Spring 2013

Transcription

Spring 2013

VOL. 60 • ISSUE 3 • SPRING
Tags
Swipes
2013
go
Region 1
had 45 members
perform at the annual
Boston Flower and
Garden Show held at the
Seaport World Trade
Center in March this year
from:
Tempo Tantrum
Insogniacs Quartet
Liberty Belle Chorus
Rhythm of New Hampshire Show Chorus
!
UL
y
Ohm
t was WO
....i
ND
ess
ER
n
F
od
!!
S o m any peop
le.
..
The audience was great!! We
performed for 35 minutes and
our audience kept growing as
we sang.
We
sang our two
sets at the Flower show
and it was a lot of fun. The
audience was great; we got lots of
good comments and several former Sweet
Adelines said hello. Someone even asked
if we had a CD. Our photo is posted on the
Flower show website. We also got interviewed and photographed by someone
from Boston.com.
It was a
lot of fun!! There
were tons of visitors
while we were there and we had
a few who stayed for most of our 30
minute performance! There were a couple of
adorable little girls that really enjoyed watching
us….future Sweet Adelines perhaps??
North Atlantic Region 1 - Sweet Adelines International
Tags & Swipes, Spring 2013
News from...
Wendy Davies
Leslie MacDonald
Carolé Mensing
Ruth Widerski
Regional Management Team Email Addresses
Core Values
Camaraderie, Musical Excellence, Personal Growth,
Professionalism, Open Communication
2
Strategic Goals
•
Provide quality education to enhance musical
excellence and leadership
•
Promote regional leadership excellence and
develop new regional leaders
•
Assure financial security
•
Maintain membership (retention) and promote
membership growth
•
Assist Sweet Adelines International in creating a
vision for the far future (15 years)
Wendy
Davies
Ruth
Widerski
Leslie
MacDonald
Carolé
Mensing
Julie
Jeffery
Patti
Lavernoich
Jessie
Oslán
Deb
Richard
Team
[email protected]
Coordinator
Finance
[email protected]
Coordinator
Communications jlesliemacdonald@hotmail.
Coordinator
com
Education
[email protected]
Coordinator
Directors’
[email protected]
Coordinator
Events
[email protected]
Coordinator
Marketing
[email protected]
Coordinator
Membership
[email protected]
Coordinator
THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Your Regional Management Team (RMT)
Julie Jeffery
Jessie Oslán
Patti Lavernoich
Deb Richard
Team Coordinator
Wendy Davies
Contest already! Where has the time gone? We have all been so busy with contest preparation, dealing
with horrendous winter weather right across the region. But how wonderful that we can all look forward
to this time together, sharing our favorite “hobby”, seeing old friends as the sounds of four part harmony
surround us.
Our choruses are going through changes as we adjust our chorus Management Teams for the next fiscal year. Every Team leader has responsibilities to complete or plan for the tasks at hand. Chorus leaders
volunteer their time (many hours), be sure to take the time to appreciate their commitment to making your
musical journey the best that it can be.
Each and every one of us has a different experience in our chorus or quartet, it is important that we
respect every one’s time and effort and recognize that each member will give their personal 100% to the
chorus. Your riser buddy’s 100% may be entirely different than yours, her life is different than yours, but be
sure to thank her, for her time and effort. Together, we make a great team in Region One.
How are your membership growth campaigns progressing? Is it a weekly /monthly effort to keep your
chorus face in the public eye? Are you planning activities and performance opportunities for the demographic that you are seeking
to build your chorus? Is every member of your chorus working to help the chorus grow? Wouldn’t it be amazing if Region One once
again grew to a membership of 1000 singers. We can do it, but it will take everyone’s efforts to get to this goal.
As you are making your 2013-2014 chorus plans following contest weekend, please keep in mind that your Regional Management Team is here to help, guide and serve you. If you wish to do a chorus goal setting session, build a membership campaign,
revamp your chorus marketing plan, book coaching sessions with one of our fabulous music faculty or assistance with your finances,
do not hesitate to ask for help or suggestions. There are very capable people in Region One who are willing and able to come and
work with your chorus, your music team, your leadership. Simply ask any one of us, we would be happy to arrange a visit.
Good Luck to each and every one of you as you step on contest stage this weekend!
Team Coordinator of ”Wonderful One”
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Finance Coordinator
Ruth Widerski
As you're reading this it may be before or after contest weekend. I hope you all have a successful contest
weekend and enjoy performing on stage, singing around the hotels and seeing friends from the region. We
work hard all year, have fun with our choruses and quartets at rehearsals, singing in shows and performances,
then we all come together at contest to show off what we've accomplished. Now we are all starting our new
fiscal years and whether we like it or not, the fun part (singing and competing) can't happen without the
money part. So let's talk Budgets!
Most choruses probably have new members on their management teams or boards, some of whom may
have never been in a leadership position before. Those of you who are leaving your teams or boards will, I
hope, be available to give advice to the new members should they need it. By now your budgets should be
in place for the upcoming year. Choruses budget money to pay their directors, rent their rehearsal space, purchase music (all music must be obtained legally) and pay for coaches along with other expenses which can
vary. While the Finance Coordinator/Treasurer is responsible for keeping track of the budget, each team/board
member (and the Director) is responsible for being aware of what has been budgeted for their area of responsibility so they know what
they can spend. All chorus members should have some idea of what the budget is for their chorus so they know where their dues and
fundraising dollars go. Each chorus handles this differently so if you have not been given a copy of your chorus's budget and want to see
where your money goes, just ask your Finance Coordinator/Treasurer.
The Regional Management Team also has approved a budget for the upcoming year for the region. The regional budget covers costs
to put on all regional weekends and events as well as the cost for holding regional contest. We also cover travel expenses for faculty who
make the free regional visits each chorus is entitled to, as well as other costs of running the region. As I hope you are aware from the communication sent to your choruses back in February, the region is able to hold the line on dues for another year so your regional dues will
not increase. (See your Team Coordinator for a copy of the communication if you want more details.) But we have to constantly revisit the
budget throughout the year, just as each chorus needs to do. If you have not yet established your budget for the coming year, now is the
time to do so. If your chorus has any questions on this process, I'm here to answer those questions.
Education Coordinator
Carolé Mensing
Hello ... Region One!! It is April, and
April showers bring... BRINGS competition!
A very hearty "WELCOME" to all attending this years competition- what a wonderful event is coming our way....... quartets,
and choruses- WALKING ON THE WILD
SIDE- here at Symphony Hall for our 38th
annual competition.
Thank you our hostess chapter, and all
our competitiors, the judging panel and
planning committee members for a this
fabulous event!
So far in 2013 we have had a successful Winter Regional Weekend with Dede
Nibler, a well attended Young Women in
Harmony (YWIH) day. Big news! We have
a budding YWIH quartet who have formed,
4
having met and sung together, at this Regional! They are called, Sound- erellas and
hope to debut on the Show of ChampionsSaturday night!
And for your Summer
Barbershop planning:
•
•
Sylvia Alsbury (Arranger, Past Director, Faculty) will be touring our
Region in June;
•
Directors/ Judges will be attending the SIDE by SIDE in
California,in July;
Fall Regional weekend with Sandy
Marron and Judy Pozgay, in September.
•
International, in Hawaii,in November, for Farmington Valley Chorus
and the quartet winner of this
contest!
•
RQA is scheduled for August 3
with Kim Vaughn, in Hartford;
•
Harmony Explosion Camp for
young BBS singers, Aug 8-10;
Marketing Coordinator
Easy Steps to Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Chorus
As contest season is winding down, it’s time to put our attention towards marketing our chorus for new members and singing
opportunities. Your marketing plan doesn’t need to be complicated; you can create a plan by answering a few questions.
1. Why does your chorus exist?
What is the purpose of your chorus? Is it to provide singing
opportunities for members in your local area? Is it to preserve or
promote barbershop music? Is it to train young singers of the future? Is it for musical education or the thrill of competing at the
international level?
If your chorus didn’t exist, why would you want to invent it?
What purpose does it serve? Write a paragraph answering these
questions, then drill that paragraph down to one or two sentences;
a mission statement.
2. Who are your customers?
Your members pay dues to belong to your chorus. You provide
them with the experience of singing and performing in a chorus.
