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Engineer to tour with Tops in Blue

  • Published
  • By Mara Minwegen
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
When 2nd Lt. Mary Ledet graduated in May 2004 from Notre Dame with her degree in electrical engineering and a brand new commission in the Air Force, she didn't expect to find herself performing with a world-famous entertainment group.

Lieutenant Ledet was enjoying her work as a beam control/fire control engineer in the Airborne Laser program when she chose to audition. After a lifetime of singing, playing piano since she was 7, and enjoying drama and choir as hobbies, Lieutenant Ledet decided to give professional performing a try.

She made a DVD and gave it to services to submit to Tops in Blue. As a result, Lieutenant Ledet was selected to attend the world-wide talent competition for Tops in Blue at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Only 60 aspiring performers were chosen by the director of Tops in Blue for this competition. The performing group has only 35 members.

"It was kind of like going for American Idol," Lieutenant Ledet said.

The participants were required to do six auditions: vocal, dance, instrumental, comedy, personal interview and performance. The performance audition was in the individual's strongest area. Lieutenant Ledet sang "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan.

The judges of the competition were impressed with her talents. Having discovered her skills at the piano, they selected Lieutenant Ledet to be a keyboardist rather than a vocalist.

That small change in plans didn't bother her at all. She is now en route to begin the 45-day training period that every Tops in Blue member goes through in preparation for the nine-month tour.

"I am very excited. I can't wait to get started. It's going to be an awesome year," said Lieutenant Ledet.

Although Tops in Blue members don't yet know the details of next year's schedule, this season the group traveled to 30 countries and did 150 shows, she said.