Alumni Stories
Name: Jim Burich
PMO Ensemble(s): Purdue Varsity Glee Club and University Choir
What Years were you in PMO: 1961-1965
Where are you now? I am now retired from GE Aircraft Engines and live in the Cincinnati, OH area. I have been a USAF fighter pilot, an engineer in the uranium enrichment process for nuclear power plants, and worked on military jet engine designs as a System Safety Engineer.
Why did you decide to participate in PMO while at Purdue? My dad was a member of the Purdue Glee Club graduating in 1936.
What is your favorite PMO memory? Of the many memories I have of my time in the Glee Club, one of my favorites was the performance we did in Atlantic City for an NEA convention. We flew to Atlantic City in 2 Purdue University DC-3s. My parents lived in Delaware and were able to come to the concert. As I recall, my Mom was a bit concerned about the vintage of the DC-3s.
What do you feel you gained from your participation in PMO? Aside from the obvious great experiences and friends, I also had the opportunity to experience and appreciate the wide variety of music performed by the Glee Club and University Choir.
What have you been up to since you left Purdue? After being graduated and commissioned as a 2LT in the USAF, I went to Pilot Training and then flew F-4 Phantoms in Japan, Korea, and North Carolina for 15 years. After I left the USAF, I was an engineer at the Uranium Enrichment facility in Piketon, OH. During the last 23 years of my professional career, I was a System Safety Engineer working on military jet engines at GE Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati, OH. I retired in June of 2009.
Do you still participate in music? Yes. As of Sept 2010, I am entering my 23rd year as a member of the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus. During this time, I have participated in 3 concerts in Carnegie Hall and numerous concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras. I am a member of my church choir and an a capella jazz quartet.
If you could give current PMO students one piece of advice, what would it be? My first squadron commander gave us this important point of wisdom. There is no such thing as being "on time.” You are either early or you are late. Don't be late!! It is very unprofessional (and career limiting) for a junior person to be late for a meeting. It is also very unprofessional for a manager to keep a room full of staff members waiting for the manager to arrive for a meeting.
Describe your PMO experience in 3 words or less: Excellent opportunity!
Is there anything else you would like to share? I would like to invite any PMO alums in the Cincinnati area who are interested in singing to contact me about joining the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus. The Cincinnati May Festival is the oldest choral festival in the western hemisphere. See the web site at www.mayfestival.com/.
Name: Bob Madison
PMO Ensemble(s): Purdue Varsity Glee Club and University Choir
What Years were you in PMO: 1954-1957
Where are you now? I retired from an extensive career in Human Resources management, including international responsibilities, in 2000. I then established a consulting firm with which I remain active with the focus areas of career transition/outplacement counseling, helping work teams maximize their effectiveness, coaching executives/managers/key contributors. My wife, who I married while in Spain, died in 2008. I am still physically active – participating in skiing and tennis.
Why did you decide to participate in PMO while at Purdue? A friend of mine with whom I sang in a church choir in Louisville, Ky. was a senior when I came on campus as a freshman. He encouraged me to try out for the Varsity Club. I didn't think I had a chance - but ... WOW ... got through the audition with Al Stewart &, that very day, joined the group for rehearsal.
What is your favorite PMO memory? Singing in the Hollywood Bowl. Also: singing in Miami (some huge national meeting); Purdue rented convertibles for us (2 to a car); I had a girlfriend at U. of Miami who arranged dates for every guy!!
What do you feel you gained from your participation in PMO? Confidence ... a "can do" presence ... taught me that great singing doesn't have to be dull & stiff - showmanship is the "spice" ... learned that EVERYONE (from executives to Indiana farmers to housewives) loves music!
Do you still participate in music? From time to time, I sing in church choir. I am a season subscriber to Cleveland Orchestra & contribute financially. Both of my daughters are excellent vocalists - one majored in vocal performance.
If you could give current PMO students one piece of advice, what would it be? Remember that the skills you develop through your PMO participation are life-long skills; they will stick with you forever; relish them! Enjoy!!
Describe your PMO experience in 3 words or less: Life Changing
Name: Melissa (Bohley) Goosen
PMO Ensemble(s): Choral Club and University Choir
What Years were you in PMO: 1991-1995
Why did you decide to participate in PMO while at Purdue?
