Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have proceeded to start a Happy New Year.
2007 had some very positive things happen for our chorus, and I hope this is just the beginning. We put on one of the best shows that we have ever done. We had some of the best ever nonshow performances (52-Charlie, and Newcastle come to mind). And even more important, we have picked up several new members that have the potential to add real strength to our overall sound. And, we have two more coming, one of which is a TENOR. The other one I just learned about today. I had an email from former RMD president, Tony Pranitis saying that a good friend of his is purchasing a local motel and will be moving to Rapid City. He didn't give me a name or what part he sings, but said he is a quartet singer. I happen to know the current owner of the motel so maybe I can find out. We shall see.
We also had national recognition for our chapter workhorse, John Elving, and the outstanding chapter newsletter and electronic newsletter he puts out for us. I sometimes wonder if you all really understand how much he contributes in time and effort toward the smooth flow of our chapter progress toward annual shows, contests, learning CDs, etc, etc. We REALLY owe John a huge THANK YOU for his efforts. Don't be afraid to tell him yourself.
This is my FINAL column as your president, so I will take this space to thank you all for making the above performances the huge successes we all enjoyed. I certainly look forward to many more highlights in the years to come. This hobby (ministry, according to Jim Henry) of ours has been so very rewarding and enjoyable over the last 37 years, I think I'll enjoy some more.
Incoming president Wayne Anderson and the new board will need your help and cooperation in the next couple of years to continue the path to excellence we are on, so be ready to pitch in when he calls.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Lo and Behold, the story of December's Board meeting is about to be told!
The December 11 meeting of your Board of Directors was called to order by President Pete Anderson at 7:36 pm. A quorum of the elected members of the Board was present. Show Chairman Dr. K. Alan Kelts arrived later in the meeting.
The minutes of the November meeting were approved as presented, and Treasurer Jim Gogolin's report was accepted. At the current time, our outgo is greater than our income, but we still have money in the bank. The Board will be discussing ways to economize until our income flow improves.
Del Beck, VP Public Relations, presented the policy for scholarships, and the Board adopted the policy.
Thirteen Chapter members have applied to attend Rocky Mountain Harmony College the weekend of February 8-10. This is within the $2500 budget approved at the November meeting.
Music VP John Elving and President Anderson have both received notes from the Newcastle Community Concert Association (thanking us) for our performance on December 9. It's one of our best performances musically, and we all had a great time. The city is already making plans to have us return.
John has developed an excellent music orientation plan for new members. Current members will be expected to serve as mentors for the new fellows for the first year.
Treasurer Gogolin asked each of the VPs for budgets for the 2008 year. These will be due by the January Board meeting.
Pete announced Jim Bagby, our leader for 2008 Harmony Happening in the Hills, has selected River of No Return and From the First Hello to the Last Goodbye as two of the festival chorus numbers. The Secretary will order copies of the spots and the learning CDs from the Society.
Dr. Kelts presented his ideas for the 2008 April Show. The theme will revolve around swing and jazz music. The Music Committee will convene at 5:30 on Monday, December 17 in the Chapter meeting room to select songs and presentation concepts.
As our newly-elected President Wayne Anderson has been invited by the Society to attend a special meeting of Chapter Presidents at the Mid-Winter convention in San Antonio. The Board approved supporting his registration and lodging for the 23-26 January convention.
We are still attempting to locate the Chapter's still camera, so if anyone knows where it may be hiding, please tell a Board member.
The search continues for a location for the Installation Banquet. The Rodeway Inn Restaurant has been discussed, but the layout is too small for a gathering of our size.
The next Board meeting will be at 7:30 January 15, at Jim Olson's office. All chorus members are invited to attend if they wish. (Even those who don't wish to attend are invited to do so. Ed.)
Thanks to Pete Anderson for his leadership the last two years-- he's done a great job. Of course, as the Immediate past President, he still is expected to be an active part of the Board (and the Pete goes on!).
On December 9, the Shrine of Democracy Chorus traveled through the cold, snow and ice to Newcastle, Wyoming. We were the featured performers for the Christmas edition of the Weston County Community Concert Association concert series.