Along with paying dues, they invest their time and energy into the
group, so they should be considered customers.
Your audiences are also customers. Their motivation is different from that of your singers, but they are still looking for an enjoyable musical experience of one sort or another.
Other types of customers: financial supporters, patrons, people who book your chorus
Describe your customers in as much detail as you can. How old
are they? Where do they live? What jobs do they do? What do you
really know about them?
3. What do your customers want?
Why are your members in your chorus? Maybe they’re motivated by wanting to be better musicians, but some could be there
because they enjoy being part of a social group with a common
interest.
Survey your singers to find out why they come and more importantly, why they stay. You can poll a sample of audience members after a performance or could ask a few questions on a postcard, then put the cards in a prize draw.
You probably already know more about your singers’ and audiences’ motivations and preferences than you think. Did attendance
at rehearsals fall dramatically during a specific time? Did you get
your best audience ever during one of your shows? Look at the information you have and see what it tells you.
Jessie Oslán
goals measurable, otherwise how
will you know when you’ve achieved
them?
5. What are the three most important steps to take to get to where
you want to be?
Think of three actions for each
goal you can take that will help you
achieve it, i.e., increasing membership: you could have open auditions,
a free workshop or a performance
opportunity for guests to experience
the thrill of performing. If you want to get new audience members
from out of town, how about a flash mob in a mall (after getting
permission from the appropriate source), a fundraising performance for a well-known charity or putting posters up on college
bulletin boards!
6. How/when are you going to take action?
When you’ve come up with some ideas, decide when you’re
going to implement them. Some actions might be better taken in
the summer, at the beginning of the year or during the holiday season, others before school starts or when families have settled in to
the school regime.
7. Putting it all together
Finally, look at your plan as a whole and check that the customer preferences, goals and actions that you have identified serve
the purpose you stated at the beginning. If anything is out of alignment, you need to address it or success is likely to elude you.
For example, if your identified purpose is to promote community singing, but your goals are predominantly about competition
and high level coaching, something might not be quite right. Perhaps your purpose is not quite what you thought, or your goals
need to be reconsidered.
Once you’ve carried out these steps, you will have a road map
of where you want to be and how you’re going to get there.
If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line:
[email protected]
4. What do you want to accomplish in the next year?
Take this time to decide where you want the chorus to be in
the next twelve months. Do you want to increase your membership by 20%? Do you want to recruit more young singers? Do you
want to increase your paid performances?
Make sure the goals you list are achievable. Also make your
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Membership Coordinator
Deb Richard
Region 1 Membership Goal Analysis
1000
980
960
940
920
900
880
860
840
820
800
1000
Total
882
882
1/1/2013
4/1/2013
From January 1, 2013 thru April 1, 2013
the following Choruses have brought in
New members:
Net Diff.
Berkshire Hills
1
CoastLine Show
5
Harborlight Show
1
Heart of the Valley
1
Harmony on the Sound
1
Island Grove
1
Liberty Belle
1
Merrimack Valley
3
MetroWest Harmony
2
Millennium Magic
2
New
Post Road
1
Attrition
Profile
3
Net Diff.
Rhythm of New Hampshire
12
Currently at
897!!!
Region 1 Membership
Total Net Difference
39
24
15
WOW!!!
4/1/2013
An increase of 14% will put us over the 1,000. I think
we can do it!
6
So drum roll please…..
15
Goal
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
1/1/2013
I will be tracking each chorus on a quarterly basis and
the chorus with the greatest new membership at the end of
this calendar year will have the opportunity to be have a free
coaching session by our guest Faculty at Winter Regional AND
Perform on the Saturday night show!!! We will also send in an
article for The Pitch Pipe showcasing your chorus.
SONY
1
Valley Shore Acappella
1
West Island
3
Membership is the responsibility
of everyone.
l
iona
t
a
n
Inter is
ning
e
t
e
“Swe Pot!”
the
Global
Powerh
ouse in
2013
Campa
ign Per
iod:
Jan 1 Dec 31
, 2013
Most
of you
have
already
been involved with the
Global Open House in the
month of January.
Invite a Friend
Use one of these
designs (that have
already been created
for you by International)
to invite your friends
by email. Professional
results in only a few
clicks!
Membership Incentive Program
•
•
•
•
•
If you are directly responsible for adding new
members you will be compensated as follows:
Add five members in one year - get free dues for
a year ($90 value)
Add 10 members in one year - get free dues for
two years ($180 value)
Add 15 members in one year - get free dues for
two years and be recognized in The Pitch Pipe
($180+ value)
Add 20 members in one year - get a free threeyear membership and be recognized in The
Pitch Pipe ($243+ value)
Add 25 members in one year – get a
complimentary brick on international’s
brick patio, a three-year membership,
be recognized in The Pitch Pipe and be
acknowledged at International Convention
($343+ value)
Tags & Swipes will be keep you up to date on
where the action is!
Invite a Friend - http://www.sweetadelineintl.org/index.cfm?id=81
Membership
begins with Me!
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Chorus Lines
Berkshire Hills
In May, we'll be the entertainment for a fundraising event for DAR scholarships; also
we'll have a fundraiser at Arizona Pizza who
will give us 20% of each bill if patrons mention our chorus. We did the same last fall and
made $800!
We just had our first two performances
with our new director, Julie Bertelli! She
was a longtime former member and assistant director of our chorus, and sang lead,
then baritone in the chorus, and tenor in
a quartet. She lives in Monterey, MA and
is an RN in the oncology unit at Berkshire
Medical Center, Pittsfield, MA. Julie is very
versatile, knowledgeable, personable, and
has a great rapport with the audience! We
love her!
Our first performance was at Springside
Nursing Home where my 99 years young
mother lives. She went to every competition in Springfield until recently and wrote
comments, counted members on stage,
described costumes, and then handed
her program to me. She was our #1 fan!
We then trekked over to Melbourne Place
Assisted Living, where new member, Nicole Harrington's parents live. Both places
loved our patriotic songs, and some sang
along and "directed". Our joint open house
membership with the local Berkshire Hillsmen, billed as "Not Your Parents Barbershop", was successful and fun with a clever
skit written by Marcy Cohen, who crowned
Cranberry Shores
Cranberry Shores Chorus is happy to report sightings of multicolored crocuses on
Cape Cod! More snow than normal caused
the cancellation of a Valentine’s Day concert, and two coaching sessions with Ann
Gooch! We were thrilled to sing at Winter
Regional and will be the hosting chorus for
Fall 2013.
We had a great retreat weekend in March
under the expertise of Gail Jencik and Dee
Pelletier. Our theme this year was a race
track motif, “Fast Track 500”. We worked
diligently on improving our vocal skills, and
overall performance. It was a very productive few days, topped off with a fun dinner
and a show by chorus members on Saturday night. Our newbies displayed lots of
amazing talent!
Chris Powers has been selected to become
our new Assistant Director. We welcome
her contributions, guidance, and talents!
Lynne Marshall will continue to provide her
amazing musical expertise to the chorus as
Looking forward to PVI's and voice placethe Associate Director.
ment with Lisbet Kline from Pennsylvania.
She was born in Denmark and founded the We will host out annual Friends and FamStockholm chorus, then moved here in 1985, ily Night on April 23. This will be our dress
and has been a director for many years. Get- rehearsal and pep rally before competition.
ting ideas for our fall show--busy and we love Our fans come and root for us to get us
pumped up! We also look forward to our
it!
Pam Basinski annual June concert with the SurfTones,
the Cape men’s a cappela group.
Janie Pellish as the membership queen!
Best of luck to all choruses in Springfield!
See you there!
Patti Corbett
She recently brought in 3 new members.
8
Farmington Valley Chorus
Words cannot describe the incredible
ride Farmington Valley is on preparing for
contest and Hawaii , but lets try a few:
w
I
L
D
wonderful, wishful, wacky, wahoo!! wise women, welcoming, wonky
irresistible, imaginative, impish, inviting, infamous, intelligent
lovely, limitless, luminous, looney,
lucky, lively, lyrical, loopy
Divas, delightful. ditsy, demented, darling, dangerous,
distrac.......