I had never even been in the state of Indiana until I moved into Earhart Hall the week before classes started freshman year. I knew literally no one. I had always sung in choir in HS and (thankfully!) found out about the PMO Callout. I went to it, and auditioned the next day for two reasons - I wanted to sing somewhere, and I figured it would be a great way to meet people.
What is your favorite PMO memory?
All the memories are one big blur - lots of fun, lots of music, lots of performing, but no one moment really stands out for me. However I still remember a lot of the arrangements we did, and they mess me up when I try to learn a new arrangement! And I get strange looks when I start singing harmony to “Hail Purdue!”... unless I’m with a bunch of other PMO alumni, in which case we sound awesome all singing our parts! :)
What do you feel you gained from your participation in PMO?
Friends and performance experience, both of which still help me today (19 years after I joined PMO!). My husband and I recently moved to Indiana after 14 years in Texas, and my PMO and Gamma Phi Beta friends are the people who’ve helped us make the transition - they were the first people I reached out to when I learned we were moving, and I never would have made it through the transition without them.
As for performance experience, I cannot begin to tell you how much I learned at PMO. I had a specialty or two back then, but I was never a standout - I was too insecure and was quite certain Brian (Breed) had no idea who I was. I started studying voice privately after college just for my own satisfaction, and after several years of encouragement (read: nagging!) from my teacher, I started auditioning in the Houston area. That’s when I realized that some of the little things I learned in PMO that I thought everyone knew were what really helped me stand out: eyebrows up, smile, run on/off the stage so your audience doesn‘t get bored, the discipline of being reliable and being prepared, memorization skills.... From then on, I had steady work (some of it even paid!) in music theatre, operetta and concert/recitals throughout the Houston area. I never, ever imagined that would be possible.
Do you still participate in music?
Yes! Well, not so much since moving to IN, because I just haven’t started looking yet. Prior to that, I sang in a professional, 16-voice mixed ensemble called VOX-The Rob Seible Singers, recently named Runner-Up in the American Prize for Choral Performance. I was an understudy and chorister with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston, 1st Place International Champions at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England. With Brazosport Center Stages, I played the lead roles of Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Maria in The Sound of Music, Anna in The King and I, Grace in Annie, Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, and countless other shows in the chorus or as a secondary lead. I also sang as a guest soloist with the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra and with Brass, Rhythm and Reeds, a well-known Houston-area swing band.
Describe your PMO experience in 3 words or less: Sorry, I couldn‘t keep it to three: music, friends, fun, hard work/discipline.
Name: Kyle Spidel
PMO Ensemble(s): Purdue Varsity Glee Club
What Years were you in PMO: 2006-2008
Where are you now?
I am currently still a student at Purdue about to start my fifth year. I will be graduating in December with a degree in General Health Sciences with the hopes of starting clinical rotations in Medical Technology the following year.
Why did you decide to participate in PMO while at Purdue?
I had always been involved in the arts ever since I can remember and I could not imagine continuing my education without being involved in something. I knew I wasn't planning to major in music so this sounded like the perfect opportunity. I knew it would be a big commitment and was astonished with its reputation and prestige so I decided to audition. The two years I was in were some of the happiest times in my life.
What is your favorite PMO memory?
My favorite PMO memory was that of my freshmen year and our spring break trip to California. This was my first trip to the west coast and it was amazing to see all the different landmarks and attractions. Also it was a great opportunity to perform in some astonishing venues.
What do you feel you gained from your participation in PMO?
I feel that I gained some great perspective on how handle myself professionally. I cannot begin to mention all the people I met and all the places I was able to go. In a way this pushed me to grow up and also allowed me to form friendships that I still have to this day. I wouldn't trade my time in club for the world!
Do you still participate in music?
I do still sing as if it were possible for me to stop. I sing in my church choir as well as at home and in the car.
If you could give current PMO students one piece of advice, what would it be?
The only advice I can give is to never close yourself off to opportunities that come your way. It may just be the best decision you ever made. Get involved, get involved, get involved!
Describe your PMO experience in 3 words or less: Genuine.