MONROE - While the four seventh-grade girls waited for their turn to perform, the pressure mounted. Their competitors were older and more experienced than they were expecting, given the competition's name: "Overture's Rising Stars" talent search.
They were one act out of 50, and they were clearly among the youngest ones there. They call their rock band "Precocious," a name conceived of by one member's mother, though they plan to change it since they feel they've outgrown it.
"We're going to be teenagers soon, and it needs something else," said Cammi Ganshert, 13, who plays keyboard and sings in the band. She and bass player Alexa Thomann, 13, are the lead vocalists. The other two members are lead guitarist Natalie Faith, 13, and drummer Jenna Smith, 12. The four are longtime friends, and as they say, more like sisters.
Faith and Ganshert began playing their instruments together around three years ago, when they were in fourth grade, and Thomann joined a year later. Smith is the most recent addition, having been in the band for about a year.
Rising Stars is a regional talent competition made up of six different auditions in and around Madison from March to August, where the best acts at each one will be called back to perform in a second round audition. The program culminates in a final showcase of the winners as part of the 10th anniversary celebration for Overture Center for the Arts in Madison.
Precocious performed at the first audition in March.
"We were really intimidated because there were some really good bands," Faith said.
Their nerves weren't helped by the fact that Smith left her drum sticks at home and Faith forgot her guitar strap, forcing them to come up with quick fixes.
They also thought the competition was for amateurs, "but then everybody was going up and they were all old and professional," Ganshert said.
"Not really old," Smith corrected her. "Professional." She said some looked like they were in their mid-20s, others in their 40s or 50s. There was only one performer in the room who was younger than they were - a girl who looked around 8.
Rising Stars is open to anyone of any age, professionals and amateurs alike, according to OvertureCenter.com.
Precocious played "Fooling Yourself" by Styx, and all four said they did well. They gushed about the professional sound equipment provided for their use at the audition. The sound quality was much better than they're used to, according to Ganshert, with their two speakers and "little tiny amps" they have set up for weekly practices in Faith's attic room.
Their choice of song highlights the flavor of their band. They play mostly classic rock, with some pop and country mixed in.
When asked if they were all fans of classic rock, they responded in an enthusiastic chorus of "oh, yes."
"It's our favorite genre," Ganshert said. They're particularly enthusiastic about Styx, who they once saw perform live.
But they're trying to learn more modern songs to appeal to a younger crowd than their current following. Most of their Facebook fans are adults who saw them perform at their gigs, which are mostly birthday parties and other private events, though they played at an assembly at the Monroe Middle School and for a musical at the high school.
"We got a lot of good feedback," Smith said. "And of course our families were really supportive about it, too."
Thomann said all of their gigs have been memorable. "Some are bad and some are good, but they're still fun," she added.
Ganshert noted they've learned something from every performance. "We grow with every one," she said. "After every performance, we go and say "OK, what did you do well? What do we need to improve on?'"
This attitude extends to their practices, which they have together once a week, on top of their individual lessons.
They've also taken to learning new songs outside of lessons, according to Smith. They learned one song, "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, in "literally five minutes," she said. "It was really simple, and we're like, "Oh my gosh, look at what we can do.'"
"They just amaze me how fast they learn and how far they've come," said Faith's mother, Terry. "They just sound better and better every time."
Their efforts paid off, because in less than a week after their Rising Stars audition, Precocious was chosen to move on to the second round, making them "one of Overture's brightest Rising Stars," according to the program's website. The callback is set for Sept. 6 at Overture Center.
After three auditions, with a maximum of 50 acts at each one, only 32 acts including Precocious have been invited to the second round.
Faith recalled finding out by a text from Ganshert. "She texted me in all capital letters "WE MADE IT,' and, like, seven exclamation points," Faith said.
They plan to spend the summer practicing for the callback and learning how to write their own music at a rock camp for girls. In the meantime, they will be playing at the Juvelerare Customer Appreciation Days in New Glarus Saturday. Precocious will also perform at Cheese Days in September, and is available for other events. They can be reached through their Facebook page, Facebook.com/Precociousgirlband.