Who knew there was so much work to do
to put on a contest? Our kudos and admiration to all those who have done it before. So many jobs to fill, baskets to make
(a HUGE shout out to Karen, Brenda and
Linda for the massive amounts of time and
effort put into coordinating and making so
many lovely baskets. ), costumes to coordinate and so much more. It’s going to be
WILD. You’ll definitely know who is a member of Farmington Valley. We’re psyched.
Other then preparing for contest,
we really enjoyed doing Singing Valentines and even had a brand new quartet
participate. They LOVED it, and so did their
recipients. Another one of our quartets got
sent to sing a Valentine to a former founding member of the chorus. Her son, the first
selectman of Simsbury, ordered the Valentine for his Mom. She was thrilled, as was
the quartet, to talk about people and her
remembrances of her trip to Hawaii with
Farmington Valley lo those many years ago.
The weather has turned towards beautiful,
thank heavens. Our coaching session with
Vicki Mayberry was snowed out. Bummer!
And another coaching session with Harriet Walters was postponed. Bummer! We’ll
get another shot with Harriet on April 21st
though, so we’ll be awesome at the Show
of Champions Saturday night, Again, it’s
gonna be WILD. We were born that way.
We performed our stage show “Class Act”
again in March in a coffee house setting
at the Northwest Nature Center. No howling from the animals, just howling laughter from the audience, so we must have
sounded pretty good.
We all wore green for St. Paddy's Day. And
just for fun, we are learning Frere Jacques
in Polish, Chinese, and Norwegian!
Our musical education is ongoing. In addition to our local coach Morgan, we are
excited to have Lorraine Rochefort coming
to help. We sing several songs arranged by
Lorraine, so her visit is extra pleasing. We're
sure to learn a lot from her!
Shira Karpati
Heart of Maine
I resigned as director of Heart of Maine
Chorus in Sept of 2012 and sold my home
and moved to Hendersonville, NC. Since
being here I have become the director of
Song O Sky Chorus in Asheville, NC - Region 14 and have also joined Carolina Style
Chorus of Conover, NC where I sing bass.
We know you’re all frantically preparing for
contest and are going to sound more than
“pretty good”. You’ll be awesome!!! Those of
us who will get the opportunity can’t wait
to hear it. “May the odds be ever in your favor.” GO
Nancy Propfe
Greater Montreal Chorus
Hello from the Greater Montreal Chorus.
We are having an eventful and happy
year. We have recently welcomed
three new members, and we look
forward to their participation in
our activities and musical journey.
We also have three new quartets,
in addition to our existing octet,
who are all enthusiastic and
working hard on new songs.
We are grouping some of our
repertoire into sets from the 50's, Disney, and the Beatles. This is fun, and lends
itself very well to sing-outs and concerts.
We enjoy dressing up to go with the sets
once we have mastered them, and love to
see what our fellow singers have chosen to
reflect the songs. We also dress up in celebration of each holiday.
In January of 2013 I resigned from Royal
River Chorus. I joined SA in 1985 and have
always been part of Region 1. I miss all my
friends in Region One, especially those in
Heart of Maine and Royal River River Chous.
Sherry Sprague
If you would like to say hi, you may reach
Sherry by email - she would love to hear from
you:
[email protected]
You will also recall that Sherry was our
Region 1 Videographer.
9
Heart of the Valley
Spring! Such a welcome word! Rhymes
with Sing! In Region One, Heart of the Valley Chorus is thrilled to be a part of the annual competition we have grown to love !
The winter’s challenges done, our chorus
has reaped the benefits of great rehearsals
and a fabulous retreat weekend of coaching with the one and only,
Marion Devokaitis !
During the winter two memorable performances really kept up our spirits, and our
voices! We entertained a cheerful (SRO)
audience at the Center for Extended
Care in Amherst,MA . Post
holidays, we
sang of
the pretty snow,
t h e n
musically
dreamed of
the chance
to get away
from
the
darn
cold
weather! They
loved us!
And on March 8,
the proclaimed
International
Women’s
Day,
HOV participated
in a day-long event
in
Northampton
,MA.
Recognizing
how women over
the centuries
have bravely found their voices to be heard
through speech and song, this event presented characterizations of many famous
women. HOV was invited to perform because we represent a wide range of present
day women, being heard! Internationally!
It was a very rewarding experience!
Though we always find smiling faces and
inquiries about joining us after performances, HOV is still most grateful for the
exposure we have gained through our web
page! Maintained by our computer savvy
Kate Moruzzi, we are up to date with chorus news for the public! And yes indeed, we
are on Facebook!
Now our greatest joy this season is our
two newest members! Donna Brown from
10
Westhampton, and Lori Laplante from
Westfield, both willing to drive those special miles to rehearsal each week. Hearing
what a “newbie” has to say always warms
our hearts, and renews our belief in this
worthy organization!
Donna heard about Heart of the Valley
Chorus, decided to come see what we
are all about, and lucky us… she wanted
to join our musical family! She didn’t really see herself as a singer before this, but
Donna is a melodious lead, smiling with
her eyes through every song. She is a
natural !
Lori,
was not familiar with: singing with expression and feeling! I have received so much
support, I broke down my barriers of resistance and can honestly say that I am having
fun with this new way of singing!
I have gained a better sense of confidence
since joining Heart of the Valley which has
trickled into other areas of my personal life.
Singing for me is a great outlet for stress; it
is so easy to just leave behind my everyday
worries when I am singing with the chorus.
I am
so happy with my decision to join this group
and expect many
years of fun to come!
“
We are delighted
to have Donna
and Lori at competition
with
us this year;
we just know
wonderful
Region One
members will
welcome
them with
open arms!
too,
has
something to offer….
"Joining Heart of the Valley Chorus has
been such an amazing experience for me.
Although I’ve only been a member for a few
months now, I was made to feel welcome
from the moment I stepped foot into the
door to join . The great people are one of the
key reasons why I have enjoyed singing in
this group.
As a baritone in the chorus, I love to sing the
harmonies that are so unique to barbershop.
There is nothing like that sense of accomplishment I get when we achieve a wonderful and cohesive sound together. I feel like a
piece in a puzzle clicking into place, and it’s
truly a magical experience.
I have received some great coaching both in
rehearsals and during our recent retreat, and
as a result I feel like I have improved my overall singing technique. A new concept that I
So
how
do we say
“g o o d by” to a
precious baritone, our
“baby”? Dear Ellen Bledsoe is graduating from Mt Holyoke this spring. Knowing
we were her “moms” for 4 years while she
was away from home, HOV felt privileged
to have her! Ellen, we will miss you so!
Joyce Monska
Can it be? Has time flown by so fast? Is it
almost contest time once again? If all the
choruses in the region are working as hard
as the Liberty Belle Chorus is, Competition
2013 will be the most exciting contest ever.
Barbara Braxten
We had a special celebration this year -- it
was BB’s 35th Anniversary as director of LBC
and we showered her with lots of love, hugs
cake and music. Where does the time go???
Other LBC news… We have had some wonderful coaching this year with Jim Arns, Ann
Gooch and Lynne Smith. Ann has been
coaching us for many years in vocal production and brings elegance and style to our
sound. And Lynne Smith has taught us that
it is no longer just plain “Choreography,” but
it’s now “Showmanship”, much more indicative of what we do. Our LBC Performance
Team, developed a wonderful Showmanship plan and Lynne added her magic touch
to kick it up a notch. We also would like to
acknowledge Donna Doherty, a beloved
member of our Performance Team. Donna
sang with LBC for many years, and for personal reasons has not been able to be on
the risers with us. This year, Donna and her
iPad have been working hard as part of the
Performance Team creating wonderful stories about the characters in our songs.
We are looking forward to a fabulous retreat with Jim Arns, who always brings
new excitement and vitality to our package. Jim’s incredible musicality and
knowledge, as well as his ability to really
hear our sound and enhance our music, is
fabulous. Jim will work us hard from Friday night until Sunday afternoon, and he
also joins us Saturday evening when we
share in the fun
and camaraderie
for our chorus
dinner and “entertainment.”