To say that it was a challenge to put on a two hour show is an understatement. To be able to sing 32 songs on one show and sing them well was a challenge that we all met. That included learning all of the Christmas music, including two brand new songs. There are several members who had not sung any of those songs in the barbershop style at all.
Despite the smaller than expected turn-out, it was considered a huge success by the people who did come to see the show. Do not be surprised to hear that they want us back sometime. Also, don't be surprised to start getting invitations from other concert associations as word of the success of this spreads throughout the area.
As a chapter, we need to swell with pride as we thinks of all that we accomplished in a relatively short time. It was a show deserving of our being the best performance group around the area.
Guess what time it is? No, not Howdy Doody Time! It is time to start working on show music in earnest.
Last year we set a pretty high standard as we had one of our finer shows in recent years. This year we have a recent International Champion Quartet as our headliner. We need to raise the bar again to make our performance even better. Why, you ask?
There has been much discussion on the internet recently about seemingly dwindling numbers in many of our Society chapters. One big reason is because new men don't find that there is enough value to joining a local BHS chapter. Their lives are already busy with "stuff". How do we combat that?
Chapters that are thriving are chapters that have choruses who produce top-level entertainment. Men are willing to join what they see value in, and they see value in a performing group that works hard to be the best. Men flock to chapters that provide a musical challenge worth their time and effort.
Today's man doesn't look for social outlets like we did in years past. That is a pleasant outcome to his hard work at advancing. However it is not the prime reason for doing something. In this competitive age, men are looking to succeed in the best. For many of us that seems strange, but that's today's world - competitive and success driven.
To me, it seems as though we need to meet that need in men to excel. That means every time we sing we need to raise the bar and be better than we were the last time.
The same is true for our annual show. Each year needs to be markedly better, or we lose audiences, and more importantly, future members.
Let's spend these next few months working at being the best we can be, as the Army would say. Hard work? Yes! Great Payoff? You Bet!
The following conversation from the BBC could as well have been on Jay Leno's "Jaywalking" segment:
(Host) Stewart White: "Who had a worldwide hit with What A Wonderful World?"
Contestant: "I don't know."
White: "I'll give you some clues: what do you call the part between your hand and your elbow?"
Contestant: "Arm."
White: "Correct. And if you're not weak, you're...?"
Contestant: "Strong."
White: "Correct - and what was Lord Mountbatten's first name?"
Contestant: "Louis."
White: "Well, there we are then. So who had a worldwide hit with the song What A Wonderful World?
Contestant: "Frank Sinatra?"
The men of the Shrine of Democracy Chorus are a busy bunch of guys with numerous events and constant preparation going on. The event we term "caroling" happens to be considered by some members as the most rewarding event of a busy barbershopping year. Thanks to Clayton, John and the guys who turn out to make caroling so significant to our chapter and members of the community. This is an event which truly "gives" to this community and generates a great Christmas spirit in those who participate, both for the caroler and the listener.
As we arrive for our caroling program at the retirement and nursing centers we can sense and observe the anticipation these folks have for our visit. Eyes are focused on the singers; they quietly wait for the presentation; they sing along; they pay undivided attention. One wheelchair-bound resident at Somerset shared these feelings:
"This is so uplifting."
"We look forward to your coming here."
"You sing so beautifully."
"Thank you so much."
Makes you feel pretty good, huh? How rewarding is that? As we were about to leave the Holiday Hills Retirement Center one lady asked if we would all give our names before departing. We respectfully (we hope) declined as we were already running behind schedule. But, how nice that these folks would like to know us better.
From a public relations perspective, we do draw significant numbers of people from these residences to our annual shows. They are our customers as well as folks who truly appreciate our caroling. The Mall performance, on the other hand, features large numbers of people milling around who seem to pay little or no attention to what we are doing. This presents a whole different scenario. There is a small, stable, attentive audience (OK, those are our families) as well as those who wander by. Not many good listeners in a venue with a potential of hundreds. However, we benefit from the exposure to the multitudes who, although not attentive, still are aware of our presence and our purpose. It's a good PR situation.
