Singing Ponce sets the stage for reporting encore

By Robert Feder
WBEZ 91.5
July 21, 2010
Dan Ponce, who cut short a promising Chicago television news career last year to fulfill his dream of singing professionally, is returning home to join WGN-Channel 9 as a general assignment reporter.
Read more: http://www.wbez.org/blog/robert-feder/singing-ponce-sets-stage-reporting-encore

Five Questions With … Straight No Chaser

Walt packs a lot of great stuff into only 5 answers!  I'd also like to say "thank you" to Walt's dad.

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Harrah's Resort brings in charting a cappella group for a summer-long run in Atlantic City
By Ray Schweibert
Posted Jul. 8, 2010
"My experience, or what got me into singing a cappella, was that my dad would play the Beach Boys both ways — on the way up to my grandmother’s house in Perth Amboy, where we’d go every Saturday, and back. At the time, frankly, it seemed kind of agonizing to listen to the same 30 Beach Boys songs over and over again, but it subconsciously drilled four-part harmony into my head."
"Most bands have four or five people with one or two as leaders — a lead singer or lead guitarist that fronts the band or whatever. We have 10 guys who, for the most part, equally contribute to the passion and the orchestration of every song."

Questions:
Can you talk a little bit about how the group formed and its history?

It’s incredible how you can use vocal skills to sound like there’s a band behind you, especially with some songs that would ordinarily be instrument-heavy. How hard is something like that to overcome?

Do all 10 of you have formal backgrounds in music?

Has the group evolved much since you first formed in 1996?

How do you and the others plan to spend you down time in Atlantic City? 

Read more: http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/casinos/features/Five-Questions-With--Straight-No-Chaser-98038344.html

Hat Tip: SNCmusic.com

http://www.sncmusic.com/blog/five-questions-with-straight-no-chaser/