This issue we’d
like to feature
a former member of LBC who
remains with us
even though she
now lives more
than 9,300 miles
away in Singapore. Ling Tay
joined our chorus
in October 2007,
and from the moment she set foot in our rehearsal hall, she
became a valued and cherished member of
the chorus. A wonderful baritone, Ling took
to barbershop music like a fish takes to water and quickly not only learned our entire
repertoire, but taught her 4 young children
barbershop harmony as well. The children
were all home schooled and a big part of
their day was music. Not only is Ling musically talented, but she is very computer
savvy as well and has done a fine job helping us mix music. In addition to music and
computers, Ling is a talented crafter and
made matching earring for all the newbies
to wear during retreat last year. We knew
Ling would only be with us for a short time,
since her husband was in graduate school
at MIT, and they were planning to return
to Singapore upon his graduation. It was
a sad day for all of us when Ling moved
back to Singapore. We all miss her smiling
face and “can do” attitude. We knew that
Ling wouldn’t be happy without barbershop music and we were thrilled when we
learned that Ling is in the process of forming a Singapore Sweet Adelines group and
they call themselves the Sunny Side Belles.
She has already lined up about 10 women
who meet weekly. They have already done
quite a few performances
in
Singapore. We
have provided
Ling with some
materials and
she hopes to
attract
more
women to the
group.
She
keeps in touch
quite often with
BB and many of
Ling Tay
the other members of LBC and came to visit us last year
to sing with us at our show. We hope to
hear soon that there will be an “official” SAI
group in Singapore.
We wish the choruses and quartets of Region 1 a successful Competition in Springfield,
especially UnforgettaBelles with
Joyce Nishinaga (tenor) and Julie Ladner
(lead), Zipline with Marilyn Drew (bass),
and Lashes with Heather Roe (lead) and
Flyin’ High with Lois Jensen (baritone).
Have a wonderful summer. We’ll see you in
the fall.
Charlotte Temple
11
Merrimack Valley Chorus
The past few months have been such an
exciting time for MVC! We kicked off our
holiday season with many successful performances. The highlight of our season had
to be our performance at the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church
in Andover, MA. MVC was invited to sing in
their beautiful hall as the main act for the
Ladies’ Philoptochos society to assist with
their various charitable and ecclesiastical
activities. This was the first time the organization had hosted any kind of music-oriented fundraiser and it was a great success!
With more than one hundred people in attendance, MVC performed a fun mix of our
repertoire along with many holiday favorites and, afterward, was invited to sample
the many wonderful Greek desserts and
treats.
We have been incredibly fortunate in recent months to have many new, eager, energetic musicians come through our door!
Our newest members have literally jumped
right onto the risers and been the most tremendous addition to our group, bringing
wonderful musicianship and energizing our
entire group with their spirit! Since returning in January, we have also had the opportunity to hone our Barbershop skills with
some fantastic coaches. Lynne Smith and
Diane Porsch returned to MVC and spent
time working with us on our showmanship,
and helping us refine and take our musical
skills to the next level. The lovely Donya
Metzger and Men’s Barbershopper Steve
Tramack worked with us as well, each offering their own unique point of view on this
wonderful hobby of ours.
We are looking forward with great anticipation to our upcoming retreat with the incomparable Peggy Gram. Peggy is one of
our favorites and never fails to bring skills
out of us that many of us weren’t even aware
we had! We hope she will join us again for
our Saturday Night Show, which promises
to be as much fun as last year, where Peggy
surprised us by bringing one of her “Most
Royal Accessories” all the way from Arkansas and inviting each of us to try it on! (Seriously, does it get any better?) As we speak,
members are hard at work collecting our
most worthy tropical gear (coconut bra,
anyone?), constructing our fanciest Polynesian headdresses (Sweet Adeline-style, of
course!), and putting the finishing touches
on skits-a-plenty (those newbies have no
12
idea what they are in for!)as we get ready to
set sail on our Hawaiian cruise!
more fun than should be allowed!
Aside from our preparations for Springfield,
MVC has been busy organizing our annual
Cabaret, which will be held on Sunday,
April 21 at two o’clock. This is always one
of our most popular events, with seats filling up quickly as quartets from the region
are invited to run their contest package
for a lively and very enthusiastic audience.
This year will also serve as a fundraiser for
us, with plans well underway for a silent
auction. Everyone is invited- so come early
and bid high! While our contest package
has been our main focus during this time,
we have also been working on a new song
which we are so thrilled to be debuting at
our Cabaret. This newest piece is full of energy and is sure to bring a smile to anyone
with a little “GLEE” in their heart. It is our
hope to be entertaining the rest of the region with it sometime soon!
Just don’t tell you know who.
Merrimack Valley Chorus would like to wish
the best of luck to all of our fellow Sweet
Adelines this contest season.
See you in Springfield, Ladies!
Kate Ravenelle
MetroWest Harmony Chorus
AHHHH! SPRING, AT LAST
Right? Really sick and tired of the snow
and ice. Ready to rock the stage at contest.
With the birds singing and the crocuses in
bloom, we rise up from our winter blahs
with our new director (Julie, of course), new
members (not only new to us but new to
barbershop) and a fresh take on costumes
(bling!).
We were fortunate to have a fabulous
coaching session with one of the best,
Karen Sweeters, (no fun in barbershop) and
we’re more than ready to face the challenges before us. She put us through our paces
big time.
So, let’s all hope for a nice, warm, sunny
weekend for contest. Most of all, wishing
the best of luck to everyone and, yes, have
Peg Forget
Mollyockett Chorus
The Mollyockett Chorus is delighted to be
adding two new members since the fall
Guest Night we conducted. Donna and
Marilyn helped fill our risers this winter
when several of our snow birds were away.
The energy and musical abilities that these
ladies bring to the chorus is energizing and
refreshing.
This year the chorus opted to do the usual holiday singouts early in the new year.
For Valentine’s Day we sang at two local
grocery stores and were enthusiastically
received by the shoppers. On St. Patrick’s
Day we sang at two long term care facilities
in Norway and South Paris. In addition to
our program of songs, we had a sing-a-long
with the residents of familiar Irish tunes.
Our thanks to Susan Leunig for coordinating the sing-a-long with printed words and
keyboard accompaniment. Seeing the excitement and appreciation for our entertainment, the chorus has decided to plan a
sing out once a month at a long term care
facility on rehearsal night, and hold our rehearsal after we perform.
Our energies now are focused on summer
shows at the Sawyer Foundation in Greene,
ME, and the Denmark Arts Center. Our
script writer, Jan Ward, has been working
with the Music Committee to create and
coordinate an entertaining performance.
Since the fall several of our members have
been dealing with personal or family health
issues. We are glad that the personal illnesses are resolving and hope that the music we make together has helped with healing and dealing with family.
Jolan Ippolito
Profile Chorus
And once again, it is time for yet another
Regional competition! Every year, despite
our best efforts to be ready for contest, it
somehow manages to sneak up on us, like
mischievous children at Halloween. Not
that our chorus isn’t prepared – we definitely are, having logged many hours of
practice, coaching, sectionals, and early
choreo sessions to make sure we are up for
the challenge! But I think there is a certain
comfort in all of that practicing that causes
the veterans among us to take the process a
bit for granted, particularly those of us who
have done this so many times before. I am
always glad for the newbies in our group
who inevitably have a fresh perspective to
share. They bring so much wonderful energy to our group , and it ends up being
contagious. I thank them for that!
This year Profile has the added thrill of being able to cheer on one its quartets, who is
making their debut on the contest stage for
the first time.
Profile wishes the best of luck to all of our
sister chorus and quartet competitors. Sing
with joy, have a great time with your chorus
buddies, cheer on your friends, enjoy a delicious dinner, and sing till the wee hours of
the morning. What a wonderful weekend
this will be. We can’t wait!
Quarter
Notes
Contestant #19, Musicality, has
had many trials and tribulations
to face over the past several
years, mostly in the form of
scheduling conflicts and life/
health issues, but we are thrilled
to finally be able to bring our
foursome to Symphony Hall
in 2013. Nerves and internal
butterflies aside, it is a terrific
opportunity for all four of us (Jill,
Terry, Kay, and me) to continue
to build our confidence and to
work on our performance for
a very different audience: the
entirety of Region One.
(No pressure at all there. Nope!)
