The Stimmung Stunde is heard in Southeastern Wisconsin including Milwaukee every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on WJYI, 1340 AM Stereo. Your host is Tim Kretschmann since February of 1990. WJYI broadcasts from Milwaukee, WI.
The United Donauschwaben Hour was hosted by John Windischmann until February of 1990 when he died very suddenly. The replacements were Tim Kretschmann and Tina Kump. Tina left the program in June of 1991. The program changed its name from United Donauschwaben Hour to the Donauschwaben Radio Hour on October 1, 1994. (If you ever want to hear a good story, this one is fairly good.) This move made things like this WWW page a possibility.
It changed its name in 2002 to the Stimmung Stunde because of some events at the local Donauschwaben club. The Stimmung Stunde is not affiliated in anyway with the Milwaukee Donauschwaben and will not accept its advertising.
The Stimmung Stunde has been at the forefront of promoting the 1990 Milwaukee Trachtenfest and the 1995 Fiftieth Anninversary of the Milwaukee Donauschwaben and Fahnenweihe. These two events had attendance close to 3000 people from as far away as Germany and Hungary. Over ten cites from L.A. to New York, members of the Landesverband, participated.
The selection of music on the program is what makes Stimmung Stunde one of the most popular ethnic radio programs in the state. There is a mix of traditional volkslieder and modern schlager. We have a "favorite file" for the most requested tunes and the "German-American Corner" where we play songs in German sang by American artists (like Phil Collins!) or Germans singing songs that were popular in the States.
Until February 1999, the program was broadcast on WYLO/WZER 540 AM in Jackson, WI. A change in station format caused all ethnic broadcasting to leave that station and move to WEMP. We were sad to leave at first, but we've actually grown even more audience after leaving. In September of 2004, we moved again due to a format change. This time we moved to WJYI, 1340 AM, but retained our 10-11 a.m. Saturday morning timeslot. We're expecting to grow even more.
The Stimmung Stunde has a wide broadcast coverage area and we would love for you to join us as an advertiser. We offer reasonable rates, an incredibly dedicated listener base, and help creating your ad to suit our listening audience.
End commercial part of history.
Between songs (and those all important ads,) Tim has been known to run many interviews with local German-American community leaders. He has interviewed local band personalities (like Johnny Hoffmann of Johnny Hoffmann & the Herzbuben fame) and the organizers of Milwaukee's German Fest, to name a few. Also, he's had a number of beauty pagent titleholders on the program (both local and national), and you'll see if you scroll down to that story below.
He strives for accurate reporting of local German-American events and keeps on top of the ever changing environment that is the Milwaukee German-American community. When people want to know what's going on in the community, they tune in to the Stimmung Stunde.
On October 3, 2005, Tim launched his new podcast. Check out the feed at http://www.stimmungstunde.com/podcast.xml or visit Podcast Pickle to see more.
The Stimmung Stunde isn't the only show in town, though. WJYI also features Robert Deglau's Continental Showcase on Saturdays 1 to 4:30 p.m.
On March 31, 2007, however, the program presented its final episode.
“It was time and the community is still served by WJYI’s other fine German program, Continental Showcase.” 17 years ago, Tim Kretschmann, with then partner Tina Kump, began announcing on the United Donauschwaben Hour with the sudden passing of long time host Hans Windischmann. Since that time, the program had changed name to the “Stimmung Stunde” (Happy Hour) and has changed radio station from 540 AM (WYLO & WZER), 1250 AM (WEMP) and finally at 1340 AM (WJYI).
“We’ve been so happy at WJYI that it’s a shame that we can’t continue. Time restrictions have made it impossible to continue with the program and keep up the quality of programming we’ve presented.”
Were you at the big parade?
Did you go to one of the local parks to celebrate with your fellow Milwaukee residents?
Hoist one at the local bar?
Did you at least have some torte or something?
Well, maybe Tim Kretschmann day didn't have a parade. Maybe the fireworks consisted of 10 candles on the cake--but hey, I did get a day named after me in the County and City of Milwaukee. That has to count for something, right?
On our 10th anniversary, county exec Tom Ament and mayor John Norquist named Tim Kretschmann Day--it was a very exciting event.
And since I know no one will ever, ever believe me, I put a copy of the proclamation to the left here as proof. So there!
On May 3, 2003 we interviewed Jayme Dawicki, Miss Wisconsin 2002. She was a wonderful and charming guest.
Jayme told us about her music program, STARS, going to the Miss America pageant, and some of the hundreds events she's attended with over 20,000 miles of travel around the state. A polite and proud representative from the Dairy state we can all take pride in.
The Stimmung Stunde was so happy with the appearance on May 11 by Carrie Cihasky, Miss St. Francis 2003 (left), and Caitlin Morrall, Miss Milwaukee 2003 (right). This was Carrie's third time on the program--her last two times on the show, SHE was Miss Milwaukee 2002.
Carrie told us about May being National Asthma Awareness month. Asthma Management is Carrie's platform and she told us all about prevention of this deadly disease.
Caitlin was a guest for the first time on the program, but we hope it isn't the last. This lovely young lady told us about all the festivals in the area she will be visiting this year. Caitlin is going to Alverno College and a Communications major.
Actually, both were very candid about their German Fest experiences--they ADMITTED that the food is their favorite part of the fest! Carrie will be working as a bartender in the Miller area. That ought to make for some good size lines!
Mid-interview, Dr. Deutschen Fest himself, Reinhold Ellermann came in to witness Tim and the ladies dancing the Zillertaler Hochzeitsmarsch down the WEMP hallways. It really happened and he's a witness!
A beautiful roadster was there--all decked out in beautiful banners--with my name and show... referring to me as the Schnitzel King!
It turns out the car owner, George of Campbellsport, had heard me on the air that I would be in the parade and he made it his business to have me in his beautiful car. This was truly a highlight of the fest! - you can read the rest in the Blog!
I should also mention that we now have the German Fest attendance info. It looks like they had over 70,000 visitors this year--up 7% from last year. Congrats, German Fest!
The stunning, and I do mean stunning, Molly Jean McGrath came on our program on October 2, 2004. Not only is Molly a beautiful young woman, which anyone that looks at these photos can see, but she was an intelligent and charming guest. Molly actually drove over three hours from Wisconsin Rapids to visit our program. Now that's dedication!
She had just returned from her trip to Atlantic City in pursuit of the Miss America crown. (After meeting Molly, I can't help but think they must have made a mistake not to crown this wonderful young woman.) Despite the insane schedule this young powerhouse has, she remained energetic and positive throughout our program.
Molly McGrath, Miss Wisconsin 2004, came back to the Stimmung Stunde on April 16, 2005 and we had another nice interview. I did tease her about the low voter turnout in our spring elections, but she turned it around as an opportunity to reiterate why it is important for voters to register to vote and keep exercising their right with every opportunity. How did she turn that around on me? Must be a magician or something.You might recall that her platform was WAVE which encourages voting and good citizenship. And, what, you ask, does WAVE stand for?
During the interview, she talked about her travels to Washington, D.C. to see the inaugeration of George W. Bush along with other great moments of her reign. She was a lovely guest and great representative for our state. Thanks, Molly!
We had a great interview with Jenna Shultz, a lovely and gracious guest on the Stimmung Stunde. We're even going to forgive her for loving the musical "Chicago" (horrors!) just because she was such a nice young lady.
For those of you that don't already know, Jenna Shultz is Miss Wisconsin-USA 2004 and a talented Marquette student majoring in communications. (Jenna competed in the MISS USA Pageant in Los Angeles earlier this year on NBC). Jenna takes part in a dozen or more charitable organizations. She told us a little about a few of them and it's a wonder she has any time to visit our program--but she worked us into her schedule and are we ever happy that she did.
Jenna also told us about her family and some of the great activities she has been a part of with the Miss Wisconsin USA title. We were so lucky to have her on now, because on October 30th, she gives up her crown at the Kalahari Hotel in the Wisconsin Dells to the NEW Miss Wisconsin USA. That's the thing with these titles. They only last a year.
