Thank you, Springfield voters!

We are delighted that Sangamon Auditorium was named best live music venue in the Illinois Times' annual Best of Springfield announcement this morning.  2013 has already been a great year for live music at the Auditorium, with everything from The Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Beatles tribute RAIN to the 1980's rock musical Rock of Ages and last week's audience favorite, ZZ Top.  In addition to the amplified music, we are proud of the 2013 acoustic performances of acclaimed men's vocal ensemble Chanticleer and of course numerous Springfield performances by the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.  Thank you for your votes, and we hope you will join us for a few more great musical performances in 2013, including Foreigner on November 15 and Mannheim Steamroller Christmas on December 16.

Last day to vote for a choir to sing on stage with FOREIGNER!

At the FOREIGNER concert on November 15, one high school choir will have the opportunity to sing on stage with the Top 40 band!  Choirs submitted videos to WNNS to vie for the opportunity.  Visit the contest page to listen to the videos and vote for your favorite choir.

Then come see FOREIGNER on November 15 and watch the winning choir take the stage for "I Wanna Know What Love Is" with the band.  The band will also donate $500 to the winning choir's music program.  What a great opportunity for local students!

Did you see Iris DeMent on Prairie Home Companion this weekend?

Did you catch Iris DeMent on Prairie Home Companion this weekend?  Catch her live this Friday at 8 p.m. on our Kitchen Sink Series.  For tickets and more information, visit our website.  What a great artist for seeing up-close-and-personal on our eclectic Studio Theatre series!

Partners in Education workshop time!

Sangamon Auditorium has just entered the fourth year of partnership with Springfield Public Schools through the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Partners in Education program.  Through this program, we offer professional development opportunities to K-12 teachers in the arts and arts-integration topics.  Yesterday's workshop, "Reading Art Across the Curriculum," offered teachers the opportunity to develop techniques to increase their students' ability to observe, think, and ask questions about art.

Teaching artist Jamin Carter with students from Laketown Elementary

Prior to the teacher's workshop, Memphis-based teaching artist Jamin Carter taught students at Laketown Elementary in Springfield while Laketown's art specialist, Kristen Sowinski, observed his techniques.  We find these kind of teaching demonstrations to be a valuable addition to the experience for those who are able to observe.

We are so grateful to all the teachers who have attended workshops over the years and incorporated content into their teaching.  For more information about the program, please visit our website.