Musicality
Deanna Dean
13
Royal River Chorus
Here's a photo from a spring fundraising concert Royal River Chorus performed at during April for our local community radio station,
WYAR. The station's primary mission is to preserve and encourage traditional American popular music from the early to mid-20th century. They have faithfully recorded and broadcast many of our concerts over the past fifteen years on their Community Microphone
program. We are indebted to them for their generous support of our craft, and this benefit concert was a way we could help them raise
funds to upgrade some equipment that will improve their transmission.
In other RRC news, we decided to take
this year off from contest and work on
new music. Some of our members will
be assisting Farmington Valley with
hostessing duties this weekend. We're
looking forward to spring coaching
with Jim Arns to work on one of his exciting arrangements, and gearing up
for our 29th year of selling food and
singing at the Yarmouth Clam Festival. Best wishes and best of luck to all
performers this weekend. See you all in
the Fall!
Sue Bonior
Royal River at WYAR Radio Station Performance
Sound of New England
Chorus
Hello, Region One!! We're all excited to
be back in Springfield on contest weekend
and looking forward to hearing some fabulous harmony. SONE has been busy polishing our package, and we're ready to storm
the stage.
Winter seemed long and cold, but
we've settled in nicely in our new rehearsal
home in West Hartford. We participated in
a local talent show, "Granby's Got Talent," in
January. The other competitors were tiny
tap-dancers and junior gymnasts, but we
showed them what a group of enthusiastic
adults could do with a tune or two. February 14th saw several SONE valentine quartets fan out across our territory and deliver
songs to offices, homes, and hospitals. This
is always a wonderful experience, and the
winter weather cooperated nicely.
14
In March we had our spring retreat at
a new place for us: The Incarnation Center in Ivoryton, CT. We had an "egg-citing"
weekend of hard work and lots of song and
laughter. It is always great to have us ALL
together, but we had an unexpected experience we'll never forget. The other group
at the center that weekend was a bunch of
college students from Fairfield University.
We sang for them in the dining room to
wild applause. Then they sang for us and
Marion especially. On our last morning
there, all the kids came into our rehearsal
room and sat all over the floor. We gave
them a top-notch performance! We got
laughs where we want them, got the emotion of the ballad out to them and right
back at us, and a standing ovation when
we were finished. What a feeling!
So here we are in April, ready for the
eyelashes and silver shoes! Best wishes to
all of the quartet and chorus competitors
this year!!
Break a lip!
Susan Jones
Valley Chords
The Valley Chords are busy singing, and
making plans for the future. Our beloved
director, Laura Fraser has announced her
intention not to renew her contract as of
June 30 this year. Coincidentally that’s
our day to sing the National Anthem at
the Fisher Cats baseball game, a fitting
finale for Laura who’s a rabid Red Sox fan.
We’ve been busy, and used our retreat
to make plans for the chorus transition
and learning to sing in a VLQ (Very Large
Quartet) style while we do our director
search.
Recently we sang at Artworks, an
annual event at Dartmouth College
where employees, have opportunities
to exhibit their art. Our long time tenor
and Dartmouth College employee,
Janet Whyte arranged this exciting
performance. We also participated in
a fund raiser for a local high school a
cappella group who is trying to produce
their own CD and travel. We’re lucky to
live in the Upper Valley where the men’s
barbershop group and the local high
schools also promote barbershop style
singing.
This summer the Upper Valley Choral Arts
Foundation is sponsoring a weekend at
Dartmouth to bring all kinds of a cappella
singing together for a day of workshops
and demonstrations called “Gather at the
River”. The Valley Chords are teaming up
with the North Country Chordsmen to
promote barbershop style singing in this
event to be held in August. Let us know
if you’re interested (valleychords@yahoo.
com) and we’ll send you the information.
Come Gather at the River with us this
summer in the beautiful Upper Valley!
Julia O' Hara
Valley Shore Acappella
VSA started the new year gearing up
for an amazing weekend hostessing the
Winter Regional in Newton, MA. Since
we went on stage dressed as Dalmations last year, we decided we’d stick
with our “doggy theme”and named our
weekend “Come Howl with Us”! Our
small but mighty chorus took on a big
job, but with the expert regional help of
Patty Lavernoich and Carole’ Mensing,
we pulled it off with style. We had a fabulous array of raffle baskets and funny
musical trinkets to offer our
fellow Sweet Adelines. Our
point person for the Baskets
was Phyliss Bissette who was
a creative power house! Our
vendors were pretty fantastic
brought together by our own,
Carolyn Douglas, who has put
together her own list of potential future sellers. Some
of best parts, of course, were
the classes! Our own director,
Steve Wolf, taught a popular
class on Learning Tapes. The
Mix and Match class with Karen Rourke was lots of fun and
a revelation about blending voices. All
of region 1’s faculty was terrific but were
we surprised by our headliner. Many of
us were uninformed about the esteemed
international faculty, Dede Nibler. We
soon came to appreciate how lucky we
were to have scored
such an incredible
teacher. It bears repeating how fortunate we are to have
access to these educational weekends.
Not only do we get
a chance to hear
some great music,
we learn ways to
produce it in our own choruses!
After the exhilaration of a great time in
January, we went back to rehearsal with
a new determination. Working on our
new competition set, we’ve tried to use
our knowledge of musical intervals to
improve voice production. We are definitely a work in progress. In early March,
we had our annual retreat. Even though
the start was marred by a snow storm,
our coach, Morgan La Croix, managed to
arrive on time all the way from Montreal!
We learned some interesting Canadian
phrases from Morgan along with a lot
of musical knowledge. The 1st time you
sing correctly is a fluke, 2nd time, coincidence, 3rd time…perfection! We had
to sing a phrase right 3 times to be sure.
Morgan is the tenor in the 2011 Harmony
Inc., Champs, Foreign Exchange, voice
instructor and music teacher in Canada.
We had a lot of fun on Saturday with our
“faux” quarteting competition! Steve
and Morgan made us all put together
quartets for the occasion. It was great
practice and we were all pretty silly with
laughter at some of the antics! As we all
know, having fun is part of a Sweet Adeline’s DNA.
In April, we’re all looking forward to
competition in Springfield on the 26th.
Yet we’ve even had some great rehearsals
planned before that. Karen Sweeters and
her intrepid choreographers took a road
trip to our rehearsal night and gave us
some great advice on our performance
set. We really appreciated their enthusiasm for our songs and their generosity in
sharing their talents with us. On tax day,
we are taking our own road trip to another inter-chapter night with the men’s
chorus, Silk City! I’m sure it will prove
to be another great evening. Then just
before we trek to Springfield, we have
our Friends and Family Night. It will be
A Wonderful Dress Rehearsal for our
“Swing Set” for Symphony Hall.
Looking forward to seeing you all on
stage and off at Competition!
Marylou Zinser
15
West Island Chorus
So here we are once again. That time
of year when, those of us who have been
a ro u n d
for awhile,
meet
up
once again
with many
familiar
faces, hearing those
barbershop
chords resounding
throughout
the spaces
we
occupy, and
then finally
participating in the
competition that all
of us have
worked so
hard to improve upon.
Photo by J. Trubiano
And then, there’s the magic that happens
to those new members, who get to experience the thrill of it all. This year, we have
proudly managed to take on eight new
members who will stand side by side with
us on the risers. We have promised that
they will be on the ride of their lives; that
they will continue to grow as they learn
to enjoy the musical hobby they have embarked upon; and the privilege
of embracing new friendships
along the way, which in many
cases, will last a lifetime. Tracey
Larder, our Director was very
recognizant of assuring that
the new members be made to
feel like a part of our clan.
Lake MacDonald, snuggled
amidst our beautiful Laurentian Mountains, was where our
yearly winter retreat was held.
It was a great retreat! Judy Comeau coached us throughout
the weekend and we enjoyed,
as we do every year, a Saturday
night talent show....and what
a show it was ! A hat contest
played a part of the theme for
our show....the funniest hat,
the cutest, the most original
etc. The participation was extraordinary. Some of us sang,
danced, and/or recited, in keeping with the
theme of the roaring 20’s. WOW !
The Montreal Welsh Male Choir along with
our very own chorus will take part in a
combined show in early June. Singing with
them will be a first for us. We look forward
to that experience.