Angela Zanon, Miss Milwaukee 2004, visited the Stimmung Stunde January 1, 2005. This not only makes her the first guest of our new year--but the closest we ever came to the expiration of the title. Angela, you see, must relenquish her title on January 7th...so we had her on the program just in time!
And thank goodness we did. Angela Zanon had some great stories to tell...about her great-grandmother coming to this country...about her family's involvement in the local ethnic community...and even about her sideline with Disney entertainment. What a talented young lady!
After the program, we had one of the longest recording sessions ever with a titleholder for future IDs. Angela is not only talented, but very creative as well. In fact, I've been going through some of the raw tape and I think we have some of the best IDs we've ever had in this recording session. (Wait until you hear the hilarious jingle she made up on the spot! Came up with the melody and words right there! It was great!)
Angela, you were a great guest and it was an honor to have you on our program. Don't be a stranger and come by anytime!
Trisha Tomas-Demske, Miss Kenosha 2004, appeared on the Stimmung Stunde on January 15, 2005--one of the coldest days ever. Trisha, as you know, was the second runner up for Miss Wisconsin 2004 and voted most talented vocalist--and let me tell you: I wasn't surprised. Trisha sang a little for us on air and a little after the show and SHE CAN SING! No joke.
Trisha is passionate about her platform in Mental Health Awareness and the early detection of this malady. On air, she described why she picked this particular platform and its connection to her life. To top things off, Trisha is also quite a talented actress and has appeared in a number of local productions such as Godspell and as Maria in West Side Story. (I already asked and she'll be in more productions soon--we'll keep you posted.)
I didn't even mention the most interesting thing. It was freezing, I mean literally well below 10 degrees Fahrenheit and my master photographer (she sometimes goes by the name "Mom") decides we should go out on the deck.
Again, it's freezing.
Does Trisha complain? Not one bit. And she looked lovely the whole time out there. You can see the photos on the Webshots photo gallery (use the link below) to see our ENTIRE photo session. ...and you don't see our breath in any of the shots! Spectacular!
Trisha was a lovely guest and we know southeastern Wisconsin will see lots more of this outstanding young person as she makes her mark in our community.
We've officially stayed on the air longer continuously than any other German radio announcer in Milwaukee and it's all because of great listeners like you and your support. Well, that, and the wonderful sponsors that pay for the whole thing. Remember to support our sponsors to keep this great music and programming on the air!
February 10, 2005 was a very special day, indeed! Scott Walker proclaimed it "Tim Kretschmann Day" in Milwaukee County. Don't believe it? Click on the proclamation to the left!
On February 12, when we aired our special 15th Anniversary program, the city of Milwaukee declared it "Stimmung Stunde Day" by Mayor Tom Barrett. To see the proclamation better, click the thumbnail of it to the right.
To add to the fun, we've also added a special movie slide show of our 15 years of broadcasting along with a ton of new photos. To see the photo galleries, click this link. To check out the spectacular film, click this link and also available on the media page.
15th Anniversary movie now available!
Melissa Young, Miss Wisconsin-USA 2005, dropped by the show on Saturday, February 5, 2005. Melissa was a confident and intelligent young woman and gave us a great interview. Melissa has been a featured performer on the soap "The Young and the Restless" and has an upcoming commercial for the Oxygen channel. (We'll have to keep you tabbed when the commercial airs. It is for "Marriage Week," and she had to stand in a wedding dress for HOURS without moving a muscle. I can't make it through "The O.C." without fixing myself a snack.)
Melissa was home schooled and had many siblings in part due to the foster care her parents also provided. Melissa was also Miss Congeniality at the Miss Wisconsin USA pageant and you can really tell. Melissa told us on her interview with us when she appeared on our show that she has won "Miss Congeniality" in every pageant she has competed in.A little thing like this being the most watched national beauty pageant in America wasn't going to get in her way. No way. So Melissa just stepped right up and won Miss Congeniality at the Miss USA pageant; anyone that's met her, even for a short period of time, like me, can see why. She is a very sweet young lady and is just so very geniune. It would be difficult to find a nicer, more relaxed and confident young woman. She plans to pursue an acting career and it looks like she's off to a great start.
If you'd like to see what I saw, venture over to the media page and click on the Melissa video we shot at her appearance on the program. Again, a big congratulations to our friend, Melissa Ann Young, Miss Wisconsin USA 2005 and Miss Congeniality USA 2005!
Kristin Howsley, Miss Galaxy International 2005, was a wonderful interview for the Stimmung Stunde in Milwaukee. She appeared on our March 5, 2005 program.
Kristin lives in Texas and has recently graduated from college with aspirations of practicing corporate law. Kristin runs a small business, is involved in many charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity. On top of all this, she spends time teaching children with dyslexia and reading disabilities. She is quite passionate on this particular subject.
On top of all this, she has been recognized by Baxer County, Texas and deputized (!) for outstanding civic leadership.
Kristin is the first INTERNATIONALLY recognized pageant title holder to appear on the Stimmung Stunde. Kristin is so nice, she even took some Stimmung Stunde exclusive photos to say HI to all our listeners. You can see them all at the photo album below.
To add to this very special interview, Kristin has sent us about 90 (yes, ninety) exclusive pictures for her friends here in Milwaukee and fans from the Stimmung Stunde. Kristin chose her orange and black outfit in honor of Milwaukee's best known international manufacturer, Harley Davidson. All of us here at the Stimmung Stunde would like to thank Kristin for this incredibly generous gesture which I'm sure all of our listeners will absolutely love to see!
The pictures are available at our Webshots photo gallery. You can learn more about the Miss Galaxy pageant at their website.
Amy Carter came on the program on March 19, 2005 for a great interview. Clips of the interview are available on our media page. Be sure to check them out!
Amy Carter is the reigning America’s Ultimate Queen. She competed for the national crown last June winning the overall title and first place in evening gown and interview. She is dedicating her year of reign to promoting her platform, the Make A Wish Foundation which is a non-profit organization granting wishes to children with life threatening diseases. As America’s Ultimate Queen, Amy has appeared at numerous Make A Wish fundraisers and has spoken on behalf of the organization to civic organizations across the state of Indiana.
Amy is a graduate of Indiana University School of Nursing. She currently is employed as an ICU nurse on an open heart unit and is actively seeking a Master’s degree in nursing.
Besides pageantry, Amy’s hobbies include running, yoga, reading, and she is an avid Colts fan.
You can learn more about the America's Ultimate Queen pageant at their website.
The big interview with Shandi Finnessey, children's book author, honors graduate of Lindenwood University, and Miss USA 2004, drew a big listening audience.
Shandi spent her year championing the official causes of MISS USA®, which include breast and ovarian cancer education, research, and legislation. She traveled nationwide as an advocate for organizations such as NABCO, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, Susan G. Komen, and Gilda’s Club, among others. The Miss Universe Organization, producers of the MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® Pageants, is a Donald J. Trump and National Broadcasting Company, Inc. (NBC) partnership.
Shandi has been a great representative for Miss USA, and she will be giving up her crown in early April. We're lucky to have her on the show JUST IN TIME!
We now have the entire interview avaiable on the media page. Just go there and listen to the entire interview as many times as you would like! Get ready for the pageant this April on NBC! If you'd like to learn more about Shandi Finnessey, you can visit the Miss USA website.
Caitlin Morrall, Miss Southern Wisconsin 2004, was on our program about a year ago when she was Miss Milwaukee 2003. She was a great guest and we were lucky to get her on the program in time before she had to give up her crown.Caitlin is very involved in her community in Burlington and helps dance teams and cheerleaders bring joy to their locality. Caitlin told us all about her parade experience, which has been substantial, and her future ambitions. She wants to train new beauty pageant contestants in the future, while getting a communications major and get a masters in special education. As a past substitute teacher, I can tell you about the challenges special education teachers face--but getting to know this amazing young lady, I'm absolutely sure she will be able to take whatever challenge she faces and dispose of it quickly.
