North Atlantic Region 1 - Sweet Adelines International

Transcription

Tags
Swipes
It's Contest Time!
VOL. 61 • ISSUE 3 • SPRING 2014
Tags & Swipes, Spring 2014
News from...
Wendy Davies
Leslie MacDonald
Carolé Mensing
Ruth Widerski
Regional Management Team Email Addresses
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Section
Page
8 - 17
Chorus Lines
24
Chorus/Director Listing
24
Copy Deadline for Next Edition
20
Directors
23
From the Editor
7
Member Recognition------------40+ Years
18 - 19
Quarter Notes
21 - 22
Regional Faculty Notes
2-6
RMT News
Wendy
Davies
Ruth
Widerski
Leslie
MacDonald
Carolé
Mensing
Julie
Jeffery
Patti
Lavernoich
Jessie
Oslán
Deb
Richard
Team
Coordinator
Finance
Coordinator
Communications
Coordinator
Education
Coordinator
Directors’
Coordinator
Events
Coordinator
Marketing
Coordinator
Membership
Coordinator
w.davies@sympatico.ca
bariten1@yahoo.com
jlesliemacdonald@hotmail.com
cm17av@aol.com
julieajeffery@gmail.com
eplpfl@snet.net
jessiebass2000@yahoo.com
DebRichard@maine.rr.com
THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
2
Your Regional Management Team (RMT)
Julie Jeffery
Jessie Oslán
Patti Lavernoich
Deb Richard
Team Coordinator
Wendy Davies
As I sit in my office and look at the snow, I do wonder if we will
see blossoms on the trees in Springfield. We have all certainly been
challenged with weather this year; it’s been a long, long winter!!!!
this event. Our current International
Champions - Love Notes began as
Rising Star competitors.
But contest is almost here, so spring must be around the
corner. And what a contest we have lined up, 27 quartets and
20 choruses. Fantastic participation, 20 out of 23 choruses competing this year! Two choruses and one quartet competing in the
Open Division; this year’s contest will be one of the best ever!!!
I am so excited to see all the talent cross the stage.
Not only for young people, but
for everyone, this is going to be a
spectacular educational opportunity!
It is a time to celebrate our success on the competition stage,
to recognize hard work, and to acknowledge individual and leadership efforts. Our Directors are our inspiration; their devotion,
creativity and guidance challenge us weekly to do our very best.
Our coaches influence and encourage us to attain greater levels.
And it all comes together as we gather and celebrate at
Symphony Hall in Springfield
The Region One RQA Day is
incorporated into this event, with
Tori Postma coming to coach our own
regional quartets. Plus, educational
workshops will be held for all participants with faculty including Jim Arns,
Marci Pinvidic, Joan Boutilier, Gail Jencik and Karen Sweeters.
To register, go to:
www.sai-region1.org and click on Rising Star registration.
April 25 and 26.
Region One is so proud to be hosting the Rising Star contest
in Lowell, MA from July 31 to August 3, 2014. It will be a fantastic
opportunity for Region One to observe the future of Sweet
Adelines International as young talent from all across the organization will come here to compete. Having seen the Rising Star talent in past years, I cannot encourage you enough to make time for
Don’t miss this fabulous opportunity.
Remember IES, remember RES, remember CMK, this is all of
that and more!!!!!
This is a one-time opportunity to host Rising Star right here
in Region One, don’t miss it! I’ll see you soon in Springfield, safe
travels everyone and enjoy every moment on stage!
3
Finance Coordinator
Ruth Widerski
Another year and another contest season is here. We've all spent much time preparing music, showmanship, costumes and makeup to be ready to shine on stage at Symphony Hall. The chorus you sing
with in 2014 will never be the same again. Members join, members leave, some members can't make it to
contest for various reasons so let's enjoy our time on stage and with each other. Your finance coordinators/
treasurers have worked hard too, to ensure that your dues are paid so you are in good standing to compete.
They have made sure your Directors have been paid as well as your coaches. They pay for the music you
sing as well as more mundane expenses such as rent and administrative supplies. They have also made
sure to keep your choruses in good standing with the IRS and your various states (and countries). As we all
start a new fiscal year, remember all the hard work everyone in your chorus has done from the management and administrative end to get you all to this point and know that they all can use your help in the
coming year. Have a great contest weekend and I hope to see most of you later in the summer at Rising
Star! Sign up now on the Region 1 website.
Experience the joy of barbershop harmony,
exhilarating activities and one of the world’s
most beautiful beaches at the first ever Sun &
Sing event to be held January 14-18, 2015 at the
luxurious Grand Lucayan Hotel on Grand Bahama
Island.
