Related Links
Check out Patrick's a capella group:
See how Patrick's favorite team is playing this year:
Learn more about where Patrick grew up:
Broadcast
A Man of Many Shoes
By Martha Seroogy
A white tuxedo shirt matched with black tuxedo pants and topped off with bright red Converse high-tops. Doesn’t sound attractive? Hundreds of screaming girls would say otherwise.
Patrick Jones, a 20-year-old junior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is a man of many shoes. His red high-tops, a trademark of the university’s a cappella group, The Innocent Men, are just one of many.
“Music is a huge part of my life,” Jones said, looking down at his sneakers. “It always has been and it always will be.”
Even at a young age this was evident. Growing up in Burnsville, Minn., Patrick had ambitions of becoming a rich and famous singer.
“He would belt songs like they were show tunes on Broadway,” said Patrick's mother, Mary Ann Gilbert. “I knew from a young age that he was a natural performer.”
Jones picked up the trumpet in fifth grade and went on to win awards for his talents throughout middle school and high school. However, music isn’t the only thing he does well.
He attended Burnsville Senior High School, where he started “The Burnsville Swing,” a competitive dance club.
“They were so good! They even performed at the Minnesota State Fair,” Gilbert said. “You could say Patrick is kind of a legend or folk hero back home for starting the group.”
When the time came to pick a college, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire was a standout to Patrick.
“It was the first place I applied to and the first place I was accepted. I knew right away I wanted to go,” he said.
Patrick began school as a double major in business administration and biology, but made a switch to public relations after only one semester.
“I don’t like sciences and it wasn’t a good fit for me,” he said. “Not to mention it was way too hard.”
Jones is also a dedicated member of two university choirs, The Singing Statesmen and the Concert Choir, as well as The Innocent Men, a seven-member all male a cappella group.
Patrick is a baritone in all three groups and does vocal percussion in The Innocent Men. Vocal percussion is when a person emulates a drum set using only their voice and mouth. Patrick said he practices this technique everywhere from getting dressed to walking to class.
Although he enjoys being a member of each ensemble, The Innocent Men is his pride and joy. Evan Lloyd, a fellow member, said the group is equally excited that Pat is a part of them.
“He not only brings a superb singing voice to the group but he brings motivation to make us as good as we can be,” Lloyd said. “Pat is an extremely dedicated and driven individual.”
He has been a member of The Innocent Men for almost one year and plans to remain in the group until he graduates.
“I love a cappella music. We choose which songs we want to sing and then get to perform them in a concert every semester. It’s an amazing feeling,” Patirck said, pausing. “The screaming girls aren’t so bad either.”
After college, he hopes to go to law school at the University of San Diego in Calif. Many of Jones’ family members are lawyers, including an uncle who is a member of the Supreme Court in California. For this reason, Patrick said the law has always fascinated him.
However exciting the thought of living in California may be, Jones said he loves the Midwest and would move back to raise his family in Minnesota.
“I was born in California but I moved to Minnesota when I was two,” Jones said. “The Midwest is my home. I like it here.”
Although Patrick wants to get married, he is currently an eligible bachelor. Patrick describes himself as honest, kind, humorous and easy to get along with.
“Many shallow girls often overlook these facts because I don’t have washboard abs,” he said. “But I have a pretty good voice, I know how to dance, I mean c’mon!”
And so it is no surprise that Jones was bachelor of the week in the UW-Eau Claire "Spectator" last year.
“My roommate asked to interview me. I didn’t realize what it was for until I saw it printed in the paper,” Patrick recalled, laughing. “My friends got a good kick out of it. They made copies and put them all over the music building.”
So although a family is not in his immediate future, Jones says he eventually wants to get marreid and have many children. This is no surprise seeing as he comes from a family of ten.
His family consists of his mother, father, two sisters, stepparents, and three stepsiblings. Jones is especially close to his two legitimate sisters, Katie and Molly.
“Patrick is very involved with his sisters and loves them dearly,” Gilbert said. She recalls times when Patrick would comfort his sisters during thunderstorms. “He would pick up his trumpet and serenade them. It was such a sweet gesture.”
As Patrick and his sisters grew older, sports became a big part of their lives. With sports, of course, came the natural and territorial fondness of the Minnesota Vikings. Jones would watch the Vikings football games and strive to play as well as them. Although he did not go professional, he was able to make it onto his high school varsity team.
Whether it’s singing, dancing, playing ball or practicing law, Patrick Jones truly is a man of many shoes. However, he probably won’t wear his bright red high-tops when he dances his way around the courtroom.