The most exciting part of the interview didn't even go over the air, though. We were between segments and this scary spider came down from the ceiling. It sat there on a strand of web dangling between us.
Caitlin rolled her eyes and quietly got a paper towel and took care of the venomous demon. "I grew up in the country. Bugs don't worry me," she said.
Thanks to Maria Olliges, our talent coordinator from Meppen, Germany, and our master Deutsch interviewer, Marta Kretschmann, who've once again lined up another spectacular interview for us.
Feller & Feller, Schlager superstars from Ostfriesland, were on the telephone with Marta and the broadcast of their interview on February 26, 2005 marked another highlight of the Stimmung Stunde. Feller and Feller have released numerous CD's, have a new DVD out and make many appearance on German television music programs.
You can listen to our Web exclusive portion of the interview, or the entire aired interview by visiting the media page, or simply click this link for the web exclusive bit only.
Interview with Hansi of Feller & Feller about Our interview was mentioned in Milwaukee's largest newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. To see that article, check it out at this link: http://www.jsonline.com/enter/tvradio/nov05/372648.asp We'd like to thank Tim Cuprisin for his mention of our continued work to make the holidays wonderful in Milwaukee with Christmas music and bringing great German performers directly to our audience.
On November 26, Marta Kretschmann, Milwaukee's foremost authority on German music and our master interview guru, sat down with Hansi of the vocal duo, Feller & Feller, to speak about their release of a new Christmas CD.
November 26th we ran the interview along with cuts from the CD itself, which is an excellent piece of work. Some beautiful traditional tunes teamed with new spiritual songs for the next generation.
For the latest details, check their website or this really great fansite dedicated to Feller & Feller. We have the interview up on the media page.
Miss Wisconsin Teen USA 2005, Anisa Phillips, came on our program May 21, 2005 and it was a blast. She told us about the state pageant at the Kalahari Resort Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells and what it is like being the Senior Class President at Stevens Point Area High School. At the time of airing the program, we didn't know yet where the national-level MISS TEEN USA Pageant will be, but it will be on NBC-TV and we'll all be cheering her on.
Anisa told us about her extensive travels including a trip to Kenya, Africa for six weeks to volunteer at an HIV/AIDS orphanage. Anisa taught English and Math in the school house to ages 2-7, worked in the kitchen and read bedtime stories to the HIV+ children.
This summer (after graduation from Stevens Point), Anisa plans to travel back to Kenya to set up small kitchen gardens with HIV/AIDS patients in the slums to teach them how to sustain themselves. As a member of the W.A.I.T. (Wisconsin Abstinence Initiative for Teens) Team, Anisa travels throughout Central Wisconsin giving presentations to junior high and high school students about the prevention of teen pregnancy, STDs and emotional trauma. Since the youth is the age group that is the most affected, providing them with information may help.
Anisa further plans to go to college in St. Louis next year. She was a wonderful guest and a very sweet young lady.
We hope you enjoy this interview cut and we wish Anisa great success in the future!
Tracy Gest, as Miss New Berlin 2005, came to the WJYI studios on May 7th and see was a charming and entertaining guest.
As you know by now, I was asked to judge for the Miss New Berlin/Miss West Allis pageant and, though the competition was stiff, Tracy took the Miss New Berlin crown.
To see Tracy with her crown on her head, check out the photo gallery. Obviously the shots inside the studio she doesn't have the crown--she had to wear headphones. Otherwise, she wouldn't hear my questions. And trust me. That would be bad.
You should also look closely in the background of all the shots in the photo gallery. I'll tell you why. Throughout the photo session, we were attacked by a series of squirrels. Buddy seemed to be the ringleader.
Luckily, Tracy protected me.
During the interview, we learned a lot about Tracy Gest (and her mother, Tammy.) Tracy is studying public relations at Carroll College. With her dynamite personality and killer smile, we're sure she will do great job in this occupation in the future!
She was a great candidate and we expect her to be a great titleholder. In addition to being sent to the Miss Wisconsin competition, we're sure she will continue to support her exciting platform--which is Diabetes Awareness. My Oma suffers of this illness so I am very interested in seeing Tracy continue her efforts in this worthwhile endeavor. Tracy's father also suffers from Diabetes, but Tracy hopes her fundraising efforts can contribute some day to a cure. I think we all hope that this disease can some day be eradicated. Diabetes Awareness is also the name of her BRAND NEW website that just launched! Be sure to check it out for Tracy's upcoming appearances and timely articles about the research working to eradicate this modern-day plague.
To this end, Tracy has created a CD to help raise funds for the group. We played a cut from her wonderous CD on the program and our listeners loved it!
Tracy Gest, Miss Wisconsin 2005, returned to the Stimmung Stunde and promoted the Big Unit's 5K Walk/Run!Tracy, as many of you are aware, was a guest on our program as Miss New Berlin and on Saturday, June 25, she was crowned Miss Wisconsin 2005.
Now, Tracy is BACK!
Tracy is involved in the Big Unit's Diabetes walk at German Fest (see her story on her website) and she came by to tell us all about it! The Diabetes walk is an important fundraiser for the ADA (American Diabetes Association) and she is hoping that people will join her special Miss Wisconsin Team.
Tracy is hoping to help contribute to a cure for this disease so that means everyone needs to get involved in whatever way they can. Tracy is helping us learn how we can get involved on July 23rd, on the Stimmung Stunde! You can hear a little about it in our Clip of the Week! Until then, you can check out the whole show! You can also hear MULTIPLE CLIPS of the interview on our media page. It's the new section under audio clips!
Another great way to help Tracy on her quest for a cure is to purchase her outstanding CD, "Keys to a Cure"--simply click the CD cover to the right and you will get a form to print out so you can order this superior recording of Tracy playing piano. It includes the song she played in competition to win the title of Miss Wisconsin. We've played cuts off the CD twice now and each time listeners have approached me remarking on the incredible talent Tracy was sharing with all of us!
Tracy has been getting NATIONAL ATTENTION. She was featured on an ABC News story. To see the associated article on their website, click this link: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/US/story?id=920257&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 (Now that's a long URL!)
You can see photos from the pageant at the photo gallery! We've added photos from her recent stop by the show in her spectacular competition casualware.
Our good friend, Tracy Gest, Miss Wisconsin 2005, returned to the Stimmung Stunde on October 15, 2005. She even took over the board for a while and launched a few bits of production. Now I can finally take that vacation I've been promising myself.
Unfortunately for me and fortunately for the rest of the state, Tracy won't be taking over my little program too soon. Tracy is insanely busy with appearances all over the state and appointments nationwide as she prepares for CMT's January broadcast of Miss America.
As a true "trick or treat" moment, Tracy crowned me (note: it never really even touched my head). Tracy is such a good sport!
Tracy has been quite busy since we last chatted. She told us about her television appearance in New York on a nationally televised program, dLife. We'll hear about her German Fest adventures with the Big Unit's Walk/Run for Diabetes. She volunteered over Labor Day for the MDA telethon and was on television locally as well.
Monday, October 10, Tracy was our special correspondent at the WJYI/Milwaukee Radio Group Client party. The photo gallery can be accessed HERE! Tracy was speaking to some of the real movers and shakers in the Milwaukee media community and promoted her platform.
Tracy is also inviting you all her NEW WEBSITE: http://www.tracygest.org. Bookmark it today! We have just finallized it's new look (version 2.0.1) and put it on her NEW website.
Tracy's interview is now out on our media page. Tracy has an incredible record--and I'm not just talking about "Keys to the Cure." (CD cover art to the right.) I'm talking about she is now the guest that has been on the Stimmung Stunde more than any other except Reinhold Ellermann, Dr. Deutschen Fest (and I'm not quite sure as to how many appearances he made before I kept track of such things.) Tracy definitely holds the record for having media clips out on our media page. One movie and multiple interview clips. I would also suggest people should really listen to "Interview Part 3" on this interview where Tracy speaks about Diabetes Awareness, her platform. She is very knowledgeable on the subject and has been working hard to raise funds to combat this disease.