Can/should we do more with our holiday activity? Several members have expressed a desire to offer more of our services to nursing homes whose residents are not able to attend our show because they do not have the physical ability to leave their residence. Since evening visits by the chorus get too late for these folks, how about quartets or a VLQ scheduling visits during a time convenient for both the residents and the singers. How about expanding our "giving" to include this special group? We can think about that for next season. In the meantime, we deserve to feel good about our caroling efforts. Thanks to all who participated.
Happy New Year.
John was so kind as to extend the due date for articles for the newsletter, so I'm writing this the day before that extended date and almost at the end of 2007. That was quite a year, and 2008 will be even more of an adventure, I'm sure.
We will receive learning materials on 1/3 for the new songs to be learned for the Spring Show. As of this writing, there will be three new songs. There were to have been four, but there was a copyright issue with one of the medleys, so it had to be omitted. As of now, the show will be titled "All That Jazz." I'm really excited about the show, and with Gotcha! coming to raise the roof, it should be one of the best in a long time.
I'm also looking forward to our next Advance to be held on January 12 with Darin Drown. He's one of the best directors around, and also one of the best quartet baritones around (third place in the world for both chorus and quartet ain't bad)! I'm sure he will be able to help us improve our choral sound and presentation. We are very capable of putting out a wonderful singing product, and hopefully he will be able to help convince us of that and show us how to do it like I know we can.
My challenge to you is to make 2008 a banner year for our organization. I just get the feeling lately that we as a chorus want to perform as well as we can whenever we take the stage. The operable word here is preparation. John, Clayton, and others will give us the tools to be prepared for each performance, and we need to view each practice as a performance. Let's take pride in every note we sing, and let's come to practice prepared.
We have several prospects for new singers this year. Let's make them welcome, and let's show them how much fun it is to be part of an outstanding barbershop singing chorus!
See you Thursdays.
"Where do I begin?" I hear you ask. If barbershopping is fun for you, the Society is encouraging you to do something to share that fun with someone else - in short, let's see what you can do to help the Society grow. It's not easy to do something that you may not have tried before. Therefore, let's just look at some easy things to do to help you help the Society to grow.
Listen to people when they speak. Do they have good voices? If so, ask if he has ever sung. Listen to what he says. Be sure to ask what he likes best about singing... that will be a clue as to how to get him to attend a meeting.
Are there men who hum, whistle or sing at work? If so, ask if they'd be interested in learning about our hobby.
Talk about your hobby every day. Find a way to work the term "barbershop harmony" into a conversation at least once a day with someone new. Example: when taking your uniform to the cleaners, let the guy know that it is the outfit you wear when you sing barbershop harmony.
Even if someone says "No," ask him if he knows anyone who sings and get those names. Maintain a list and periodically contact those men on it to remind them of the fun you're having in the Society. It takes a little time!
Wear your lapel pin every chance you get. Sometimes, wearing it upside down will get a conversation started. I personally have two Man-of-Note credits that began that way.
Leave your old Harmonizer in a waiting room with a business card attached to it.
Donate CDs or other listening material to your local public library.
Watch the video "Singing Is Life" with a prospect. Be sure to remain quiet and allow him to develop his own questions, and then you become the expert.
Go to a party and teach a round. You'll be surprised what happens!
There you have nine fairly easy things that you can do. You need not do all of them, but please try at least one of them.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step. Here's to a pleasant journey!
In this article we look at some mental and physical processes that affect a singer's ability to maintain pitch and produce sounds of good tonal quality. It takes discipline and control of mind and body to become a "smart" singer.
Mind's eye notes
There are three ways of "seeing" any note. First, you must physically see the note, as on the sheet of music. Then, you must "see" it in your mind's eye. In other words, you must visualize the note (hear it) in your mind before you even think of opening your mouth to sing it. Singing it is actually the third step of the process. Only when what you see, what your mind interprets, and what you sing are the same will you get truly correct music. Don't make the mistake of singing a note as you see it on paper. This skips the most important step: developing a "mind's eye" view of the music. Without that the interpretation, style, and placing of the music in its proper context are not possible. The mechanical reflex from eye to throat is merely the interpretation of a sound, not making music.