For more details, go to:
http://sweetadelineintl.org/index.
cfm?id=485
4
Communications Coordinator
Leslie MacDonald
Contest time again! It comes so quickly and then is over in a flash. It is the culmination of our musical
year and comes at the same time that we start our new year of administrative leaders.
It is important to have strong adminstrative leaders as well as musical leaders. In order for both to
function effectively, there has to be clear and easy communications between all involved. Don’t forget to
send all your changes to Sweet Adelines International. As well, I need to know of all changes. I will be sending
out a form to all choruses May 1st (after everyone has recovered from competiton and has had time to hold
their chorus elections!). Hope to hear from you soon.
Education Coordinator
Carolé Mensing
With that said,
Hi to all Region 1 members!
I am so looking forward to this year's
activities. April offers a fantastic competition and the new option of a performance
package - for evaluation! (We are such a
lucky region to have so many quartets, choruses ready to share their craft on stage!)
We are also making history this year by
being selected to host the
Rising Star Contest
in our Region and offering, in collaboration, our famous RQA Day and an
additional
Summer Regional Weekend,
August 1-2 (Lowell, MA).
And by the way, I learned that our regionals have become quite famous for our
educational events!!!
September Regional brings
Vickie Dennis to our Region
(Previous Director - Houston Horizon);
and for January,
Winter Regional 2015
we celebrate quartets, with
THE FOUR BETTY's
(Queens- 2007 - Calgary)
As a reminder, the Region offers funded educational coaching faculty visits to all
of our choruses.
(Directors, please contact me to co-ordinate this with your preferred Region One
faculty member. Request forms are available online and will be in your pendas this
contest weekend.)
As always, any questions, I am available
by phone and email.
I
am delighted to have been
re-appointed your Education Coordinator
for another term!
(I wondered what I might do
IN MY RETIREMENT! )
Thank you for your confidence,
encouragement and your support!
5
Membership Coordinator
Deb Richard
Currently
at 906!!!
Spring is here! FINALLY!! It’s been a long… cold… winter
this year, but that is all behind us… Birds are singing and so are
we! Competition time. It’s time to share, support and cheer.
I wanted to take a couple minutes to say “Thank you!”
and to say a “special” thank you to 46 women in Region One.
(See Page 7)
They have dedicated 40 or more years of their lives to share
our harmonies … they have been directors / administrators /
section leaders / assistant directors / giving of themselves and
ringing those chords.
It is not easy to remain a member of an organization for as
long as they have…. Congratulations to them!
We all need to recognize that levels of commitment may
change.
Simply said: life happens… family; careers; retirement;
health. My guess is that each of these women have had times
when they had to step back from their chorus or quartet for one
reason or another. At those times, it is the support of their sister members (YOU!) that has provided them understanding and
support, embraced the needs of them as individuals; allowing
them to step back… GUILT FREE… and to be welcomed back
when they are ready to return.
We also encourage everyone to be more involved. As we
take ownership in our organization we tend to hang in thru the
stormy times and bask in the sunshine of our accomplishments.
I will be recognizing these 46 women of Region One at this
year’s competition… Take note of them: They will be seated in
the VIP section! (Please understand that this is why so many
rows are off limits to the rest of us.) What a nice dilemma… so
many to recognize… so many rows to rope off!)
Now… It’s on to Competition!
Good luck to all competitors. We are proud of your accomplishments and of your dedication to this 4-part harmony craft.
Go strut your stuff on stage. Have fun and bask in the spotlight.
You all deserve the applause.
Thank you again for being part of Region One!