Photos from her latest appearance on the program can be found in the Miss Wisconsin gallery which I've handily linked to here. And remember...she still has a few of her hit CD, "Keys to a Cure" available. Order one with this form!
Tracy has put a spell on us. Help her with her work for the American Diabetes Association and wish her all the best as she prepares to compete for Miss America.
Tracy Gest, Miss Wisconsin 2005, pays a surprise visit to the Stimmung Stunde on November 12, 2005Tracy Gest, good friend of the show and very busy Miss Wisconsin 2005, dropped by the studio on November 12, 2005.
Tracy has launched her own personal website (www.tracygest.org), just finished participating in the Miss America lottery (for placement in prelim competitions) and tons of personal appearances. All this, and she will return to the program in a month to play Stille Nacht for us on the program.
On December 17, reigning Miss Wisconsin 2005 Tracy Gest performed "Stille Nacht" on the piano for us. This was another FIRST for the program! You can hear it at the clip of the week.
To add to the fun, Bartholomew took the opportunity to have a quick interview with Tracy.
We're excited Tracy will help us with the celebration of the Christmas Season on the Stimmung Stunde.
Tracy returns from Miss America! 
Las Vegas, CMT and breaks from tradition make
Miss America 2006 an exciting new event!
I was a part of our Wisconsin delegation cheering for Tracy Gest, our Miss Wisconsin 2005, in Las Vegas this past week. (Yes, Saturday's show was on tape. Did I fool you?)
Tracy made everyone in the Badger State so proud of her.
Tracy nailed her talent piano piece on Tuesday with a spectacular performance. It was a challenging piece and she hit every note with a passion and strength that was absolutely fantastic.
On Wednesday, she did her on stage question and her specialty video was played. (If you'd like to see her video, check it out on the CMT Miss America website.)
Thursday, Tracy showed off her incredible evening gown (which I have a photo of here with the leopard print accents). Tracy was escorted by her father, Ed, and he did a great job making it down the seemingly endless flight of stairs constructed for the event.
That night, Tracy also competed in swimsuit and wowwed the audience in her Speedo swimsuit.
Each night after the preliminary competitions, special credentialed folks (of which I was privledged to be one) were allowed to visit briefly with the contestants. It was great to see Tracy in such high spirits every night and sharing her incredible experiences.
The previous week, they had appeared on the Jay Leno show and visited Universal studios! While at the studio, they had to stop the tour for taping of "Desperate Housewives" (starring Miss America host James Denton). Of course, they got a bunch of photographs of the famed Wisteria Lane while James looked on.
The night of the competition on Saturday was filled with excitement. All the glitz and glamour Las Vegas had to offer came out to shine on that very special night.
Of course, we were disappointed that Tracy didn't place in the finals, but we were all so darn proud of what a great representative we had at Miss America. Tracy is such a talented, beautiful and wholesome young woman and, as regular listeners of the program know, a great communicator.
After the event, we ventured to see the fabled room at the Aladdin that Tracy had stayed with Miss Arkansas Eudora Mosby during the week. The room was packed with gifts and especially floral arrangements. Here you see Tracy holding up a cookie gift which she wasn't going to eat until after the swimsuit competition.
Tracy Gest is truly an inspiration to those around her. She had dreamed of the opportunity to compete at Miss America. The light she has within continues to shine within her and we know she has an incredible future ahead of her. She is a role model and I'm proud to call her a friend.
Tracy--you'll always be Miss America to me!
Tracy Gest returns to the Stimmung StundeOur good friend and reigning Miss Wisconsin, Tracy Gest, returned to the Stimmung Stunde on March 11, 2006. It was a difficult week for Tracy because her grandmother was battling cancer all week.
On Saturday morning, her grandmother surrendered in that battle. Tracy dedicated the song "Ave Maria" to her at the start of the program.
After some time for Tracy to recover from that emotional event, she did continue with a wonderful interview about her time at the Miss America contest in Las Vegas. Some great peeks behind the curtain were relayed.
After the show, she invited me to drive her in the downtown Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day parade. I plopped on a green hat and wore my nice Alpine shirt and drove Tracy in the parade--pictures are available in Tracy's gallery as usual. The picture you see above is when Tracy put her fur coat back on--it was cold! And, yes, that's the trademarked "Tracy Gest open mouth" smile that you've been reading about in the local papers.
Actually, you've been reading about Tracy at Carroll College in any of the CNI papers this week, but hey, if they missed something journalistically, it is my sworn duty as a member of the media to clear it up.
We had Marci Gallo, Miss West Allis 2005, on the program May 28, 2005 and was she ever a great guest!
Marci came all decked out in pink from head to toe and commenced to inject her humor and energy into the entire program.
We spoke about her unusual mix of majors in school (Theology and Nursing) and her speaking engagements with her platform "Invest Yourself." (You can learn more by clicking the link there to her personal website.)
Not to mention she did know to get to the front of the coaster train on a roller coaster and was willing to wait for the good seats. Good pick, Marci.
Along for the ride was Nikki Eisenbach, her pageant director. I think they both had a great time. You can SEE that, too, by checking out her personal photo gallery here on the Stimmung Stunde website.
Marci Gallo, Miss Western Wisconsin 2006, interview was marvelous The last time Marci Gallo visited the Stimmung Stunde, she was Miss West Allis 2005. This time, Marci returned as the newly-crowned Miss Western Wisconsin 2006.
Marci told us about her adventures out at Miss America this year, cheering on her friend Tracy, and we learned a lot about "Invest Yourself." This year, instead of travelling out of the country for tsunami relief, she went to help with Hurricane Katrina victims. Marci "invests herself" into her community to help others. She's even produced a video on the subject and has had speaking engagements in many local schools.
Thanks, Marci, for coming back to the show! Best of luck at Miss Wisconsin this June.
Nikki Swikert wows Stimmung Stunde audience with spectacular performance Nikki Swikert came back to the Stimmung Stunde with a lot of things changed in her life. Last time she was on the show she was the reigning Miss St. Francis. This time, she was married and brought along her husband, Joe.
What can I tell you about Nikki I haven't told you all before. She's fun and energetic and has a remarkable talent!
Semino Rossi, singing sensation of Germany, interview a huge success We had our interview with Semino Rossi on June 11, 2005 and it was a great one.
Semino has been in the singing game for some time now and is no newcomer. He was originally born in Argentina, but has made the Tirol area his new home.
You can listen to the interview alone here. Just click on audio files and his bunch will be right there for you.
Either way, it was a lot of fun to talk to Semino.
We'd like to thank our talent coordinator in Germany, Maria Olliges, for arranging this very special interview for us. We love Semino's music and hope he continues his success with his career as an artist for many years to come!
My parents just got back from Germany, and they advise me that Semino's new album is quickly climbing the charts!! Congratulations, Semino!
You can learn more about Semino Rossi at his website and you can even hear some of his songs.
Alpentrio Tirol will be part of the German Fest Showcase this July in Milwaukee.We have the Milwaukee exclusive interview with Georg Astenwald of the Alpentrio Tirol. The Alpentrio Tirol has had dozens of CD's and lots of huge hits in Germany. The interview was great and a lot of people seemed to really enjoy it!
Marta Kretschmann handled the interview. You can hear the interview by visiting our media page. It's the latest in the audio section of the media library. It even features a WWW exclusive segment. Enjoy!
Uwe of the Schaefers was our very special guest on the Stimmung Stunde, June 25, 2005.