"It's fun for them because of the fact that it's with their friends," Terry Faith said. "It's come a long way and they worked really hard at it."
They were one act out of 50, and they were clearly among the youngest ones there. They call their rock band "Precocious," a name conceived of by one member's mother, though they plan to change it since they feel they've outgrown it.
"We're going to be teenagers soon, and it needs something else," said Cammi Ganshert, 13, who plays keyboard and sings in the band. She and bass player Alexa Thomann, 13, are the lead vocalists. The other two members are lead guitarist Natalie Faith, 13, and drummer Jenna Smith, 12. The four are longtime friends, and as they say, more like sisters.
Faith and Ganshert began playing their instruments together around three years ago, when they were in fourth grade, and Thomann joined a year later. Smith is the most recent addition, having been in the band for about a year.
Rising Stars is a regional talent competition made up of six different auditions in and around Madison from March to August, where the best acts at each one will be called back to perform in a second round audition. The program culminates in a final showcase of the winners as part of the 10th anniversary celebration for Overture Center for the Arts in Madison.
Precocious performed at the first audition in March.
"We were really intimidated because there were some really good bands," Faith said.
Their nerves weren't helped by the fact that Smith left her drum sticks at home and Faith forgot her guitar strap, forcing them to come up with quick fixes.
They also thought the competition was for amateurs, "but then everybody was going up and they were all old and professional," Ganshert said.
"Not really old," Smith corrected her. "Professional." She said some looked like they were in their mid-20s, others in their 40s or 50s. There was only one performer in the room who was younger than they were - a girl who looked around 8.
Rising Stars is open to anyone of any age, professionals and amateurs alike, according to OvertureCenter.com.
Precocious played "Fooling Yourself" by Styx, and all four said they did well. They gushed about the professional sound equipment provided for their use at the audition. The sound quality was much better than they're used to, according to Ganshert, with their two speakers and "little tiny amps" they have set up for weekly practices in Faith's attic room.
Their choice of song highlights the flavor of their band. They play mostly classic rock, with some pop and country mixed in.
When asked if they were all fans of classic rock, they responded in an enthusiastic chorus of "oh, yes."
"It's our favorite genre," Ganshert said. They're particularly enthusiastic about Styx, who they once saw perform live.
But they're trying to learn more modern songs to appeal to a younger crowd than their current following. Most of their Facebook fans are adults who saw them perform at their gigs, which are mostly birthday parties and other private events, though they played at an assembly at the Monroe Middle School and for a musical at the high school.
"We got a lot of good feedback," Smith said. "And of course our families were really supportive about it, too."
Thomann said all of their gigs have been memorable. "Some are bad and some are good, but they're still fun," she added.
Ganshert noted they've learned something from every performance. "We grow with every one," she said. "After every performance, we go and say "OK, what did you do well? What do we need to improve on?'"
This attitude extends to their practices, which they have together once a week, on top of their individual lessons.
They've also taken to learning new songs outside of lessons, according to Smith. They learned one song, "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, in "literally five minutes," she said. "It was really simple, and we're like, "Oh my gosh, look at what we can do.'"
"They just amaze me how fast they learn and how far they've come," said Faith's mother, Terry. "They just sound better and better every time."
Their efforts paid off, because in less than a week after their Rising Stars audition, Precocious was chosen to move on to the second round, making them "one of Overture's brightest Rising Stars," according to the program's website. The callback is set for Sept. 6 at Overture Center.
After three auditions, with a maximum of 50 acts at each one, only 32 acts including Precocious have been invited to the second round.
Faith recalled finding out by a text from Ganshert. "She texted me in all capital letters "WE MADE IT,' and, like, seven exclamation points," Faith said.
They plan to spend the summer practicing for the callback and learning how to write their own music at a rock camp for girls. In the meantime, they will be playing at the Juvelerare Customer Appreciation Days in New Glarus Saturday. Precocious will also perform at Cheese Days in September, and is available for other events. They can be reached through their Facebook page, Facebook.com/Precociousgirlband.
"It's fun for them because of the fact that it's with their friends," Terry Faith said. "It's come a long way and they worked really hard at it."