As many of you saw in the
recent webinar from International, the Bowling for Barbershop
campaign will kick off on
May 1, 2013
How many of our Region 1
choruses will take advantage of
the full set of Marketing tools
made available to us by International and set up an event to go
out into our communities to bowl
in July?
It is a great campaign to build
membership, fundraise for those
new risers or costumes, etc. we've
been thinking about and just plain
having fun performing to increase
awareness of our organization and
the style of music we love to sing Barbershop!
Check out: http://bowlathon.
sweetadelineintl.org/
16
Photo by J. Trubiano
Last but not least, we need to make mention of the pride we feel about the task that
both Wendy Davies and Leslie MacDonald
have embarked upon in their roles on our
Regional Board. Way to go girls !
Let us continue to appreciate and enjoy
sharing the gift as well as the privilege of
singing together.
Dina Perron
Please celebrate with us!
We have 6 members joining the rank of 45 + years being a Sweet Adeline
Thank you Ladies for your dedication
Nancy Gould
Phyllis Tremblay
Chapter-at-Large
MetroWest Harmony Chapter
09/01/1951
09/01/1951
Susan Gunas
Edith Whitney
Millennium Magic Chapter
Liberty Belle Chapter
02/01/1958
05/01/1958
Ronnie Marcyes
Cranberry Shores Chapter
05/01/1959
Jean Gianopoulos
Chapter-at-Large
05/01/1961
Barbara Gerstner
Kathleen Nici
Nancy Coates
Farmington Valley Chapter
Sound of New England Chapter
05/01/1963
05/01/1963
05/01/1963
Judith Wilmot
Priscilla Schoelzel
Island Grove Chapter
Chapter-at-Large
05/01/1964
05/01/1964
Ruth Gove
01/01/1965
Evelyn Doyle
Christine Hoinacki
Ruth Worsley
Coastline Show Chapter
Harmony on the Sound Chapter
Greater Montreal Chapter
03/01/1966
05/01/1966
05/01/1966
Karen Kraus
Pansy Hansen
Patricia Coffey
Susan Lilley
Chapter-at-Large
Cranberry Shores Chapter
Chapter-at-Large
01/01/1967
05/01/1967
05/01/1967
06/01/1967
Barbara Ebner
Barbara West
Philomena Bernard
Sherry Ebner
Joyce Eichenseer
Claudia Scarber
Coastline Show Chapter
Champlain Valley Chapter
Harmony on the Sound Chapter
Merrimack Valley Chapter
05/01/1968
05/01/1968
05/01/1968
05/01/1968
06/01/1968
07/01/1968
As we move into another year, we understand the importance of retention. We have 25 members who have had 45 or
more years of their lives filled with our harmonies! (6 more than last year!) Congratulations to them! Deb Richard
17
Keeping Your Voice Healthy
for Life, by Jennifer Winston
MS, CCC-SLP
Singers may
face many
challenges
over a lifetime, and
changes in
vocal ability
and quality
may appear
as you get
older. You may notice that you are less able
to hit the highest notes in your range, or you
may have less ability to control vibrato, or
you may experience vocal fatigue and/or
hoarseness. You may experience more fatigue after a rehearsal, performance, or
coaching session than you used to when
you were younger. Worse, you may become
hoarse or even lose your voice from normal
voice usage. Deconditioning can occur from
illness more quickly and have longer lasting
effects as we get older. These are just a few
of the problems that may occur with age.
While there is no “fountain of youth” to restore your voice to its former glory, many
age related vocal changes are reversible.¹
Doing multiple repetitions (5-10 in a row)
of simple, daily exercises can help keep
your voice functioning at its best. These
exercises include lip trills (bubbling); sustaining a tone at a comfortable, mid-range
pitch for as long as you comfortably can
on one breath, on an E vowel; ascending
and descending smooth pitch glides on an
O or E vowel, or on an NG. These exercises
should be done at a comfortable volume
with no pushing or strain. And always
make sure to stay well-hydrated by drinking 6-8, 8oz. glasses of water per day. Consult your doctor if you experience any pain
or hoarseness while doing these exercises.
As we approach Competition time,
I would like to remind you of the wonderful article that was written in the October 2010 edition of The Pitch Pipe by
Lori Decter Wright. It can be found in
the Education Center >Visual - Articles
of Interest section on the International
site. She explains what stage fright is,
what some of the physical manifestations of this fear are and most importantly, how to manage stage fright so
that you can "be on your way to giving your audiences the gift of enjoying your unique artistry and talent."
Bibliography
1. Stemple, J. C., Glaze, L., & Kalben, B.
(2010). Clinical Voice Pathology, Theory
and Management (Fourth Edition ed.). Plural Publishing, Inc.
2. Ziegler, A., & Hapner, E. (2013, March).
The Behavioral Voice-Lift. The ASHA Leader
, 18 (3).
The first thing to do when you notice a
problem with your voice is to see a doctor
who specializes in treating people who sing,
a laryngologist or ENT. Once more serious
problems are ruled out, vocal therapy may
be recommended. There are two non-invasive, low cost therapy techniques that have
been shown to be effective in treating age
related voice disorders.2 Your doctor should
be able to refer you to a qualified Voice Pathologist if you require treatment.
It’s best, of course, to avoid problems in the
first place. Caring for your voice and keeping it in shape is the best way to prevent
age related voice changes. Like the rest of
the muscles in your body, if you don’t use
your vocal cords atrophy will occur. It really
is a “use it or lose it” proposition. 2
18
Embracing the Fear:
Understanding and
Overcoming Stage Fright
Competition
Time!
Spring is here! The Days are
getting longer and warmer. Birds are
singing and so are we! Competition
time. It’s time to share what we’ve
been working at so hard during
those wintery days and nights.
Good luck to all competitors.
We are proud of your accomplishments and dedication to this 4 part
harmony craft.
It takes a village to raise a child
As I watch our choruses and
quartets prepare for competition
that old African proverb comes
to mind…. And reminds me that our
individual members will thrive as their
chorus thrives.
And I believe it is the responsibility
of the whole of Region One to nurture
each other.
My heart sings when I see members
crossing the chapter lines to help and
encourage one another. We should all
observe the quartet or chorus briefing. Directors wishing each other well /
good luck… quartets even giving gifts
to each other to celebrate the hard work
and enjoy their rewards.
Go strut your stuff on stage. Have
fun and bask in the spotlight.
You all deserve the applause.
And Thank you again for being part
of Region One!
Hugs and Harmony,
Valley Chords
Wishes
Good Luck to All
Region 1
Competitors!
Regional Webcasts
Don't you just love Competition Time?
Seeing it in person can't be beat; however seeing it on a webcast is also very inspiring! We can learn so much from each
other, not only musically, but also in so
many ways we never considered before
- such as when Kathy Carmody from the
Region 8 webcast recently spoke about
how they did
Singing Christmas Cards.
We are proud to have
Farmington Valley Chorus
represent us in Honolulu at
International 2013 Competition as Contestant # 7.
hmmm... is that a performance/fundraiser
opportunity that a chorus/quartet in Region 1 could also use?
Some upcoming webcasts:
•
April 26 - 27, 2103 - Region 12
(hopefully you will be busy watching
Region 1 live in Springfield,
but ...)
•
May 17 - 18, 2013 - Region 13
Deb Richard
Which Quartet
will represent us in
Honolulu
as Contestant # 51?
We'll find out when the
winner of the Regional
Competiton is announced
in Springfield soon!
Don't forget some of the Regional
Competition webcasts are archived so
you may be able to watch them even
if you missed them when they were
broadcast live. Go to the individual
Regional websites or check out the SAI
disussion group on Yahoo for more
details.
19
Regional Faculty
Norma’s Nuances
Norma Murray
How to Reduce Sync Errors
Singers frequently ask, " How can we practice and accomplish synchronized singing?" Unfortunately, it is not
something visual that you can look at and see the errors, as in synchronized swimming!
For singers, it is internal. We must master it by learning the correct vocal techniques then practice together
with a chorus, quaret, trio, or as a duo. It is not something we can do alone.
Synchronization in singing must refer to not only starting and ending a phrase together, but as Joni Bescos
stated in the judging manual, The term 'internal synchronization' is often used to refer to the vertical
togetherness that must exist within the words and within the phrases if the unity of the presentatin is to be
maintained."