The Schaefer, as you are by now doubtlessly aware, will be at German Fest 2005. They are one of the headliners at the German Fest Showcase--the seven hour daily spectacles on Friday through Sunday of German Fest. Our interview with them was mentioned in the local newspaper, the Journal-Sentinel. Check this link to see it: http://www.jsonline.com/enter/tvradio/jun05/334990.asp
Since I didn't put a picture of Uwe up above there (Bianca is still cuter), we thought we'd put a picture here only a few days old of Uwe with Marta Kretschmann. We can thank Maria Olliges, our talent coordinator from Meppen, Germany, for making all this happen. Maria helped set up this spectacular interview.
Mother has set up a special Webshots gallery in the honor of the Schaefers as well. There are concert photos, behind the scenes photos, and of course, Bianca. (You knew I would sneak a reference in there somewhere!)
Marta Kretschmann handled the interview (as always) but I chimed in a little more than usual since he also speaks English. I also speak English. Sort of. You can hear the interview, too, by visiting our media page. It's the latest in the audio section of the media library. Enjoy!
On Saturday, July 30, 2005, two members of the Schaefers: Uwe Erhardt and Bianca App, came to our WJYI studios in Milwaukee, WI. You can see our photographic evidence of this event here. To the left, you see us on the Joy Guest Deck and to the right, we're in the studio.
What a fun interview!
At first our headphones weren't working properly, but once we got that fixed we were able to talk about their masterful performances at the German Fest Showcase.
During the interview, the Schaefers presented the show with a stuffed animal sheep. (Schaefers means shepherds.) Now after a listener poll, we've named the sheep Maximilian!
The video of this interview is now available on the web site on the media page and on the table to the left. . The interview is now available on the media page as sound cuts as well.
Currently, the photos of this visit are in the German Fest 2005 photo album. We will slowly move these over to the Schaefers photo album but as you can guess--I'm a little busy going to the fest right now. It should be updated soon!
Miss USA 2005, Chelsea Cooley, was interviewed on the Stimmung Stunde, August 13, 2005! Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2005, was on the Stimmung Stunde July 2, 2005. Chelsea won Miss USA back in April and just recently returned from Bangkok, Thailand after competing at Miss Universe. Not only is Chelsea a lovely young woman, but she is a supporter of many charities including Toys for Tots, the Special Olympics and the fire prevention program "Flames to Blame." She has also been a competitive shag dancer for 13 years!
All this and a future that is sure to continue to rocket skyward. She was an absolute delight to speak to and we're sure you'll enjoy this interview as much listening to it as we had recording it.
Now you can hear the entire interview by clicking on the clips above or visiting our media page. This includes a clip not heard on the air as a Web Exclusive! You won't want to miss a syllable!
Jackie Hart, Miss Galaxy 2006, was a great guest on the Stimmung Stunde, August 20th!!!! Jackie Hart was a really fun guest to have on the Stimmung Stunde and we were so very glad that the internationally recognized titleholder was able to make time to come on the program.
Miss Galaxy 2006, Jackie Hart, won the Miss Galaxy title in June and already the offers are pouring in around the country--she's been offered a role in a rock video and being considered for a major role in an upcoming horror film. I'm just glad she's going to try to fit us in between fashion shoots and her charitable events.
Jackie is living in Chicago, but she grew up and went to school in Florida for Real Estate. Currently, the incredibly busy Miss Galaxy is pursuing a successful career as a real estate market analyst for a Chicago-based developer specializing in housing for active adults. This is on top of a modelling career that just continues to grow and the very active schedule she has with her "Beauty Queen Team."
The entire week before coming on the Stimmung Stunde, Jackie was quite ill. But that trooper drove herself in to the program anyway and had so much energy we were a little worried some of the electronic equipment in the area would become magnetized to her--she already had a magnetic personality, but this was ridiculous!
Jackie also has her own web site, and it has lots of great information! Check it out at http://www.jackiehart.com.
We like to thank the Miss Galaxy organization, Jackie Hart, and everyone that made this interview possible!
Camille Anderson is an up-and-coming star of the screen was interviewed on the Stimmung Stunde July 30th!
If you've seen the movie, and judging by the box office scores there's a good chance you have, you'll recognize Camille as the beautiful young woman that notices Owen Wilson crying in one of the first weddings they crash. In fact, the scene has proved so popular that it is featured in many of the promotional clips and previews for the film.
And you can see why with Camille's electrifying smile.
Camille's been featured on the cover of Stuff magazine, has been featured in films like Intolerable Cruelty and You'll Never Wiez in this Town Again, countless television appearances as guest stars, numerous commercials including promoting my beloved Xbox (which is far better than PS2, in case you were wondering) and even did a commercial in German once.
This talented beauty comes from Texas and was the 1998 Miss Austin USA. She was also a reporter for E! Entertainment Television before becoming their subject matter.
Her publicist has sent us many pictures that we are in her Webshots gallery. Enjoy!
You can hear the entire interview by going to our media page.
To learn more about Camille, check out her web site at http://www.camilleanderson.com.
Joakin Stuffer of Die Ladiner, Grand Prix champions 2004, interview on Milwaukee's Stimmung Stunde was a huge success On September 10th, while the new Grand Prix was occurring in Germany, Marta Kretschmann interviewed Joakin Stuffer of Die Ladiner.
Marta met Joakin Stuffer from the Ladiner at Marc Pircher Fest this summer when my parents went to Europe (without my permission) to see concerts of all the top German recording artists. Die Ladiner are a new group having been founded in 2002. Some of his volksmusik's releases have been among the most popular in German-speaking Europe in the past few years.
They will be releasing their new CD on October 27, 2005 and all of us at the Stimmung Stunde simply can't wait for the release. To learn about Die Ladiner, go to their website, which features information about their U.S. fan club. Yes, you read that right, they have a fan club in America! Check it out for yourself!
Now you can hear the entire interview by clicking on the clips above or visiting our media page. This includes a clip not heard on the air as a Web Exclusive! You won't want to miss a syllable!
Be sure to check out the new Webshots Gallery of photos Marta took on her trip to Germany of the Ladiners. There are lots of great photos out there of German superstars, so check them ALL out!
Alexandra Kealey, Miss Wisconsin West 2005, interview goes well on Stimmung Stunde Alexandra Kealey, Miss Wisconsin West 2005, did a great job on our program on September 24, 2005. Alexandra is an advocate for "Child Abuse Awareness" and came in as first runner up for Miss Wisconsin.
Alexandra Kealey is a brilliant vocalist and has a great knowledge of other cultures due to the foreign exchange students that visit her home. She has done some great work for her platform and is quite knowledgeable on the subject.
We took a lot of fun pictures that can be viewed in her Webshots gallery. You can now enjoy her interview on our media page.
We had a lot of fun in the studio with this interview and I have this strange feeling that this is not the last we've seen of this stunning charmer on the Stimmung Stunde! Never can tell.
Abby Rupnow, Miss Racine 2005, interview rocks Stimmung Stunde on October 1, 2005Abby Rupnow, Miss Racine 2005, came out to the Stimmung Stunde on Saturday on October 1, 2005.
Abby was a lovely guest with a sparkling personality. She spoke to us about being Miss Racine, competing at Miss Wisconsin, singing in musicals, and pursuing a platform of Character Education, called "Express Yourself." She is hoping that everyone gets more involved in extracurricular activities at their school. She has made some great strides in moving this forward in Racine.
Miss New Berlin 2005, teaches us about autism on October 22, 2005 Lisa Nelson, Miss New Berlin 2005, visited the Stimmung Stunde on October 22, 2005. She told us all about her competitive singing and violin talents during the course of the program.
Lisa also invited all of our listeners to a really important benefit coming up on October 30th in Burlington. On October 30th, 2005, Lisa Nelson, Miss New Berlin 2005, is hosting a Bowling Benefit for Autism. It will be held at the Towne & Country Lanes in Burlington, WI. It will feature 9 Pin Tap with 100 available spots. It's only $20.00 per person and you can reserve your lanes (or lanes) at 262-763-5101. Bowling begins at 1:00 p.m. and activities (besides great bowling action) will include raffles and food as well.
While Lisa was visiting she told us about the "spectrum" of autism and how this malady is being treated today and some of the processes they hope to use in the future.
