Lady of the Week – Klair Hans


Klair Hans

Tenor I

How long have you been in the choir?
This is my first season!

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
Run to the Window- it’s so much fun to sing (and to yell “SHIT”).

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
The snacks.  And making beautiful music with powerful ladies.

What do you like to do outside of choir?
Make art-stuff, play guitar, garden, bike, play kickball, and pretend I live in the IKEA display rooms.

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
Aby Wolf (DUH), Dessa, Jeremy Messersmith, Hippocampus, the Cactus Blossoms, and Lizzo (we still get to claim her, right?)

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Africa by Toto

Describe yourself in three words
happy go lucky

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
Jean-Claud Van Damme and Zooey Deschanel’s love child

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Retired

Photo courtesy of Anna Grinets

Lady of the Week – Annette Schiebout


Annette Schiebout

Tenor 2

How long have you been in the choir?
Since day 1, nearly 9 years ago

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
Burn the White Flag, Hive, Not a Good Man, Anthem, Porch Light, Sisters Roar

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
I never wanted to be a performer and I didn’t have music in my life for over a decade, but being part of a community of amazing humans, making beautiful music together, has had a profound impact on my life. Even attending rehearsals and finding harmony with these women is the best therapy around. Not to mention we have had some incredible collaborations and performances over the years in some of the greatest venues in town.

What do you like to do outside of choir?
I write, garden, paint, organize various projects, teach, run an AirBNB/music literary venue called Bella Luna Studios at the Wolf House, hang with the puppies, and sing with three other local groups.

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
Dessa, Lizzo, Atmosphere, Her Crooked Heart, Humbird, Jeremy Messersmith, Haley, P.O.S., Chris Koza, Pavielle, Amanda Standalone, Cactus Blossoms, Charlie Parr, Dosh, Roma di Luna… this city is just brewing with talent and I love all kinds of music.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I honestly hate karaoke. I have had far too many embarrassing not-in-my-range-I-don’t-actually-know-the-song moments, but I have been known to sing Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” and Patsy Cline’s “Crazy”

Describe yourself in three words
creative, driven, community-builder

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
Jennifer Lawrence

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Content in my skin, continuously making new things and having the time to think about them.

Photo by Maya Washington

Lady of the Week – Cat Rongitsch

Cat Rongitsch
Alto 2

How long have you been in the choir?
This is my premier season!

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
Run to the window

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
Singing with people I would hang out with in real life.

What do you like to do outside of choir?
I work in a classroom for elementary kids with severe, profound disabilities. I read a lot. I try to garden. I like to paint things into paintings that don’t belong there. I live mom life pretty hard too.

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
My husband is in a band called The Postponements. I suppose I should say them, although it’s not really my bag. I listen to a lot of Koo Koo Kangaroo but that’s also by default. I’ve been out of the loop so long, I’m afraid that’s the best answer I can give you. WAIT! I have heard and enjoyed some Lizzo songs. Totally counts!

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Hold On by Wilson Phillips

Describe yourself in three words.
Liberal, Gryffindor, Creative

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
Alyssa Milano or Christina Hendricks

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Interesting

Lady of the Week – Dani Hans

Dani Hans
Soprano 1

How long have you been in the choir?
This is my first season!

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (I walked down the aisle to this song!)

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
I love the attitude.

What do you like to do outside of choir?
Talk about plants and see live music.

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
The Bad Bad Hats, Fiji 13, Haley Bonar

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Tyrone by Erykah Badu

Describe yourself in three words
monstera furiosa explosivo

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
Jack Black, because he loves to sing and fart.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Forest ranger

Lady of the Week – Kara Greshwalk

Kara Greshwalk
Soprano 1

How long have you been in the choir?
This is my first season and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be singing with these fabulous ladies!

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
I love performing Enter Mister Sandman and Can’t Hardly Wait because they really get the crowds going and I just feed off that energy. Now that we are working on Anthem by Leonard Cohen, that might become my new favorite because it evokes so many different emotions. The first time we rehearsed it I totally teared up!

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
I have really enjoyed getting know such a diverse group of singers and have been blown away by how kind and inclusive everyone has been toward all of us new people. Also, just being able to connect with our audiences through song. I love looking out at the crowds and seeing people smiling and bopping along to the music.

What do you like to do outside of choir?
My other passions include road biking, running, travelling, playing ukulele, and theater(acting in it or watching it). As the weather warms up you might find me stealing an hour with a book on the Lake Nokomis Beach.

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
I grew up on Bob Dylan, The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, and Prince. Chastity Brown and Lizzo have been finding their way onto my playlists quite a bit more lately, as well as The Replacements. I just love how there’s no single defining feature of MN music, other than how eclectic and ever evolving it is.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Describe yourself in three words
Enthusiastic, Goofy, Passionate

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
Ellie Kemper

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I just achieved it this spring: my second career as a speech language pathologist!

Photo courtesy of Anna Grinets

Lady of the Week – Holly Amaya

Holly Amaya
Tenor 2 

How long have you been in the choir?
This is my fourth year!

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
While I love busting into We Belong when out with my choir lady friends, singing Anthem is always very moving.

