Wisconsin's Weekend Morning News
Bucks National Anthem Auditions
I don't know if you've ever wanted the opportunity to perform the National Anthem before a game, but the Milwaukee Bucks are going to give you that chance. As they host a National Anthem audition on Tuesday, October 1st at Pfizer Forum, and to talk about it, we've got John DeRaschisinski. He is the live programming and entertainment specialist with the Bucks. John, first, let's talk about the auditions themselves. Now, these are going to take place Tuesday. You've got three different sessions. Tell us about it. Yeah, we have three different sessions on Tuesday, October 1st, first session, bright and early 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. We'll have a lunchtime session between 12 noon to 2 p.m. And that an evening session from 5 to 7 p.m. All right. Now, what do people need to have prepared if they want to audition? Yeah. So knowing the National Anthem is a really good place to start. So it depends on what your musical abilities are. If you are a guitar player, you play an instrument, and you're going to do that in addition to singing the anthem, you're more than welcome to do that. We have microphones to cover all of the different instruments that can be played in addition to large groups of singers and individual singers. We have all of the audio equipment to make you sound your very best. You just have to know how to play or sing the anthem. So you don't have to be a soloist. If you have a group of people who want to sing it together, they can come in and audition as well. Yes. You can do it as a group. You can do it individually, and you can do both. We've had some people in the past. They've been a part of a larger band, and then an individual would want to sing, play their own instrument as a solo act. That's more than acceptable. The National Anthem is particularly difficult to perform. What do you suggest people do to prepare in advance? Yeah. Honestly, at the audition, it's very, I don't want to say a casual environment, but it is in front of a small crowd of people. So it's a really good litmus test to see if you're ready to play it in front of the large crowd of Pfizer Forum. But obviously, I would recommend just starting singing in front of the mirror, then singing in front of some family members, or some friends at your house, and then getting ready to come that Tuesday prepared from there. I know, John, you've given a lot of people the opportunity to perform. What's the youngest age of anyone who's who's done the National Anthem before a game? Oh, I couldn't tell you the exact age, but I know we had, because I'm really bad with the ages and grades, I know we had a second grader at one point come and perform the anthem. Really? Before a game, yeah. And conversely, how old was the oldest? Oh, my gosh, you're really putting me on the spot here. We've had a grandma act come in and they've done the anthem too. So I'll say, you know, '60s to '70s. They were all grandmas. That's how the group was formed. What about Bucks fans? Do they like a traditional performance of the National Anthem? Or do they enjoy it when a performer puts their own spin on it? Yeah, I think that that's kind of the unique part about the anthem is that there are so many unique ways to do it. I think Bucks fans really gravitate towards the theatrics, the spectacular that is the anthem. So it's putting your own unique flair on it. I think Bucks fans really enjoy that part of it. I mean, obviously the anthem, the words are all the same every single time. It's just putting that unique Milwaukee flavor. Here, what I find interesting is you're also looking for people who want to perform the Canadian National Anthem. Now, tell us about that. Yeah, absolutely. So in addition to the US National Anthem, we do also play the Toronto Raptors, which then we have to sing the Canadian Anthem too. So if you know how to sing O Canada, the Canadian National Anthem, we'd love to hear you sing that too. Right now, we only have a couple of people in the Milwaukee area who we've found to know the anthem. So we're always looking for new people to do that too, because that always comes up once or twice a year. How did you determine which performers are going to actually be invited to sing before a game? Yeah. So it goes back to a larger team from our side, and obviously there are lots of people who come in throughout the day, then there are some, you know, national acts who come in throughout the season too. And so we just kind of coordinate in our larger team to figure out what makes the most sense. Sometimes it's based off of the storytelling of the game. Maybe on a weekend, we're going to do a youth-programmed game. And so we'd obviously love to have a younger person sing the anthem that day, conversely like on our Notre-Latina night having someone apart of that community also to sing the anthem and put their spin on it too. It has to be so exciting for the performers. What do you hear from them after they've had the chance to perform before a bucks game? Yeah, a lot of gratitude, I think, for a lot of people, especially when it's their first time singing the anthem. It's a rush being in front of 18,000 screaming fans just getting really excited for that moment. So they're always really appreciative to come off that chord and just be that start of everything happening that night. Well, again, you're going to have those auditions this Tuesday, October 1st. You've got three different sessions. Tell them the times again. Yep. So the first session is from 7 to 9 a.m. The second session is from 12 noon to 2 p.m. And then our final session is from 5 to 7 p.m. And important thing that I didn't say earlier is that all is going to happen in five three forms, main atrium, so that normal, large entryway on the east side of the building where people should come in to enter for auditions. And there's no pre-registration required? No pre-registration required. Just show up day up and we'll get you all situated. John, thank you so much for giving people the opportunity to sing National Anthem at Milwaukee Bucks Home Game. It's a great opportunity for a lot of talented people out there. Absolutely. We're happy to do it.