Now, you can also hear some great clips from the interview. You will find these soundclips as usual on our media page or you can use the handy minitable to the right.
Alex Parker's first English interview wows Stimmung Stunde audienceMaria Olliges of Meppen, Germany, our Ambassador to the stars, set up our incredible interview with Alex Parker.
Alex is known for his trademark piano and actually played the piano once at Milwaukee's German Fest. You can hear all about it on the interview clips we've posted here.
Alex was a very amusing guest and a talented singer and pianist. He is often compared to Udo Jurgens in his style and talent, but Udo has never done an interview with the Stimmung Stunde in English. So who's he?
Udo, thinking he's all cool. He's no Alex Parker.
Alex operates and updates his own website at http://www.alexparker.de/ where you can view, among other things, his performance at the Grand Prix. This would be a great place to check out that trademark piano and his trademark high energy performances!
Janel Mayer, Miss Coulee Region 2006, was interviewed on the Stimmung Stunde Janel Mayer, the first ever Miss Coulee Region, visited the Stimmung Stunde on February 4, 2006.
Janel is currently attending Marquette university, majoring in advertising. Janel enjoys volunteering, traveling, ballet, water sports and weight lifting.
Her future ambition is to become a reporter with a major television network and ultimately an anchor.
She continues to educate the public, increase the percentage of blood donors and promote her campaign to recruit volunteers as Miss Coulee Region 2006.
Teenager Stevie Riddle was on the Stimmung Stunde February 25, 2006. She is the 2005 Beauties of America's Teen. Beauties of America is a national competition held each year picking a Beauty of America for five different age groups, Teens, 20+, 30+, 40+ and 50+.
Stevie is a 2004 high school honors graduate, and is currently studying Business and Marketing at Madison Area Technical College. She has volunteered for such organizations as Toys for Tots and Coats for Kids. In her spare time, Stevie enjoys playing the piano, mentoring youth in her community, reading and even fishing.
In fact, Stevie is such a skilled “fisherwoman” that she landed a spot as a semi-finalist in a recent Wisconsin’s Bass Master Pro Tournament!
Stevie’s daily philosophy is “live big”. We’d say that with the 2005 Beauties of America Teen crown on her head, this beautiful and talented teen is poised to do just that.
Michelle Smukowski, Miss St. Francis 2005, lights up the Stimmung Stunde with her smile!The talented vocalist and actress, Michelle Smukowski is Miss St. Francis 2005 and was second runner-up at the Miss Wisconsin competition in June of last year. Michelle came to our show to discuss her year as Miss St. Francis and her future!
Michelle is very involved in various artistic pursuits, mainly regarding theater productions where her performances of show stopping tunes do exactly what they are intended to do. Her platform of "Music for Life" and her discussion of the children's books she has written were highlights of the interview.
However, she did have a deep dark secret she didn't readily admit to: she doesn't ride on roller coasters. Oh, the humanity!
We did surprise Michelle with some recordings of her yodelling in a stage play. Which brings us to an interesting point: this young woman has been in a lot of stage musicals! She discussed specifically her trip abroad touring with a group performing "Guys and Dolls."
Ashley Spingola, Miss Milwaukee 2006, was a joy on Joy (1340, WJYI) 
Ashley Spingola, Miss Milwaukee 2006, appeared on the Stimmung Stunde on April 22, 2006. Ashley was one of the young women I judged at the Miss Milwaukee competition in January.
Ashley has been involved in pageants for a long time and has been having a great time making appearances and performing around southeastern Wisconsin.
Ashley is a triple crown winner...do you know what that is? To find out, you'll have to listen to the interview. (We'll have it out on the site soon.)
Ashley told us about her platform and discussed what it is like to rule all of Milwaukee...kidding. Just kidding.
Interview with Sarah Seegert, Miss West Allis, was big success Sarah Seegert, Miss West Allis 2006, came to the Stimmung Stunde on April 8th. It was the first time she'd been on the radio, but you sure couldn't tell! She did a great job!
She discussed how she chose her platform on "Grief Management." We learned that Sarah loves to sing country music but seldom gets the opportunity to compete with those songs.
Sarah hopes to run a full service spa in the future. Part of the service, we're sure, will be that magnetic smile of hers. At State Fair, she won the "Smile Contest" for two straight years!
The interview is now up on our media page.
This just in! Miss West Allis now has a brand new website at the logical internet URL: http://www.misswestallis.com/. Check it out!
Thanks, Sarah, for the wonderful interview!
Megan Lyne, Miss Fox River Valley 2006, was a wonderful guest on the Stimmung Stunde on May 13, 2006. Megan sings opera and teaches vocal lessons.
Megan's platform is "Enrich your life, Embrace the Arts." Megan told us about her very musical family and her background not only with magnificent vocal performance but playing the violin (I prefer to call them the fiddle--but that's me) as well.
Megan helped our friend, officer J.D. Dhein, from the popular TKPN podcast, Police on the Scene with a Crime Prevention Lean, by speaking at a DARE graduation in Glendale. J.D. tells me she did a great job at the graduation and considering the wonderful job she did on our show, we know this is the case! And police like cases. Closed cases, actually. I digress.
he Psayrer, Grand Prix der Volksmusik champions, return to the Stimmung Stunde Klaus Gurschler, leader of the Psayrer, did a telephone interview with Marta Kretschmann in April. During the interview, Klaus invited Marta and her husband, Elmar, to join him at the hotel he manages: Hotel Bergland.
Marta was only to happy to join him and take him up on his offer. However, we all know Marta. She doesn't go anywhere without her camera and tape recorder. She is forever the journalist. And she is committed to bringing back the stars of Europe to her listeners in Milwaukee.
Klaus Gurschler sat down with Marta in a quiet booth at his Sudtirol hotel to speak with Marta to tape this latest interview that we recently aired. You can hear the interview by visiting the media page or my using the handy table to the right below.
Afterwards, Marta presented Klaus with a great Green Bay Packer jersey.
You can learn more about the Psayrer at the band website.
Kimberly Pifer made her first appearance (well, hearance--if that's a word) on radio on Saturday, June 10, 2006 on the Stimmung Stunde in Milwaukee.
It's been a year of firsts for Kimberly, though. The Miss Madison Area pageant was her first and now here she is, days from competing to be Miss Wisconsin!
Kimberly is attending UW-Madison as a senior for her Bachelor's Degree. Her ambition is to continue for a Masters in Physical Therapy, in preparation to attain a Ph.D. in Kinesiology. (I looked it up: "Kinesiology is the scientific study of human movement." That sounds hard. I remember moving once, but I found my remote and all was right in the world again.) Kimberly explained to us how this field of study will benefit her in the future with her career in physical therapy.
I'm still not sure I'm on board with this moving around stuff. Seems exhausting.
When she isn't studying, and considering the course of study that isn't often, she's involved in a couple dozen extra-curricular activities and practices her talent of tap dancing for the Miss Wisconsin competition.
Her platform is Activate America! YMCA Activate America! is a community level initiative to encourage and empower Dane county residents to increase their level of physical activity and awareness of proper nutrition. It works back into the career path she is on. She hopes as Miss Wisconsin she can further awareness of this wonderful cause.
The Music Venders (Mike, Chris (that's me in the middle) Scott, and Doug pictured above) came to the Stimmung Stunde on June 3rd to promote their red hot new CD "Stand and Sing Ein Prosit."
The CD is spectacular and we played many cuts on the program that day. Each of the musicians told us about their contributions to the band, interesting stories of past shows and the innovative process they went through to record their latest album.
Want to hear the interview? Why didn't you say so? Well, actually you could of, but I can't hear you over hear. The monitor you are staring at isn't very good at conducting voice and soundwaves. That's science.
FACTOID: The Music Venders first CD "Fahrende Musikanten" was the first CD ever played on the Stimmung Stunde. Before that, all we played were vinyl records and cassettes.
