The a cappella group includes Amy Raditz and Dyann Mazzeo of Lambertville.
By: Michael Redmond
Key of She, a local women’s singing group, which has performed throughout central New Jersey and in Philadelphia, will be heard nationwide as guest artists on NBC-TV’s "The Jane Pauley Show" during the week of Monday, Dec. 20.
"We’re just incredibly thrilled and excited," said Sue Jaques of Skillman, one of six members of Key of She, which has never appeared on television before.
Key of She is one of five a cappella groups to receive solo spots on the show’s edition Thursday, Dec. 23. And the icing on the cake is Key of She will be singing a holiday song, "See the Light," composed by one of its members, Patty Cronheim of Pennington, at Jane Pauley’s request. The group originally was to have sung Adolphe Adam’s "O Holy Night."
A cappella singing is voices alone no instruments, no accompaniment; just the voices. Ms. Cronheim wrote the song, which celebrates light, hope and peace, and Ms. Jaques arranged the material for the group’s six alto voices.
Key of She includes Amy Raditz of Lambertville, Lisa Ernst of Hightstown, Dyann Mazzeo of Lambertville and Pat Stearman of Pennington.
According to Ms. Mazzeo, Key of She was brought to Ms. Pauley’s attention by Ms. Pauley’s daughter, Rickie Trudeau, who sings in a Yale University a cappella group. Ms. Trudeau discovered Key of She on the group’s Web site www.keyofshe.com and ordered the group’s CD, "Our First Time," which she played for her mother.
"The call came right out of the blue, literally, only eight days before the show was to be taped," Ms. Jaques said. "We jumped and scrambled."
But the group was thoroughly prepared, even for the last-minute change of songs. Key of She was taped "live" in front of the studio audience, meaning if anything went wrong, there would by no second take.
This did not faze the singers, who routinely perform live, who, in fact, opened for the late Ray Charles at the Union County Arts Center two years ago.
"(The taping) was a great experience," Ms. Stearman said. "We were treated like royalty, and we met Jane Pauley and Rickie Trudeau. We just loved all the attention."
"The Jane Pauley Show" airs at 11 a.m. in NBC-TV.
Next up for Key of She is a return engagement for Newtown, Pa.’s First Night Dec 31 and the release in January of the group’s second CD, "In the Key of She."