In Peace…..Hugs and Harmony, Deb
Chapter
4/1/13
4/11/14
Berkshire Hills
26
27
30
Champlain Valley
58
61
59
Chapter-at-Large
22
22
26
Coastline Show
76
71
75
Cranberry Shores
30
28
29
Farmington Valley
46
49
54
Greater Montreal
22
24
30
Harborlight Show
24
13
17
Heart of the Valley
96
92
18
Harmony on the Sound
24
21
94
Island Grove
27
25
25
Liberty Belle
77
66
64
Merrimack Valley
56
59
60
MetroWest Harmony
27
26
27
Millennium Magic
25
21
19
Mollyockett
16
17
18
Post Road
17
18
19
Profile
27
29
35
Rhythm of New Hampshire
27
32
27
Royal River
45
44
41
Sound of New England
70
50
49
Valley Chords
20
17
17
Valley Shore Acappella
27
26
27
West Island
42
46
46
Heart of Maine (Defunct)
15
884
906
Total Region 1 Members
6
5/1/12
942
L
o
n
g
e
v
i
t
y
Region 1 Takes Pride in Its Long-Time Members:
Enroll Date
09/01/1951
09/01/1951
02/01/1958
05/01/1958
05/01/1959
05/01/1961
05/01/1963
05/01/1963
05/01/1963
05/01/1964
05/01/1964
01/01/1965
03/01/1966
05/01/1966
05/01/1966
01/01/1967
05/01/1967
05/01/1967
06/01/1967
05/01/1968
05/01/1968
05/01/1968
05/01/1968
06/01/1968
07/01/1968
05/01/1969
07/01/1969
12/01/1970
05/01/1971
05/01/1971
05/01/1971
05/01/1971
05/01/1972
05/01/1973
05/01/1973
05/01/1973
03/01/1974
05/01/1974
05/01/1974
05/01/1974
05/01/1974
05/01/1974
05/01/1974
09/01/1974
10/01/1974
12/01/1974
Years
63
63
56
56
55
53
51
51
51
50
50
49
48
48
48
47
47
47
47
46
46
46
46
46
46
45
45
44
43
43
43
43
42
41
41
41
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
Name
Nancy Gould
Phyllis Tremblay
Susan Gunas
Edith Whitney
Ronnie Marcyes
Jean Gianopoulos
Ethel Austin
Barbara Gerstner
Kathleen Nici
Priscilla Schoelzel
Judith Wilmot
Ruth Gove
Evelyn Doyle
Christine Hoinacki
Ruth Worsley
Karen Kraus
Patricia Coffey
Pansy Hansen
Susan Lilley
Philomena Bernard
Barbara Ebner
Sherry Ebner
Barbara West
Joyce Eichenseer
Claudia Scarber
Mary Anne Ferazzi
Patricia O'Brien
Clare Holland
Mary Avery
Jacqueline Bates
Martha Jacovoni
Alice McLain
Carol Rhine
Karen Olsen
Karen Rourke
Joan Treadwell
Joanna Foley
Sally Beck
Barbara Braxten
Maureen Gagnon
Carolyn Marsano
Sue Schneider
Deborah Warwick
Christine Ferguson
Elizabeth Gardner
Ginny Saucier
Chapter Name
Chapter-at-Large Region 1
MetroWest Harmony Chapter
Millennium Magic Chapter
Liberty Belle Chapter
Cranberry Shores Chapter
Farmington Valley Chapter
Island Grove Chapter
Coastline Show Chapter
Harmony on the Sound Chapter
Greater Montreal Chapter
Cranberry Shores Chapter
Champlain Valley Chapter
Merrimack Valley Chapter
Valley Shore Acappella Chapter
Sound of New England Chapter
Millennium Magic Chapter
Royal River Chapter
Sound of New England Chapter
7
Chorus Lines
Champlain Valley Chorus
Since the beginning of 2014 we have
been busy working on our competition
package but also squeezed in a very profitable Singing Valentine fund-raiser. When
a Nor’easter hit overnight on February 13th
we were concerned that we might have
to cancel our 24 Valentine Serenades, but
Our Hardworking Leads at Retreat
Our little chorus is so
very proud of our director, Cherie LaDuke. Cherie
directed the YWIH chorus
at Winter Regional and is
scheduled to do the same
at the Rising Star Conference this summer in Lowell,
Ma. Go Cherie!!!
And now, on to
the big event in Springfield.
We wish all of Region One
choruses and quartets the
very best at competition.
being intrepid and extremely devoted
Sweet Adelines, we made it to all of our
appointments in two teams of singers. We
sang at private homes, restaurants, businesses, nursing homes but not at schools as
they were closed for a snow day!
We brought March in like a lioness, with a wonderful weekend retreat to
work our contest package under the skillful coaching of Eileen Gioe. We have three
newbees who will be joining us on the
contest stage for the first time and we had
a great time working together and getting
to know each other over a most productive
weekend.
8
Carole Harsh
Cranberry Shores Chorus
Cranberry Shores Chorus is happy to report sightings of multicolored crocuses on
Cape Cod! More snow than normal caused
the cancellation of a few Tuesday night rehearsals. We enjoyed singing two February
concerts in Brewster: one for Valentine’s
Day for a Men’s Club and another at the
Brewster Library.