Marta Kretschmann, on her latest voyage to Europe, was invited by Radio Melodie to visit their studios in Munich.
Now, if you don't know about Radio Melodie, you really ought to check them out--particularly if you are a fan of our show. Radio Melodie plays just German music and only German music. Best of all--it's free to listen in the United States at their website. I think if you had a really huge antenna that would work, too, but it would be rather inconvenient. And possibly nuclear powered.
Lydia is a moderator at Radio Melodie on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. CST. She not only plays great German music (some of which is her own), but performs timely interviews with the biggest stars in the German galaxy.
No wonder Marta and Lydia hit it off.
You can see photos of their meeting and backstage at Radio Melodie at our Webshots gallery.
Now you can hear the interview on the media page.
Trisha Tomas-Demske was brave enough to return to the Stimmung Stunde. The last time she came on the show it was absolutely freezing cold. I mean it was one of those bitter colds. The type that made Jack London write "To Build A Fire" and the like.
Not so this time. It was muggy and miserable.
But Trisha wasn't . . . despite the extreme temperature. Our new Miss Polish Fest was as warm and sunny as the day out without all the humidity.
Trisha told us about her dinner theater company and about her platform concerning the mental diseased.
Trisha wowwed us all at the Miss Polish Fest pageant with her rendition of "Man from La Mancha" which she sang flawlessly. However, when I challenged her to dance the "Polish Hop" polka, she was more than up to the challenge.
Michelle Smukowski, Miss Southern Wisconsin 2006, was Miss St. Francis the last time she came to the program. Now, she's Miss Southern Wisconsin and this time--and she PROMISED to yodel for us. Somehow, she escaped my plans on that. Well, this stunner has a way about her!
Michelle came with her mom, Cheryl, and photographer extraordinairre, Warren. We learned about all sorts of spots at WJYI that make for good photos that I never noticed before.
I blame mother for not seeing these spots.
Just moments into the show, a giant moth fluttered out of the window sill and scared everyone half to death. It was caught quickly, but I feared for everyone's well being there for a moment.
Michelle is very involved in various artistic pursuits, mainly regarding theater productions where her performances of show stopping tunes do exactly what they are intended to do. Her platform of "Music for Life" and her discussion of the children's books she has written were highlights of our interview. You can hear that interviews highlights at our media page.
Now, if you haven't learned enough about this wonderful, talented young woman, you can check out her website or the Miss Southern Wisconsin websites.
Peggy Mueller, Milwaukee's top Button Box recording artist, was a great guest on the Stimmung Stunde Peggy Mueller, Milwaukee's top Button Box recording artist, has just released a new album, "Musik macht Freundschaft" and I predict it is going to be an even bigger hit than her first album, "So klingt's bei uns." Now that's saying something because that album was great!!!
Peggy told us about how she learned to play her instrument and how this spectacular CD of hers was developed. We had a blast with her visit--and as a bonus: she played live (with husband Hansi on spoons) right in the studio!
To learn more about this outstanding musician, visit her website at http://www.button-box.com/
Melinda McNett, Miss Fond du Lac 2006, visit is a welcome one for the Stimmung Stunde Melinda McNett, Miss Fond du Lac 2006, was a very welcome visitor to the Stimmung Stunde. She is a very talented vocalist and a past president of the State FBLA, so I guess she outranks me. Therefore, as you might have guessed, I was on my best behavior.
Melinda's platform is "Premature Birth Prevention: Healthy Babies, Healthy Future." She serves on the March of Dimes National Youth Council and has volunteered for the organization for seven years! The bear you see me with here is just one of the fundraisers and concepts Melinda has implemented for her platform. You can learn more about the March of Dimes at their website: http://www.marchofdimes.com/
So far, as Miss Fond du Lac, Melinda has helped raise over $500 for this year's Walk America for the March of Dimes.
Melinda has just completed her first year at Ripon College and has competed nationally for the SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) conference in Kansas City this past May with her Ripon College team. She was actually getting ready to move in for year two when we had the interview.
Melinda McNett, Miss Fond du Lac 2006, returns to the Stimmung Stunde Melinda is back!
Magnificent Melinda McNett returned for her third time to the Stimmung Stunde. She arrived just before it was time to take that crown in her hands there and serve it up to the next Miss Fond du Lac.
But she's not bitter. She had a great reign and lot of fun. When we have the interview cut up, we'll put it out here as well as repurpose it for the PageantCast podcast as well.
Andrea Berndt, Miss St. Francis 2006, makes her appearance on the Stimmung StundeAndrea Berndt became Miss St. Francis back in April, but it seems just like yesterday thanks to our Webshots gallery cataloguing the event. It is actually one of our most viewed photo galleries--so far. Now, we have a new Webshots gallery with her appearance here on the show.
Andrea is a wonderful young lady. Her platform is to get everyone to adopt a healthier lifestyle by stopping smoking. On the program, she promoted the Fresh Air Fest being held on September 13th at Vretenar Park in St. Francis. Dr. Victor DeNoble will speak, music by Kyxx and an appearance by Miss St. Francis are among the attractions at the event. You can learn at the www.thenonsmokingsection.com website. You can also call 414-489-5102 for more information.
She danced at the Miss Wisconsin pageant and will share stories about that experience on the program.
As we mentioned before, we've established a great Webshots photo gallery to see Andrea's appearance on the show.
Our interview is up on the media page.
Alex Parker, the German piano playing sensation, has another great interview on the Stimmung Stunde Alex Parker was the subject of another Stimmung Stunde interview to promote his new CD. He competed in the Grand Prix earlier this year and continues to build upon his already large volume of quality musical tunes and arrangements. Now he has a CD full of great music to share with the world.
And you can be right in on the action!
You can still listen to clips of both of his interviews on the media page and see more photos of my mother with him on her recent trip to Europe. Click the picture above to be magically transported to his website and sample some of his greatest songs!
We've got an extra special treat to go along with our on-air interview.
Marta, as always, got carried away and we just couldn't get the entire interview on the air--so we've compiled those outtakes and have them here--exclusive on the web! Give 'em a listen right at the media page!
Edith Prock interview a big success! German Fest is over, but it isn't ever really over until the Stimmung Stunde does it's wrapup show. This year, our August 19th wrapup featured an exclusive interview with the Ambassador of German Music, Edith Prock.
It was a great interview and you ought to hear it by visiting the media page. It was recorded live at this year's German Fest!
Rudy Giovannini, German language recording artist & Grand Prix der Volksmusik champion, interview with Marta Kretschmann was great success Rudy Giovannini is the classicly trained recording artist that is turning heads throughout Germany. Maria Olliges, our talent coordinator headquartered in Meppen, Germany, arranged this incredible opportunity to learn about one of Europe's fastest rising stars. Rudy just won the Grand Prix der Volksmusik so this is a special interview to say the least!
Rudy's hit tune, "Amore, amore" has received attention throughout the German speaking regions of Europe. He is a mainstay at the Grand Prix der Volksmusik with at least three appearances in the past. This year, Rudy took FIRST PLACE at the Grand Prix with "Salve Regina" and we played the interview on the program.
He was a delightful interview. You can see photos of the interview on our Webshots gallery. And now you can visit our media page.
Peggy Mueller, Milwaukee's top Button Box recording artist, brings friends and performs "mini-concert" live!Peggy Mueller, Milwaukee's top Button Box recording artist, brought her friends Hansi Mueller and Cindy Hartz and performed a mini-concert. Now, we can't play those songs here--copyrights, etc.--but you can buy her albums and see what we are raving about!
Peggy has just released a new album, "Musik macht Freundschaft" and I predict it is going to be an even bigger hit than her first album, "So klingt's bei uns." Now that's saying something because that album was great!!!
To learn more about this outstanding musician, visit her website at http://www.button-box.com/
You can see pictures from this appearance, or her previous visit, at our Webshots photo gallery. That's a standard. And we like standards! We're not those other guys, y'know.