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
This choir is not just a singing group. It’s an amazing and supportive network of interesting, fun, powerful and kind women. I know that if I need last-minute child care, someone to take extra furniture off my hands, a bit of encouragement about a tough situation or a recommendation for a massage therapist there is always someone willing to help out!

What do you like to do outside of choir?
I love to be outside – hiking, camping, riding my motorcycle, lounging on a patio…I love traveling and finding adventures close to and far from home.

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
HALEY, Chris Koza, Jeremy Messersmith

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
It’s Oh So Quiet by Bjork. I promise not to break your eardrums on the screamy parts.

Describe yourself in three words
Efficient, sensitive, expressive

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
When I got my bangs, I was told Christina Hendricks

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Debt-free / Backup singer / yoga retreat leader

Photo courtesy of Anna Grinets

Lady of the Week – Nicole Kitzhaber

Nicole Kitzhaber
Soprano 2

How long have you been in the choir?
Since March 2019

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
Hive

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
I love getting to sing hang out with all these cool women from different ages and backgrounds. And I love dressing up for gigs, it’s super fun

What do you like to do outside of choir?
I sing in another choir every Sunday for my church, I do Zumba every Tuesday, I own my own home and am remodeling it myself, I have two cats and a dog who keep me very happy, and I am a nanny for two awesome kids!

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
Nooky Jones, Chris Koza, and the Minnesota Opera 🙂

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley

Describe yourself in three words
Sweet, comedic, passionate

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
Rashida Jones because she’s my twin and we have the same birthday 🙂

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Happy

Lady of the Week – Sara Tinklenberg

Sara Tinklenberg

Tenor 1

How long have you been in the choir?
Just starting my 5th year!

What’s your favorite PFLC song?
Can I cheat on this one? I think I would have to pick the entire Chris Koza Anthems and Monuments set. He wrote an album full of amazing songs that challenged us as a choir in so many ways. I tell people that one of my most moving moments as a musician was when Chris and his band came to rehearsal for the first time for us to run through the songs all together. The first song finished and it was glorious. We had worked so hard and the fact that we were gonna pull it off just moved me to the core. I think I smiled for a week straight after rehearsal. Wanna listen? Follow this link.

What’s your favorite thing about being in this choir?
I have met some of my very best friends in this group. And we get to perform in some pretty fun spaces.

What do you like to do outside of choir?
Nap. Binge watch TV. Read books. Eat. Chase children (I work with children with autism). Hang out with my family and friends.

Who are your favorite local bands/musicians?
Duh, Chris Koza. Also, Jeremy Messersmith, Chastity Brown, Aby Wolf, Rogue Valley, Jaedyn James & The Hunger. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone, but these are the ones that pop in my head first.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Glitter – Pink or All of Me – John Legend. I’m looking to try some new songs though!

Describe yourself in three words
angsty, funny and tired

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you?
Cate Blanchett

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A lady of leisure. I want to travel, eat, sleep and get pampered. Or a preschool teacher if I have to keep it real. I love little people.

Photo courtesy of Anna Grinets

Happy Spring from Prairie Fire Lady Choir!

Happy Spring from Prairie Fire Lady Choir! We hope you have had a pleasant hibernation during this snow-laden winter. We are very ready to kick off our 2019 season, and are thrilled about some of the new tunes we will be learning, and new venues where we will be performing. We look forward to sharing our voices with you.

Over our winter break, we held auditions for the 2019 season, and are very pleased to welcome 19 new members – the largest number of newbies since 2012!

Katy Vernon : Suit of Hearts
Also, during our off-season, some of us recorded on Katy Vernon’s upcoming album, Suit of Hearts. We will be performing at her album release at the Parkway Theater tomorrow night.

Parkway Theater
Saturday, March 23rd
Doors at 7, show starts at 8.
$10 adv $15 door

Advance tickets

Dessa with the Minnesota Orchestra
Next Tuesday, we are honored to perform in the lobby of the Minnesota Orchestra Hall, before Dessa’s Live Concert recording with the Minnesota Orchestra.

Minnesota Orchestra Hall
Tuesday, March 26th at 7pm

Ticket prices vary

Save the date for some great events in May!
We are thrilled to be performing at the Minnesota History Center’s opening exhibition: “First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota’s Mainroom,” which will feature everything from memorabilia of the bands that have adorned the stages since the venue’s inception, to the “scenes, sounds and stories” that have made this landmark remarkable.

Minnesota History Center
May 4th, 3 pm
Ticket details to come

And we are so happy to be able to perform in the world famous NE Minneapolis Spring celebration of the Arts, Art-A-Whirl. We will be returning to the 331 Club stage once again. The event is free and open to the public, and we hope to see you there!

331 Club
May 19th, 3 pm
Free

Happy Spring, friends! We hope to sing with you soon!

PFLC accepts 19 new members

After a year of not holding auditions, Prairie Fire Lady Choir opened up for try-outs again on February 21, 2019. We are excited to welcome 19 new members to sing with us this year! Thank you to the 60 women who auditioned – we are continually amazed by the talent that surrounds us in the Twin Cities.

If you’re interested in singing with us, sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when we next hold auditions.