Miss Minnesota carries a union card

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_2868


Miss Minnesota carries a union card
By Steve Share
28 January 2007

MINNEAPOLIS - When Miss Minnesota walks onto the stage at the Miss America pageant Monday night, she'll be carrying a union card.

Well – maybe not literally. But the reigning "Miss Minnesota," Nicole Swanson, is an accomplished violist and a member of the Twin Cities Musicians Union Local 30-73.

Swanson, 23, won her title June 17, 2006, at the finals competition of the annual Miss Minnesota Scholarship Program. She also won first place in the state contest's talent competition, performing a classical viola piece.

Swanson began violin lessons at age three but switched to viola in first grade after hearing the viola at a Minnesota Orchestra concert.


Nicole Swanson

As a violist, Swanson has won first place awards in music competitions across the country. She earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Minnesota in 2005.
Swanson recently joined the Musicians Union in order to accept a temporary assignment playing viola with the Minnesota Orchestra.

She told the Labor Review that joining the union opened other opportunities for her to play with other professional orchestras.

The Miss America contest will be broadcast live Monday night, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. on cable channel CMT.

NOTE. Miss Oklahoma won this past Monday night.