Clubs/Activities - Golden Strings

The Tremper High School Golden Strings

The Golden Strings as Ambassadors

The Golden Strings are a prestigious group that performs all over the world.  They have performed in Hong Kong, Austria, Germany, as well as several United States locations such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and countless venues throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. They are currently in their 36th year. Last year the Golden Strings traveled to Hawaii and performed at the Polynesian Cultural Center and aboard the USS Missouri.

In June of 2009, the Golden Strings will be taking their strolling talents internationally, as they travel to Europe for two weeks.  The Golden Strings will be performing in two of Kenosha sister cities: Wolfenbuettel, Germany and Douai, France. While on their travels the students will be exploring France, Germany, and the Czech Republic, where the group will perform in beautiful Prague. Within each country the students have the opportunity to stay within host families and share our different cultures. When the Golden Strings are not performing they have the opportunity to see Paris from the Eiffel Tower, explore the wonders of the Volkswagen in the recently opened Autostadt museum, and travel through Berlin visiting the German parliament.

If you are interested in supporting the Golden Strings on their upcoming trip to Europe or are interested in booking the Golden Strings for an event, please contact Ms. Helen Breitenbach at (262) 942-2231 or hbreiten@kusd.edu

The Inspiration
In 1972, the Tremper High School Golden Strings was founded by Stanley F. Nosal. Its purpose was to fulfill two basic needs; 1) to provide interested and qualified students with an opportunity to study and perform a variety of lighter music and 2) to make available an entertainment-type string group that could accept invitations to perform for various civic functions as well as school performances throughout the year.  The Golden Strings were the second high school strolling strings group in the United States, as a group in Minneapolis, Minnesota inspired it.

The Director(s)
For the first 25 years the Golden Strings were directed by Mr. Stanley Nosal.  Mr. Nosal and his daughter Nancy remain in close contact with the group, assisting with the Golden Strings camp and some performances.  Dr. Robert Wells, a former student of Mr. Nosal, took over the group after Mr. Nosal’s retirement. Dr. Wells was the Golden Strings director from 1997 to 2007.  He is currently the fine arts director for Kenosha Unified School District.  Though the Golden Strings were sad to see him go, they were fortunate enough to welcome Ms. Helen Breitenbach, a former student of Dr. Wells, in the fall of 2007. She is the current director of the Golden Strings.

James “Red” McLeod
Stanley Nosal worked with Red McLeod to arrange most of the pieces the Tremper Golden Strings perform, that is, almost all the pieces performed were written exclusively for the Golden Strings.  In his very impressive career, Mr. McLeod was the music director, arranger, and contractor for the internationally famous Flame Room Golden Strings, and the Entertainment Director for the Minnesota Vikings Football Team.

Why Strollers?
Strolling strings in our schools is an educational phenomenon that has become a viable activity in today’s music and music education circles.  It is a stepping stone for string students who normally might not be attracted to classical music.  When students memorize the lighter music and get better acquainted with their instruments, a love affair and pride develops that eventually interests them in other aspects of the music program.

The Strolling Activity gives a student an opportunity to try to match himself both musically and personally with his peers as he develops a sense of his whole.  It serves a real need to bring entertainment-type music to our string groups and audiences. This type of music helps students get away from typical “studied” intonation at the school level because strolling encourages students to play for somebody.  The fact that a student knows a song such as “Happy Birthday” allows him to concentrate on playing in tune more because the occasion inspires a “final performance” feeling.

	The Show Wunderbar Cotton Eyed Joe Csardas Italian Medley Melody of Love Irish Medley Glenn Miller Medley Strolling French Medley Kenosha Waltz at Maxim’s HOLIDAY Santa at the Symphony Christmas Medley Modern Christmas ENCORES Feudin’ Fiddles Hava Nagila On Wisconsin Miller Can-Can Besame SPECIAL OCASSIONS Happy Birthday Waves of the Danube I Love You Truly Let Me Call you Sweetheart

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