Answer: The altitude above you and the runway behind you
The question is: "As a pilot, what are the two things you can never use?" As a singer, however, the answer to this question is "the breath you never take." Don't make the mistake of taking a smaller breath on a short phrase because you don't think you need it. Breathing a full tank of air every time should be a natural and subconscious objective of every singer.
The main reason most singers flat a note - and usually at the end of a phrase - is directly attributable to the amount of usable air left in the lungs. Therefore, the more air you have left, the easier it is to hold the pitch or sing a decrease in volume. You will be a more confident singer when you control your breathing. The confidence will show in your facial expression and you will increase your ability to "sell" the song.
Straight notes climb stairs
Any time you are singing a sustained note, you must make a conscious effort to imagine that it is straight up a flight of stairs, not a level playing field. As you use up air, the muscles have less resistance to push against, and the normal tendency is to relax the pressure. The result is a gradual drop in pitch. If you visualize yourself climbing stairs, it will be easier to maintain the pitch.
It is much harder to sing softly than loudly
You may have found this out early on. The wrong way to sing softly is to relax the muscles. Sure, it will sound softer, but you will have lost the control of the voice that you had when you were singing louder. The note will sound listless and without color. Perform the following test to see why it is harder to sing softly than loudly.
Sing one note loudly, then gradually decrease the volume until you can barely hear it, and then increase the volume again to its louder level. Repeat this on one breath. You will see that it is very difficult to do. In fact, it is probably one of the hardest things to master. Until you get it right, you will experience breaks in the sound, inconsistent pitch, wobbles, and even muscle spasms. All this is to show that, if you maintain constant tension on the air-supplying muscles (near the throat), it is easier to change volume without breaks or wobbles.
Rainbows and strings of pearls
Singing masters in the era of bel canto used to have very descriptive terms for their craft. Two of the expressions used to describe a phrase of music seem appropriate. They would describe a musical phrase as a rainbow, where the notes were formed one after the other, in all their glory, color and splendor. Others described the musical phrase as a string of pearls coming out of the singer's mouth-separate, yet joined in making a beautiful object. The metaphors are not wasted if you consider that a musical phrase should be an integrated whole. Think of rainbows and pearls next time you find yourself singing choppy phrases.
Unkink your pipes
Next time you stand on the risers, look at the posture of some of the men around you. It's a miracle they don't finish the evening feeling more tired than when they started. It's not because they have been on their feet for several hours but, rather, they have wasted the opportunity for invigorating exercise during rehearsal. And, what's more, the music suffers. Why? Because poor posture has inhibited efficient breathing while singing in a standing position. Those pearls mentioned earlier are going to have a very tough time coming out of a pipe that has twists, turns, slumps, and bumps in it. So stand up straight! Make sure your airflow passages are open, relaxed, uninterrupted, and free. When you sing beautiful music, take a full breath every time and stand properly, you can actually feel a mental and physical "high" come over you, much like what a jogger feels during and after a good workout. If you finish a song more tired than when you started, you are doing something wrong.
Vowels versus consonants
In singing, vowels carry the notes, but the consonants give it meaning. Following the string-of-pearls analogy, consider the pearls to be the vowels and the string to be the consonants. You can't have one without the other, and everything works together. Vowels should be open and expressive with the consonant transitions placed in such a way as to connect the vowel sounds for correct interpretation. Of course, interpretation depends on both music and lyrics, especially lyrics. We will explore words and their meaning in Part 5.
With our coming coaching session with Darin Drown, I thought this would be appropriate. Ed.
To make the most of your coaching session - BE PREPARED - using these handy tips!
contents copyright of the author and copyright © 6/8/2007
Barbershop Harmony Society
Hi John;
Please remember to send me the music and learning CD for the spring show. My home address is 2014 W 1550 N, Provo, UT 84604.
I miss everyone in the chorus, but I am glad to be back home with my family and my new job. I am the librarian and associate professor at Stevens-Henager College in Orem, UT.
