My name is Derek Ostrem.
I am 22 years old, and I am currently attending school at the University of
Wisconsin-LaCrosse. LaCrosse was currently voted one of the top five
schools’s to attend in the Midwest. I am in my senior year, and I will
be graduating in May with a Biomedical Sciences major. I will also
have a Chemistry minor to help strengthen my knowledge. I currently have
an overall GPA of 3.39, and I thoroughly enjoy learning, and I will miss
during the time that I am going to be performing. However, I have to conquer
one goal at a time, and I want to perform first.
I am currently co-directing the 6th Grade Show Choir
in Onalaska, Wisconsin. This is my second year involved with the show
choir. I also co-directed the 7th Grade Show Choir with the same
director last year. I do most of the choreography, but I also allow
the kids to have a say in there own show too. This helps them to
take responsibility and pride in their show because it’s something that
the children have then invested their own ideas into; therefore, they don’t
want to fail because it is a reflection on them. No group has ever
failed me yet. I am also hired to clean one of the high school choirs.
Around here, this is quite an honor because Onalaska is one of the top three
show choirs in the nation every year. I have a lot of fun helping
with the show choirs because it allows me to get away from the intellectual
aspect of school and be creative. And if you haven’t noticed, I eventually
want to become a teacher after my knees give out. I love working
with kids, and I always will because they have an innocence and zest for
life that most adults have lost long ago. They make life interesting
and fun.
As a person and a performer, I have a lot of strengths.
My most important attribute is my attitude. I believe in whatever I
do, and I believe that it needs to be done to each person’s fullest ability.
So, I always do everything as intense as I can all of the time, and it bothers
me when other people take their talents or there jobs for granted.
Instead of maximizing their abilities, they are satisfied with where they
are. Along with my attitude, I have a willingness to be the best,
and talented people make that drive burn even brighter. I am honest,
loyal, and most of all a great leader. I lead by example and vocally.
I know how to read people. I know when to back off and let the person
figure the problem for him/herself, and I know when to get in their face.
I am also very fair, and won’t get in the person’s face unless it’s really
needed. I am also really passionate about everything that I do because
I don’t do anything that isn’t worth doing.
In the performance area, I am very versatile. I have
done a total of 4 professional shows, and I have been a swing for the last
2 summers that I have performed. I can learn to dance pretty much anything
if given time to rehearse (our last choreographer didn’t let the swings
on stage, so we had to learn by watching). I have very good pitch, and I
don’t embarrass easy (as was shown in the Singing in the Rain incident).
I can also sing and dance at the same time, and I can do it at an intense
pace. I am best at just performing though. I am never the best
singer or the best all around dancer, but I can sell anything. People
don’t notice when I am not as good at something because I perform the hell
out of it. I have a natural stage presence that can’t be taught.
I am really quite shy in real life, but when I hit the stage, I explode.
Moreover, if the show is hip-hop in nature, I am incredible because that is
what I do best. I can make my body do incredible things when I hip-hop.
It is my gift.
I also do know my weaknesses. I’ll be the first
to tell you that I am not the best vocalist, but I have never had a complaint
about how I sound or sing. My voice fits better on certain songs
(belting) than on others (ballads). I am currently taking lessons to learn
proper vocal technique and to improve my voice. I also need to become
a better technical dancer. I can pull it off, but I have never been
trained. I am also trying to alleviate this flaw by taking ballet
next semester. As a person, my intensity is sometimes too much for
people, and we end up having a little bit of a problem, and my passion sometimes
gets the best of me, and I don’t hold back my feelings when I should.
Some other interesting facts about myself is that
in high school I participated in soccer, track, basketball, and show choir.
I am an athlete in a performing world. In soccer, I was a 2-time All-Conference
winner, and I was voted team MVP. In track, I was a 3-time All-Conference
winner in the mile run (4:26), the 800 (2:00), and the 4x4 relay.
I also ran cross-country in college, but I gave it up to perform. In show
choir, I was in one of the best in the nation. Onalaska produces at
least one performer each year if not more. They perform all over the
world. My senior year, I was voted the "Best Male Dancer," which is
quite an honor. I also won the Honors Award while performing in St.
Louis. This award was given out for integrity, cooperation, attitude,
determination, performance, caring about the show, and leadership.
The cast also won "cast of the year" that summer.
I have led a very interesting life to this point.
I am lucky to have the blessings that I have. I plan on eventually
going out to Los Angeles and seeing if I really have what it takes.
If I make it, I would be very enthused. If I don’t, there are no regrets
or what ifs. I tried. I believe that I would be an excellent
addition anywhere in the nation. I may not be the best at everything,
but my goods outweigh my bads by a lot. I have a lot to bring to the
table, and if you give me a chance, I’ll show you that everything that I
have mentioned above is true. Moreover, my weaknesses will have improved.
I look to get better everyday because the more that you do, the more you
are.