Nancy Field, International Expression Judge, gives us several things to listen for in order to accomplish our goal of synchronized singing.
1. When breaths are not taken at same time or same tempo, target vowel sounds will be out of
sync.
2. Disagreement among singers on correct tempo. Sing the tempo
established by the director, or by the lead in your quartet. Use a metronome
or 'beat machine'. Sing with a small group, snap, clap or tap your foot to
internalize the correct beat.
3. Turn the word sounds at same speed as director. Check those
diphthongs!
4. Failure to give the vocal lift at the end of a phrase together, or by simply breathing whenever
you feel like it, will cause a huge lack of sync at the onset of the next phrase.
5. Do not hang onto the beginning consonant instead of immediately moving through the
consonant to the target vowel. Singer must be clear as to correct target vowel sound.
6. Failing to use the "pulse beats" to lift the notes smoothly along lyrical line will cause choppy phrasing and poor synchronization.
The sound judge and the expression judge seek a consistent "unit" presentation. Since Sweet Adelines sing as a vocal ensemble, as
opposed to solo music we must have this sychronization for an effective performance.
Again, it is necessary to establish the correct guideliines, then practice, practice, practice!
International Competition - 2012 CD's are now available for purchase to the general public
thru Itunes. Like all Itunes CD's, you can choose just the songs you want for $.99/each or buy
the whole album for $9.99. This is a great opportunity for our organization to gain awareness
and for us to download all the songs we love to hear for a reasonable price. Check out this
album as well as several other albums that Sweet Adelines International has on Itunes now.
20
Regional Faculty
Barbershop Style
What are Tags and (Well, we know that sometimes
swipes are on MORE than a
Swipes?
The name of our Regional
publication, TAGS & SWIPES,
forms one of the characteristics
of our barbershop style – EMBELLISHMENTS! Tags form the
basis of our late night singing
after a contest or high-powered educational weekend.
But in this issue we will focus
on the embellishment known
as the
barbershop swipe.
Wikipedia, (Mainly quoting from the men’s barbershop
harmony manual) states (with
some comment from ME):
A swipe is when one or
more parts change pitch while
the other parts hold their pitch.
This provides rhythmic drive
and either a chord change
or a filling out of one chord.
Swipes are on a single syllable.
Name
single syllable.)
A tiddly is an embellishment in one or two voices over
one chord, resembling neighbor tones or suspensions. This
provides rhythmic drive, and
may derive from black vocal
improvisation.
(Hmmmm.
. .so barbershop really DOES
have some roots in black history! AND I don’t believe they
really gave a definition for a
TIDDLY!!!))
Google says that a swipe
refers to a movement from one
chord to another on a single
syllable, usually while the lead
holds the melody note. Swipes
often occur in measures where
the melody has a held note
(sections that might be filled
with instrumental accompani-
Lorraine Rochefort
ment if there were
instruments
accompanying.)
Now we are
getting
somewhere. . .we sing
A Cappella Music
(Italian for “In the
manner of the chapel”) and according to Webster
– without instrumental accompaniment. Our barbershop swipes are pretty
much used to vocalize all of
that space that is instrumentalized in other forms of popular
songs. Wouldn’t it be really
boring to sit on a chord for 4, 6
or even 8 beats waiting for it to
be time to move on to the next
measure? If we were singing
with an orchestra, THEY would
do something interesting while
the melody was not! Therefore,
URL
our barbershop arrangers do
something interesting at these
moments to hold the interest
of the listeners, keep the melody moving forward. . .in other
words helping to maintain the
forward motion of the song.
Continued on Page 22
Staying Connected...
Description
Sweet Adelines International
http://www.sweetadelineintl.org/
The public side of our International Site there is also a Members Only side that you
must register on the site to access.
Region 1
http://www.sai-region1.org/
The public side of our Reginal website there is also a Members Only side that you
must register on the site to access.
SweetAdelinesInt
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/
SweetAdelinesInt/
A Yahoo Discussion group for Sweet Adelines and fans - currently 3522 members
- you must "Join This Group" before you
can read the discussion messages (also
you must first sign up for a Yahoo account
before you can join any of their Discussion
groups - go to http://www.yahoo.com/
SAIregion1
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/
SAIregion1/
A Yahoo Discussion group for our Region 1
members and fans.
Region 1 Sweet Adelines
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Region1-Sweet-Adelines/173084668423
A Facebook site for Region 1 - currently
431 members - you must sign up for Facebook to make comments.
Meetup.com
http://www.meetup.com/Rhythm-of-NewHampshire-Show-Chorus/
Example of a meetup.com site used by
Rhythm of New Hampshire for marketing
purposes that you can use for your chorus
- also see Merrimack Valley Chorus and
Post Road Chorus for good examples too.
21
In the example of Has Anybody
Seen My Gal? I think you would agree
that measures 7b and 8b propel us
forward more than measures 7a and
8a would, both as singers and as listeners. Although the true melody is as
is written in 7a and 8a. The arranger
(namely ME again) needs to compose
a swipe (7b and 8b) to vocalize where
the instruments would normally “fill
the space”. This example is also one
where all four voice parts are actually
moving tonally.
One of the premier arrangers of
SPEBSQSA, Joe Liles, maintains that
fun swipes and chord substitutions
tantalize the ear. They may be far
afield from the original composition.
I maintain that this is what keeps new
charts fresh and exciting. Paula Davis,
Certified Expression Judge in SAI explains that swipes are “moving sound
with air, energy and passion – NOT just
changing pitches!
Has Anybody Seen My Gal?
Music by RAY HENDERSON
Arranged by Lorraine Rochefort
Lyrics by SAM LEWIS
and JOE YOUNG
Intro
Tenor
Lead
b b 41
& b b 4 œ œœ ú
œ
ú
2
Five foot two,
Bari
Bass
Ê bb 4 œ œ ú
bb 4 œ œ ú
bb5
& b b œœ
œœ
Ê bb b n œ
b œ
œœ
b 7b
& b b b úú
a - ny
gal,
Ê bb b ú
b ú
œœ
-
œœ
bo - dy
œ
œ
b úú
my
n úú
œœ
j3
œ œ œ . œ n œ œœ œ œœ
œ nœ œ. œ œ
œ
J Oh! what those five
eyes of blue, but
j
n œ œ œ . œ A œ œœ œ œœ
œ œ œ. œ œ
œ
J
6
úú
úú
A úú
úú
seen
N œœ
n œ œœ œ œ œœ
œ
œ œ
feet can do!
8a
w
w
w
w
gal,
ww
ww
œœ
gal,
voh
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
dee
oh!
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
doh
Has
œ œœ œ œ œœ
œ
œ œ
7a
my
8b
4
œœ
Some things to keep in mind when working with barbershop embellishments (swipes in this case):
©
•
ALL Embellishments, no matter how small, are worthy of our musical attention and creativity (don’t leave them
on the page unused) (That is, of course, if they are within the capabilities of your particular group. Sometimes a
particular swipe, inserted by an over-enthusiastic arranger can actually INHIBIT the forward motion of the song.
It is up to the performer to make judgement calls based on YOUR interpretive plan, and YOUR group’s capabilities.)
•
The listener wants (and needs) to hear the parts in motion –even if they are not the melody
•
The “stationary” parts AREN’T. The non-moving parts must propel the air, energy and passion in order to maintain
the forward motion. (In a coaching situation I often ask the question: “Who swipes here?” and receive the answer
“Tenors and basses.” Or “Only the harmony parts.” And my response is ‘WRONG!’ EVERYBODY swipes whether
your note changes or not. All parts must work together to make the swipe work in the barbershop style – but
that is fodder for another article!)
22
SOME COMMON BARBERSHOP
SWIPES
The ECHO - The primary
lyric is sung and then the same
lyric is repeated in the echo.
•
The repeat should
NOT be executed
identically.
•
Consider different
lyric inflection, rhythmic changes, dynamic changes, changed
vocal colors
The three swipes illustrated in these excerpts from
Good Old Summertime fit
the classic definition of the
lead holding the melody note
while one or more harmony
parts change tones to create
different chords. (“Creating different chords” is the operative
phrase here.) You will notice
that measures 3 and 4 show an
example of The Echo.
