During the 2023 FGIA Fall Conference, be sure to check out FGIA Has Talent, FGIA’s first-ever talent show! This event has long been requested by members, many of whom are musicians outside of the work they do in the industry. Other talents also exist among FGIA’s membership, and this fun networking event is the perfect opportunity to see them firsthand. FGIA Has Talent, headlined by the FGIA house band, Freddie and the Fenestrators, will take place on Wednesday, September 20, 5:30-7:00 p.m. There will be a complimentary beer and wine bar, plus a cash bar for cocktails. To get ready for the talent show, meet some of the performers who will be on stage that night.

Freddie and the Fenestrators

The house band is made up of several FGIA members (and staff!) from different companies:

• Aaron Blom – rhythm guitar and vocals
• Freddie Cole – bass, guitar, drums, kazoo
• Greg Lambas – bass and backup vocals
• Lynn Miller – saxophone and vocals
• Grant Muller – drums
• Robb Plagemann – guitar and vocals
• Josh Wignall – guitar

Aaron Blom, FGIA Technical Training Specialist, plays guitar, some ukelele and sings. “I am a self-taught guitar player and have been playing for more than 20 years,” said Blom. “This talent show is going to be a blast! We’re all working hard to put on an entertaining show both with Freddie and the Fenestrators and during solo acts. This is a great chance for everyone to socialize and enjoy some awesome performances!”

The namesake of the house band, Freddie Cole (pictured above), Senior Business Development Manager at Bostik, plays guitar for the Tequila Diva band. He describes his talents as “annoying people and being rude, crude and socially unacceptable. I also play guitar, bass guitar, drums and a mean cowbell.” He has been performing for 40 years, enjoying “groupies and adoration of the masses.”

Greg Lambas, Vice President Sales and Product Development at ColorCoat, plays bass guitar and sings backing vocals. He started on guitar at age 8 but has always gravitated to the bass in songs. “I picked up bass guitar at 13, and never looked back,” he said. He is self-taught and even made his own line of custom bass guitars for a few years in the early 2000s.

“Along with being a therapeutic and creative outlet, playing and recording with some amazing musicians has grown my appreciation for a number of musical genres, and has taught me as much what NOT to play, as what to play,” said Lambas. “I think that the atmosphere [at the event] will be extremely fun and will pull the curtain back a little on those members who have talents to share with the rest of the group.”

Lynn Miller, Code Compliance Manager at PGT Custom Windows + Doors, plays saxophone, guitar, bass guitar and banjo. He also sings solo and four-part harmony.

“I have always had a passion for music, and I thoroughly enjoy making my own music,” said Miller. “I also enjoy sharing my talent with the audience and seeing their positive reactions when I play and sing. Music is infectious and fun and is designed to be enjoyed by all.”

Grant Muller, Key Account Manager at Vision Extrusions Limited, has played drums and percussion since the 1970s. He even worked full-time in a music studio for some time. His first paid professional gig was at 16 years old in San Diego CA in the summer of 1970.

“We all have hidden talents,” said Muller. “For those participating in the talent show, we’re putting ourselves out there in the hopes it brings enjoyment and maybe encourages somebody to join in and solo or jam with the band. We’ll see what other technical mastery beyond the technical aspects of the fenestration industry our members have.”

Robb Plagemann, Director of Advanced Research at Marvin Composites, plays guitar and began taking singing lessons about a year ago. “I started learning guitar in eighth grade with classical guitar lessons to start,” he said. “I spent a year in Germany as a private exchange student in ninth grade and I took lessons from the local rockstar.” Robb recently got back into playing.

“I have a love for music. It has always been fun for me,” he said. “I have several friends that love to play and I enjoy jamming with them and performing for others. We are talking about this being our retirement gig someday -- playing for beers.”

Josh Wignall, Director of Commercial Sales and Marketing at Quaker Window Products, sings and plays acoustic guitar. Coming from a musical family, he has been singing his entire life. He started playing guitar his senior year in high school and has been playing since.

“I love to play and write music,” he said. “It’s something that I love to do for myself. I’m really excited to see a different side to the people we work with at each conference. We work alongside each other, but rarely get to see the unique talents we all have. This will give everyone an opportunity to highlight their special talents and get to know each other better.”

Katy Devlin, Content Director at the National Glass Association, will be singing and playing ukulele solo. “I first started playing guitar at 12 and never looked back,” she said. “There was a time when performing was a very busy weekend job—all while I was working at the NGA and Glass Magazine. In fact, way, way, back when I actually played at an IGMA event in Las Vegas and an AAMA conference in Minneapolis!”

Devlin loves performing because she finds it calming. “Music has always provided me with a wonderful sense of flow. It calms my mind and fills my heart! And performing provides such a rare opportunity to share that with others.”