Janalyn Bump a finalist for WPR's young artist competition

March 11, 2008

Musical awards and accolades are nothing new to Janalyn Bump.  The senior has been lining her mantle with them for years now.  Her latest honor may just get her the exposure she's been dreaming of all her life.

"I am very proud to represent UW-Whitewater as well as the state of Wisconsin in this competition," said Bump.  "It has been my childhood dream to be a singer and making it to these levels in music competitions is my way of slowly but surely making my way into this business."

The competition, the Neale-Silva Young Artist Competition, invites young vocalists and musicians age 17-26 to submit a sample of their work to be judged.  From there, a panel narrows the field down to the top candidates who have the chance to audition live at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on March 16.  Those chosen at the auditions will be the 2008 Wisconsin Public Radio/Neale-Silva Young Artists and will earn cash prizes and a spot in the winners' recital held April 30 in the Wisconsin Union Theater.  The recital will also be featured on WPR's statewide broadcast and will be streamed on the station's Web site, www.wpr.org.

When you are a vocalist as talented as Bump, opportunities can come from out of nowhere.  The opportunity for this competition came from what seemed like nothing more than a wrong number.

"I was walking into work and my phone started ringing.  Against my better judgment, I answered it," said Bump.  "It was a retired music teacher from a town 30 miles away, whom I had never met, calling to encourage me to enter a competition for Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).  So, I took all the info and entered before the deadline, which was two days from the day I received the phone call, and needless to say, I made it in."

The fact that Bump has made it this far in the competition doesn't really shock anyone that knows her, though.

"It does not surprise me at all that she is the only vocalist to be in the finals," said Brian Leeper, UW-Whitewater voice area coordinator.  "Her voice has a great deal of color and warmth for a student of her age.  She also has an amazing range that lets her cross over into many different kinds of roles; all of which are qualities that give her an edge over other singers."

For more information about the competition, visit WPR's Web site at http://www.wpr.org/music/neale-silva.