Good Old Summertime
Swipes
3 1œ
b
& 4 œ
Tenor
Lead
Ê b 43
Bari
Bass
&b
&b
Êb
good
n úú
úú
that's
úú
ú
n úú
6
ba
œ
œ
œœ
10
a
ve
œœ
œœ
-
ú
-
œ
œ
œœ
-
ú
your
ú
úú
sum
œœ
with
9
old
œ
5
Êb
úú
2
sum
ú
ú.
-
mer - time.
sum
-
sum
-
œœ
7
by
A úú ..
mer
œ
œ
ú
ú
œœ
-
mer
-
œ
11
sign
mer
4
time
time
úú
œ
œ
You
úú
12
bœ
# œ
ú.
ú.
time
N úú .
.
8
úú
úú .
.
-
bœ
# œ
mine.
good
œœ
ú
ú
œœ
œœ
ry
3
ú
ú
N úú
œœ
œ
œ
that
œœ
1
b
& b b b 44 n úú
n úú
Ê b b b 44 n úú
b
n úú
Power Swipe
Tenor
Lead
cry
Bari
Bass
&
2
bbbb
Peel Off
w
mine,
Ê bb b w
b
3
ww
4
ww
ww
bw
5
n n ww
ww
mine!
w
w
n # ww
b 8
& b b b œw
œ
ú
Ê b b b wœ
b
œ
ú
Contrary Motion
©
6
all
The POWER SWIPE – usually
contrary motion primarily between
the tenor and bass voices, although
other parts may move. The trick in
these swipes is the varying distances that different parts must cover
and therefore sync up by:
7
ww
w
w
•
Building and lifting air before beginning the move
to the next pitch
•
The movement of your
sound should be up and
away from the singer
before the pitch begins to
move (propel with air out
toward the audience)
•
Maintain resonating
space and vowel integrity
throughout
23
24
The CONTRARY MOTION SWIPE
•
Usually occurs on a three note/
chord progression
•
The two parts in opposing motion passing through an octave
(perfectly tuned, of course!) on
the middle chord
•
The “stationary” parts must actively participate in the life of the
swipe by lifting and energizing
UNISON
•
Matched Pitch across the unit
•
Matched Singing Space (resonation) across the unit
•
Matched Vowel across the unit
•
Matched dynamics and energy
across the unit
The PEEL OFF
•
Frequently begins as a unison of
two or more parts
•
Demands all the skill of effective
Unison Singing
•
Followed by the singer’s ability
to maintain the shared space created on the unison while moving
to separate notes
•
Matched energy and dynamics
from all moving parts
The key issue with all of the above is
the ENERGY ACROSS THE UNIT. With the
swipe, no matter what type being used,
the listener is drawn even further into
the music, propelled forward by the energy with which the swipe is executed and
driven to the next portion of the song. No
swipe can achieve forward motion in and
of itself. It is merely the vehicle by which
the singer creates even more interest and
energy opportunities in those areas where
the melody tends to just “sit there”.
From Shirley Kout:
Embellishments should be creative,
yet subtle at times and outstanding at
other times, depending on the intent and
arrangement. Barbershop swipes should
be handled confidently, and with artistry.
Swipes should be executed so that if we
could see them, they would “look” like
the shape of an hour-glass. That is, the
originating note should be connected to
the final note, while seamlessly incorporating all notes in between. The speed of
the swipe can vary and should be planned
and determined purposefully. When two
or more voice parts are executing a swipe
at the same time, the execution, speed,
etc. should be planned and synchronized.
In preparation of the swipe, the sound
should be lifted and expanded. The swipe
is then executed, and at the end, the sound
should grow and be energized once again.
So the real deal with our barbershop
swipes is they are key to our style of music. They fill the gaps left by leaving out all
of the instruments. They propel both the
singer and the listener forward thru with
excitement and anticipation to the next
phrase. But no matter how well written
the swipe. . .it is the execution –
WITH ENERGY – that will make it truly
work for you.
Don’t you get tired of hearing that
yet???
In light of the tragedy that occurred
on Patriot's Day at the Boston Marathon
on April 15, 2013 I am reminded to cherish
family and true friends. Many of us included in our wedding vows ... "in good times
and in bad" and I am grateful not to be a
widow today as a result of that day's bomb
explosions. My husband stood in the area
of the explosions only hours before with
his co-workers as they awaited the opportunity to cheer on their boss who was one
of the runners. Thankfully they had to go
back to the office before the tragedy occurred and his boss crossed the finish line
moments before the blast.
Lorraine Rochefort
Patriot's Day was always a day to look
forward to and I can remember the excitement of everyone in my office when
I worked at the Prudential Building overlooking the Finish Line of the Boston Marathon years ago. I hope this occurrence reminds us of how crucial our relationships
are. It gives new light to the song I sang
in childhood and subsequently harmonized with my chorus - May the road rise to
meet you, may the wind be always at your
back and
may the
sun shine
I hope you find this issue of Tags & w a r m
Swipes interesting and informative. We are u p o n
lucky to have very talented people in our your face.
Region, especially in our Regional Faculty May the
and Regional Management Team beyond rain fall
their skills as singers and I am pleased they s o f t l y
are willing to share their talents with us. and until
we meet
Good Luck in
Pat Marais - Editor
Springfield!!!
again, may God hold you in the palm of
His hand.
25
Mark Your Calendar
Region 1 Choruses
Chorus
Director
City, State/Prov.
April 25-28, 2013
Regional Competition
Springfield, MA
The Greater Montreal Chorus
Heather Solomon
Westmont, QC
West Island Chorus
Tracey Larder
Pointe Claire, QC
Farmigton Valley Chorus
Cheryl Wilcox
Simsbury, CT
Harmony on the Sound Chorus
Karen Sweeters
Trumbull, CT
Millinnium Magic Chorus
“under our own
direction”
Manchester, CT
Sound of New England Chorus
Marion Devokaitis
Bloomfield, CT
Valley Shore Chorus
Steven Wolf
Middletown, CT
Berkshire Hills Chorus
Julie Bertelli
Piitsfield, MA
Coastline Show Chorus
Gail Jencik
South Attleboro, MA
Cranberry Shores Chorus
Dee Pelletier
Hyannis, MA
Harborlight Show Chorus
TBA
Peabody, MA
Heart of the Valley Chorus
Maggie Hawlicheck
Florence, MA
Island Grove Chorus
Pat Hoitt
Abington, MA
Barbara Braxten
Arlington, MA
Merrimack Valley Chorus
Eileen Gioe
Wilmington, MA
MetroWest Harmony Chorus
Julie Jeffery
Marlborough, MA
Post Road Chorus
Norma Ford
Worcester, MA
Published 3 times/year.
Heart of Maine Chorus
Sharon Stephenson
Bangor, ME
Mollockett Chorus
Wanda Foss
Oxford, ME
Royal River Chorus
Wendi McPike
Westbrook, ME
Prices:
Full page $125
3/4 page $100
1/2 page $75
1/4 page or smaller $45
Profile Chorus
Terry Neill
Manchester, NH
Rhythm of New Hampshire Show
Chorus
Jessie Oslán
Derry, NH
Champlain Valley Chorus
Cherie LaDuke
Plattsburgh, NY
Valley Chords Chorus
Laura Fraser
Hartford, VT
August 3, 2013
RQA with Kim Vaughn
Hartford, CT
September 27-29, 2013
Fall Regional Weekend
at the Courtyard by Marriott
Nashua, NH with Sandy Marron
and Judy Pozgay
Check the Region 1 website for
Updates and Additions
http://sai-region1.org
Advertise in Tags & Swipes
Checks payable to:
N.A. Region One
Mail to:
Ruth Widerski
28 Watertown St.
Lexington, MA 02421
E-mail ad to editor Pat Marais:
[email protected]
Copy Deadline
The Fall Edition of Tags & Swipes will be issued at the end of September prior to FRW2013.
August 25, 2013.
Please email copy to Editor: [email protected] no later than
Please attach photos to email rather than inserting into copy.
Photos will be used as space allows.
26

Spring 2013

Transcription

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