Saturday the Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association will put on their 15th Annual Holiday Ice Revue. On the surface, the event is what it sounds like: figure skating students of all ages doing routines to familiar Christmas songs.
But cue a full size hockey rink, spotlights, and live musicians—and you have one of the biggest skating events of the season.
This year they’re kicking it up a notch—with Western Michigan University’s vocal jazz ensemble Gold Company II and local acoustic musician Vince Miller.
The revue has two performances: one and 2:30 p.m. and one at 7:00 p.m. at Wings West in Oshtemo.
“We’re really excited to have something different because usually we have a marching band or a school symphony with no live lyrics or anything like that," says Jennifer Brenne, the show director for the Skating Association.
She says the kids have never worked with musicians quite like this before. Gold Company II director Nich Mueller says vocal jazz has a unique sound.
“It’s usually four-part harmony, and going in and out of unison, and scat singing as well is involved—where we’re not singing lyrics but we’re singing more like instruments and that’s a big proponent of vocal jazz,” Mueller explains.
The music itself isn’t your typical holiday concert either. You’ll still hear songs like “Let It Snow” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” But you’ll also hear uplifting pop hits and old a Capella favorites. Brenne says the program is broken up into four themes, the first is travel with songs like “Route 66.”
“The second section brings in all of the sort of wintery songs. You know, Michigan is a cold place to live, but we want to reflect the beauty of that winter—even though it’s not a whole lot of fun sometimes,” she says.
“Third section are all songs that are sort of motivational and feel-good: “I Believe I Can Fly,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Why Not.” So these things kind of reflect, you know, ‘believe in your dreams.’ And I thought that was a really great lesson for the kids to feel why they’re skating. And then the last one of course is just holiday, some of the holiday classics.”
With that many musicians and vocalists on stage, the revue might seem overwhelming to an audience. But Nich Mueller says it’s his job to keep the balance.
“That’s a big part of the rehearsal process is making sure all of those musical discrepancies line up. And it’s a very specific art form. You know, jazz is an improvisatory music and there are improvisational elements—and there will be on our performance this Saturday," he says. "But all of it is very rehearsed and very well thought out.”
Brenne says having live music not only teaches students how to perform professionally, but it also adds a kind of energy to the program. As for the musicians, Vince Miller says they’re pretty excited too.
“I was on the road with a band for a long time and one of my biggest dreams was: someday I’m going to play at Wings Stadium. And so, I’m at the Wings Annex. It says ‘Wings’ out front," Miller says. "So I am achieving one of my dreams.”
Vince Miller and WMU’s Gold Company Two will perform live Saturday during the Holiday Ice Revue put on by the Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association.
