Laura Kruschke

Saxophone, Vocals

Laura started sitting in with the band for certain specialty tunes which required a strong female lead voice. We kept adding great music we couldn’t have attempted without her and in 2015 she became a permanent member. She is also the only woodwind player we have—but you just gotta have some sax in the band!

While most of the band’s singers started out as horn players who kinda thought they were good on karaoke night, Laura’s music background is in voice. She’s a real singer folks! And the only one we’ve ever known who can balance a full glass of beer on her head while holding the high notes!

After a music and theater background in high school, Laura continued through college toward a music education degree. Along the way she was grabbed by Tangled Up In Blue—UW Madison’s female acappella ensemble—and became a vocal percussionist.

Acappella is a big part of Laura’s life. In addition to her own group greenTONE, she has gotten involved at the regional and national levels. She helped organize the national Contemporary Acappella League and is an accredited judge for ICCA and ICHSA, traveling to tournaments all over the midwest. As Laura says, “It’s real life Pitch Perfect!” She arranges music for acappella and show choir groups and has led acappella and vocal percussion workshops for middle and high school students.

Laura is not afraid to get out and talk about her passions. She has been a featured speaker for Ignite:Madison, a forum of public speakers who get up and inspire others with their ideas in five minute clips.

She’s a real renaissance woman, listing among her occupations as yoga instructor, baker and “all-around badass human being,” —in addition to all of her music interests and being a mother of three.

Her hair color may change in the blink of an eye, but her stage presence and touch of sass makes her an essential piece of the Horn Dawg experience.