[Everyone] plan on having a wild barbecue at my place the next time the fall convention is in Utah!
I'm looking for a new barbershop home and I will probably join the Beehive Statesmen chorus in Salt Lake City when they resume singing in January. I will have a dual membership.
My best to all the SOD singers: have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Dave Castelli
(This is an email I received from Carol Swanson, head honcho for the Newcastle, WY Community Concert Association, in response to the show we produced for them December 9. Ed)
Dear John,
It was nice to meet you in person yesterday. Thank you for all the work you did to put on a wonderful concert. I heard Jim Thompson speaking of it today on his radio program. Concertgoers around the town today were quick to discuss how much they liked the music and the sets.
We will have you back again.
Thank you and travel safely this holiday season.
Carol
Well, it's getting to be that time again. "What time is it," you ask? Time to learn new music, that's what time it is!
Now that Christmas is over, we must prepare for two upcoming events that take a lot of effort and preparation - Singing Valentines and our annual show.
First comes Valentines Day and our annual Singing Valentines delivery day. Although we only have three songs which we need to have under our belt, it is imperative that we make sure that we do our absolute best in presenting that Singing Valentine to someone's loved one. We are, after all, taking payment for that presentation. That sort of makes us professionals, doesn't it? Guess we should do a professional job.
Now is also the time to start getting ready for our annual show. We have a great quartet headlining this year (as if we haven't in the past). Gotcha! will put on a tremendous show as they have for several years. They have a tremendous, big sound that no one can miss.
Our part of the show must be our absolute best. To aid in getting that done, the show chairman and music committee have tried to simplify things. There will be five songs that we already know, but can always do better. We have done all of these songs in performance, but not all of them on our annual shows.
Only three new songs will be added for the show this year. Two of those songs will be ready to start learning this month. The third one has not been chosen yet. It had been chosen, but copyright problems wouldn't allow us to use the medley. As soon as it can be, the third song will be chosen and the chorus can start learning it.
What does all of this mean to chorus members? It means that we must all commit to learning the notes, words, moves, etc. as soon as possible. We can't start performing until we have it all learned. Expectations have been raised and we all need to raise our personal commitment to putting on the best show possible.
Looking forward to another great year as we grow, both in numbers and in quality of performance. See you all every Thursday for chapter meeting!
Sing-cerely & Humm-bly,
We just wanted to give everyone an update on the first ever International Barbershop Youth Chorus Festival taking place in San Antonio at the Midwinter Convention in January. As of the first deadline for entries this month, we have nine choruses registered! Choruses are coming from all over the country, as well as a competitor from New Zealand. At least four other choruses have expressed significant interest, and will be letting us know by the end of November. We anticipate close to 300 young men participating in this event!
We would like to encourage any other groups out there that are interested in participating, but have not yet registered, to contact us as soon as possible. Visit the Society's website for more information: www.barbershop.org/youthchorus (Significant financial assistance is being provided to qualified groups.)
We also encourage everyone to attend Midwinter. This year you will get to see the best Senior quartets on the planet, the Top five current Society medalist quartets, and an awesome example of the success your Society's Youth in Harmony initiatives are having. What more could a barbershopper ask for?
Dates for the 2008 Midwinter Convention in San Antonio, Texas are January 22-27. Ed.
Are You Singing For Life?
Six chapters have signed up for the 2008 North American Blood Drive and Donor Recruitment Program since October 11, including the Mt. Rushmore Chapter.
2008 International Blood Drive & Donor Recruitment Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What organizations are partnering with the Barbershop Harmony Society on this program?
A: The American Red Cross, Canadian Blood Services, America's Blood Centers, and Hema-Quebec.
Q: When will this event be held?
A: May 10, 2008
Q: Why May 10th?
A: May 10th is the day before Mothers day, the week before Memorial Day (USA), the week after Victoria Day (Canada). These two long week-ends produces some of the largest accident rates within our two countries. This also precedes our International Convention in Nashville.
Q: How will it be promoted?
A: This event will be promoted locally through these groups (word of mouth) and local blood centers and their media outlets asking their communities to come out to their local mall or civic center where the drive will take place and come out and give the gift of life.