Melissa Hinshaw, Miss Lakeshore 2006, has great interview on the Stimmung Stunde!Melissa Hinshaw, Miss Lakeshore 2006, was our guest on October 7th and she did an incredible job on the show.
Melissa is a top-notch flute musician. She was quite impressive playing Mozart at Miss Wisconsin this year. Come to think of it: she never even had to pull out her magical flute (which I suspect is that same flute that talks and stuff on the show H.R. Pufnstuf, but I'm not sure.)
Melissa's platform is "Eating Disorder Awareness" which is an important cause that affects thousands and thousands of Americans each year. Melissa spoke about this important issue on the air with us.
Melissa also told us about her future plans and what it is like to compete at Miss Wisconsin. We heard about some of the great appearances she has participated in all year long.
You can now hear select portions of the interview at our media page or check out the super-dandy and ever-so-handy table here. Is that not exciting?
We, as always, took a ton of photos and pasted them up on our Webshots gallery. You can check them out at our link.
Briana Lipor, Miss Racine 2006, was such a charming guest I had hoped she wouldn't leave.
But she did.
Not until she had left us with another great episode of the Stimmung Stunde behind us, a great interview on tape for us to listen to here on the web, and introducing the city to this wonderful and talented young woman.
Briana competed at Miss Wisconsin this year and was named "Top 10." She battled for her platform "Save the Arts." Briana has been interested in the arts from a young age and has been involved in the Racine Youth Players since the age of 10. She was even president of that organization for some time.
Top that off with her performances in over 45 productions and over 100 appearances as Miss Racine 2006 and you have one busy (and beautiful) young woman.
You can hear the interview now at the media page.
As we mentioned before, we've established a great Webshots photo gallery to see Briana's appearance on the show. Just a word--tough to take a bad picture when you have Briana as your subject so prepare to be dazzled!
To learn more about Briana, visit her website at http://www.missracine2006.moonfruit.com/
Nadia Wojnicz, Miss Polish Fest 2006, visits the Stimmung Stunde on February 17, 2007Nadia is a 23 year old recent UW Parkside graduate, earning her Bachelors Degree in International Studies and Political Science. She is currently applying to law school and aspires to be an international humanitarian lawyer.
We've also been very fortunate with our timing on a couple other things that we were able to quickly post the sound clips over on our media page.
Nadia will be competing at this year's Miss Wisconsin competition and she is ready to go! Be sure to cheer her on in June and see her out at her favorite ethnic festival, Polish Fest!
Stunde The stunning Britani Madala, Miss Racine 2007, visited the Stimmung Stunde on one of the coldest days of the year and nearly melted the studio down in the process. Wow! What a great interview.
Brittani is very involved with her platform of blood donation, called Be A Hero--BDM. You can read about it at her blog: http://www.beaherobdm.blogspot.com/ She has a lot of excellent posts there already and I'm begging her to put up a post about our show. Please!!!!
Brittani is not just a pretty face, though we admit it is. She works tirelessly on her platform. Before coming on the show, she donated blood and after our program she was off Children's Hospital to speak to a young girl suffering from blood cancer.
For her talent at Miss Racine, a special platform was brought in and she lit up the stage with an exciting tap dance number. In our interview, Brittani told us about why she brings in the platform and why she performs tap.
Brittani was a great guest and we are looking forward to big things from her at the upcoming Miss Wisconsin competitions!
Interview with Meinrad Tscholl from Die Vinschger gains international attention From the moment we posted the January 20th episode's interview with the Vinschger, we've noticed unusual amounts of web traffic from Germany. Marta Kretschmann, our interviewer of the German superstars, spoke to Meinrad Tscholl from the German supergroup "Die Vinschger."
To find the entire interview, use the link on the media page.
Katie Hanacik, 2006 Beauties of America Teen, interview was great fun! Katie Hanacik, the 2006 Beauties of America Teen, was on the Stimmung Stunde early in January and did a great job on the show. She came to the studio with her father and she was a very gracious guest on the program.
Katie was a lovely guest and we know great things are in her future.
Caitlin Morrall was frighteningly good on our Halloween edition of the Stimmung Stunde.
As you might recall, Caitlin is a wonderful young lady from Burlington that is very involved in her community. She helps dance teams and cheerleaders bring joy to their locality.
Caitlin, on past appearances, told us all about her parade experience, which has been substantial, and her future ambitions. She wants to train new beauty pageant contestants in the future, while getting a communications major and get a masters in special education. As a past substitute teacher, I can tell you about the challenges special education teachers face--but getting to know this amazing young lady, I'm absolutely sure she will be able to take whatever challenge she faces and dispose of it quickly.
If you are interested in booking Caitlin, contact her through the Miss Wisconsin USA website. They would love to see if Caitlin can accommodate your event in her busy schedule!
As per always, portions of the interview are posted here and on the media page. We're also going to repurpose this interview to put on our increasingly popular podcast partner, the PageantCast.
Her next challenge will be the annual Miss USA competition and we've no doubts here at the Stunde, she'll knock their socks off! She promised to keep in touch--and we're going to hold her to that!
UPDATE: Caitlin is the first Miss Wisconsin USA in over 2 decades to have placed in TOP 15 at Miss USA! Congratulations, Caitlin!
Briana Lipor, returned to the Stimmung Stunde, this time, as Miss Festival of Trees.
The Festival of Trees it turns out is not a lumberjack competition. Festival of Trees is a festival in downtown Racine around Christmas with many beautiful, decorated trees set up as fundraisers.
There is also a pageant with many beautiful young women there and this year, Briana Lipor was crowned Miss Festival of Trees.
As expected, Briana was a wonderful guest and dealt well with some fundamental problems in the studio this week. Not only was she a good sport, she did a lovely interview. The entire time, her brother Jake sat at her side to watch over that no one attacked his big sister. Either that or he was, indeed, trapped.
You be the judge. We'll have the interview sound clips up soon (the entire show is already up--check the link in the left column.)
Briana also revealed that while she had crowned our next guest, Britani Madala, Miss Racine this year, Britani got to crown her as Miss Festival of Trees! Now how cool is that?
You can learn more about the Festival of Trees pageant at their website: http://festoftrees.tripod.com/
To learn more about our friend, Briana Lipor, check out her Miss Festival of Trees 2007 or personal Briana Lipor websites.
Wendel & Nana Feiter from Feiter Medical Equipment Supply Company recognizedAt the Danube Cultural Society Schlachtfest on January 27, 2007, Wendel and Nana Feiter, the owners of Feiter Medical Equipment Supply, were recognized for their support of the Stimmung Stunde.
Feiter Medical Equipment Supply Company has been an advertiser, supporting a massive 15 minute program each week for the 17 years of the Stimmung Stunde's existance. They supported the program before Tim Kretschmann was even host and have supported numerous other German radio shows in the Milwaukee area.
"Without Wendel and Nana Feiter," Tim Kretschmann stated at the event, "German radio in Milwaukee just couldn't be. Their loyalty and dedication is legendary." President and Host of the Stimmung Stunde, Tim Kretschmann, presented them with an honorary trophy seen here in the photo.
Assisting in the presentation is Elmar Kretschmann, Vice President of the Stimmung Stunde.
The Stimmung Stunde has been a leading voice of the German-American community for the past 17 years having weathered two radio station changes and two name changes. On March 31, 2007, however, the program presented its final episode.
“It was time and the community is still served by WJYI’s other fine German program, Continental Showcase.” 17 years ago, Tim Kretschmann, with then partner Tina Kump, began announcing on the United Donauschwaben Hour with the sudden passing of long time host Hans Windischmann. Since that time, the program had changed name to the “Stimmung Stunde” (Happy Hour) and has changed radio station from 540 AM (WYLO & WZER), 1250 AM (WEMP) and finally at 1340 AM (WJYI).
“We’ve been so happy at WJYI that it’
Briana Lipor, 2007 Miss Festival of Trees, impresses us with another great interview at the Stimmung Stunde
