top). A charming duo, these two Madisonians (above) demonstrate the pleasing power of the group which depends on individual talent and showmanship (right). 22 Madisonians

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fwiajjvjfiia Performing Tannhauser in their Oct 20 production, the Community Symphony (far top left) follows the direction of Ben E Wright. Music Director (far top right). Awaiting the start of the next piece, violinist Christine Murto (top) tunes up During rehearsal Etienne Betz. Concert Master, (far bottom right) puts it all together, while Maxwell Derrickson (bottom left) listens carefully for his turn to play. Taking a short break, tuba player Kenneth Harper (far bottom left) and trumpeteer Kathleen Pern j (bottom right) listen to instructions from Dr Wright. Symphony 21

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Sound The Madiso- nians will hold their own with any group, in- cluding profes- sionals. ' Sandra Cryder Director of Madisonians From performing on a riverboat in New Orleans for the American Chorale Directors National Convention to traveling to Yorktown to perform at their Bicentennial, the Madisonians are creating quite a reputation for themselves. The Madisonians 26 member musically talented showcase includes 18 singer dancers and an eight piece combo back-up. Sandra Cryder. the Madisonians director, says the group ' s quality has grown by leaps and bounds in the seven years under her direction. Limiting the Madisonians performances to 25 a year. Cryder says they can ' t begin to accept all the invitations they receive to perform. A short tour of Virginia in the fall and an extended tour over spring break is the usual format. The out-of-state tours include Disney World and several trips to New Orleans. Their latest honor is being selected to perform at the World ' s Fair next year. A new project which began this year is Showcase M. This is a service for conventions: organizations, and even lounges that need small group entertainment. The Madisonians will break off into smaller ensembles to serve each particular need. This not only gives the Madisonians more exposure, but also provides the individual performers with more experience. The group has also taped for WHSV TV 3 of Harrisonburg. This exposure has helped the Madisonians earn a reputation for the calibre of performance and as Cryder notes they have developed quite a following in Virginia. cont Madisonians 23