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After every show, one young audience member invariably approaches the stage and asks
Steve Singer, "How do you make all those sounds?" Steve pauses for a moment,
smiles and replies, "I had way too much time by myself as a child." Indeed, part of the difficulty in describing
what LU! is resides in explaining what Musical Director and vocalist Steve Singer does in performance and in the
studio. Steve is a baritone who would rather deliver stand-up than sit down (and be quiet). A percussionist who sings
drums better than he plays them. An aspiring Latin Jazz pianist who doesn't play the piano. See a pattern?
All told, Steve's creative energies have found a welcoming 20-year home in this uncommon vocal band. His quirky arrangements
and never-take-yourself-too-seriously perspective have helped to define LU! With founding member (and power-alto) Rebecca,
Steve has found not just the only woman in the world that would tolerate his mishigas, but also a mother to his 3
children.
It's beshert that Kevin Kirshenbaum found his way to Chicago's
very own Jewish vocal band. Actually, he hired us to perform at his oldest son's bar mitzvah, but he couldn't pay
the bill... so, the rest is history. Kevin's roots run deep in the Second City. His father,
Joseph Kirshenbaum z"l, owned the cornerstone kosher deli of West Rogers Park. Kevin's soaring tenor vocals got
their start early, in the breakout role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Camp Ramah. He was 12.
Though life has changed since then -- a beautiful family of six, a successful radiology practice -- his voice hasn't.
For the High Holidays, Kevin aspires to Tucker's operatic chazzanus ("My family hates when I practice").
Alas, his best gig remains singing with his musical kids. Kevin, as Listen Up!'s high-tenor lead and "turbo-tweeter"
takes our harmonies into the stratosphere.
In casual conversation, you might not connect the concepts of "basso profundo" and "cufflink tycoon",
but therein lies the enigma of Listen Up!'s newest vocalist, Noah Mishkin. Sure,
it would have been enough if the artistic kid from Chicago simply applied his "trade" after attending Boston's
Wentworth Institute of Technology for his Master's degree in Architecture. But, helping to design buildings that "soar"
(such as Skokie's Church St. shul) is merely a hobby for Mishkin. Lo, it would be enough if
Noah was to perform his ample skills as a guitar teacher of many years, perhaps in a real band... Dayenu! But, no... Noah
has a higher calling. In Listen Up!, Noah is taking us to new depths -- while he slowly, but surely plans his ascent to the
Fortune 500 with his custom-cufflink business, Cuffitt. Noah's wife, Suzanne, is a schoolteacher -- which helps to keep him from interrupting during class. They have 2 boys...
both of whom play guitar with dad.
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