Q: What will make this "giving" experience different?
A: Most blood drives are boring where one arrives, gives a pint, has a coffee and donut and goes home. Chapters are encouraged to organize various quartets, VLQs, and other community ensembles to provide entertainment that will offer as much music as possible during the day. Chapters not able to schedule the entire day with performances should not be deterred from participating.
Q: Will this help us build awareness for barbershop in our communities?
A: Yes. This is an opportunity to showcase to the communities who we are and what we do. If we attract and recruit a few more members in the process then this is also good. Chapters can build alliances with other community groups including choirs, bands, schools and churches. The possibilities are unlimited.
Q: What kind of external promotion tools will be provided?
A: Posters and other collateral materials will be provided through a cooperative effort between the Barbershop Harmony Society and members of the North American Blood Community. PSA radio spots will be produced and distributed by the Society. Tools like this can be delivered by local blood centers to local media.
Q: How can we inform the media?
A: Boiler plate press release information will be provided by members of the North American Blood Community. Other than local contact info, date and time, etc., any deviation from boiler plate info requires prior approval.
Q: What kind of internal promotional support will be provided?
A: The Society kicked off promotion of this program at the International Convention in Denver through big screen ads, an ad in the convention program, webcast appearances and an exhibit booth in or near the Harmony Marketplace. The Society will continue to promote this program through www.barbershop.org, the Livewire and The Harmonizer. Stories from members that have benefited by blood donations will be solicited.
Q: What are some other benefits?
A: Pride - Barbershoppers across North America can feel proud of their efforts and this Society. Thousands of people we may never know will benefit by the efforts of our members. The lives of others may even be saved. Media Exposure - This type of event because of its nature and size will draw media exposure that our Society could never afford to pay for. Our chapters and the Barbershop Harmony Society name will be front and center in homes all across North America. New Members - Our ability to attract new members can be improved through increased public awareness.
Q: What does giving blood have to do with singing?
A: Asking members to donate blood is not the purpose of this drive, but we encourage donations from those willing to do so. This will be a day where the gift of music will be there in support of the gift of life. Our chapters will be inviting other choirs from their community churches, from their local schools and any other choral group that they wish to celebrate with them.
Q: How can I help get things started in my chapter?
A: Chapter Presidents are encouraged to appoint a Singing for Life Chairman in their chapter and register your chapter as a participant on the Singing for Life website. (Each president will receive the appropriate login information.) We also encourage promotion of the program to your members through your chapter website and through reminders in your newsletter and at meetings. Information distributed to your chapter mailing list can create even more buzz about the program.
Q: What else will be expected of my chapter?
A: Reporting - Having chapters report results achieved is crucial. This would include tracking units of blood collected, performances, number of groups participating, location of the event, media coverage achieved.
And now, here's something for all chorus members who wish they were pitch-pipe blowers!
Ever wonder how those who signal the opening key of a song can do it so quickly and efficiently? Well, either they have excellent memories or they can read the key signature of the song. If you would like to become one of these select few, here's a quick reference guide:
Key
No flats or sharps - C
One Flat - F
Two Flats - Bb
Three Flats - Eb
Four Flats - Ab
Five Flats - Db
Six Flats - Gb
One Sharp - G
Two Sharps - D
Three Sharps - A
Four Sharps - E
Five Sharps - B
Six Sharps - F#
Seven Sharps - C#
Now, you can carry this list around with you and have to fumble for it when confronted with a quartet situation, or you can remember some simple rules:
Also, for those who like symmetry, take the first letters of the keys from one sharp to seven and reverse the order. Does it look like the first seven? Cool, isn't it?
Fourteen Keys? I can't even remember my house keys!
The Mt. Rushmore Chapter and the Shrine of Democracy Chorus shall promote, encourage and perpetuate barbershop-style singing in both chorus and quartets. We will recruit and welcome interested and motivated men who like to sing four-part a cappella harmony. We shall continually strive to improve our singing and performance skills, through the use of proper resources and opportunities. An attitude of fun, fellowship and teamwork will always guide our activities.