In preparation for contest, we spent
a Kick Off Saturday in January rehearsing
under the awesome guidance from our
directors. We were thrilled to have Ann
Gooch come in Feb and March, in between
snowstorms! Mid March, we had a great
retreat weekend under the expertise of
Ann Gooch and Dee Pelletier. Our theme
this year was an Olympic one: aim higher,
practice better, and work our hardest as
a team to reach our goals! We diligently
spent time on improving our vocal skills,
and overall visual performance. It was a
very productive few days, topped off with a
fun dinner and a show by chorus members
on Saturday night.
We will host out annual Friends and
Family Night on April 22. This will be our
dress rehearsal and pep rally before competition. Our fans come and root for us to
get us pumped up! We also look forward
to our annual June concert with the SurfTones, the Cape men’s a cappela group.
Best of luck to all singers in Springfield!
See you there!
Patti Corbett
Farmington Valley Chorus
In March we sang, and ate, and
stomped our way through our annual retreat at Coco Key Resort in Waterbury with
great, inspiring, energetic, mind blowing,
goosebumpy coaching with Joe Connelly.
He received a new nickname on this outing... from someone other than a Sweet
Adeline. Ask any of us. We’d love to tell you
the story. Fun games and funny stories from
the most unlikely of members wonderfully
rounded off our days of intense work. Next
up is a weekend with Diane Porsche in our
own house polishing our show to perfection. We’ll be so ready for Springfield. We officially sang in 3 new members Mary, Joan
and Colleen who cannot wait to see what
an all-in-one is, or figure out how they will
ever use hooker red lipstick in any other
situation.
A huge shout out to Susan Carnein for
the incredible amount of time and love she
has put into our new costumes. You’re going to love them - we do.
Our Singing Valentines were once
again a success this year and well received...
kind of.
Our quartet, On Tap, was “tapped”
for another year to spend the day driving
around Hartford County making unsuspecting people happy. They sang at a restaurant, they sang at a retirement home,
they sang at the DEEP, they sang at a bank
and just when they had the Hartford Courant reporter with them to take a picture of
the next unsuspecting recipient, something
unsuspected happened... the recipient refused the Valentine. She used words such
as “The audacity of that man...” and ”Doesn’t
he get it?” Ouch! really awkward situation,
but the Courant reporter made the best of
it and took photos anyway that ended up
on the front page of a special section of the
Sunday newspaper. Free publicity is always
a bonus. Not bad for a days work of fun.
replaced. Where do we go? Up to the sanctuary of course, where we sang on the steps
of the altar for 2 weeks. Or the next week
to the smaller children’s chapel where we
sang in pews with Cheryl on the altar. The
acoustics were awesome, but choreography was a challenge. Either way, I’d say this
show can’t help but be blessed.
2 year old Addie Eckhund listening to OK perform for the crowd.
Her mom Linda sings Lead in the chorus.
Our Christmas Concert was canceled
because of snow, so other than Valentines,
what do we do for fundraising?
We’ve done the candles, the baskets, the food, the jewelry... hmmmhow about we drink on it? and the
management team exclaimed “Exactly!!” On March 14th, strategically
placed right before St Patrick’s Day,
we hosted a family friendly fund
raiser at the local brewery. It was a
huge success. Even the husbands
were happy to attend this event.
There was food and beer, and lots of
singing. It was educational as well,
with tours of the brewery included.
Everyone was having so much fun
no one took pictures, except this one of a
future judge for the quartet competition.
Finally, our hearts, our sympathies, our
love go out to our longtime member, Betty
Ciriello, on the sudden death of her husband of over 50 years, Joe Ciriello. Please
keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
We’re so looking forward to competing
in Springfield and seeing all of you again,
and wish OK ( Cheryl, Amy, Cathy and Sarah) and #Harmony(Lorraine, Gail, Maureen
and Pat) good times galore as they vie for a
spot in Baltimore!
Nancy Propfe
Well if nothing else- we Sweet Adelines
are flexible, and will sing anywhere. The water main broke at The First Church where
we rehearse, and flooded out our rehearsal
area. Floor tiles and sheetrock needed to be
9
Harmony on the Sound
Instead of our usual “first weekend of December” holiday show,
we broke out of the December mold and planned a November
16th Show , "The Gig is Up". We showcased young women, who
had participated in our first YWIH weekend as well our non-holiday repertoire. Our inaugural HOTS YWIH workshop was a great
success! Very exciting to think of these talented young women
as the future of Sweet Adelines!! They not only sang two songs
(one with choreo) but also were a part of the fabric of our script.
This show was also a great venue to introduce a number of our
new quartets ( now up to 7) and octets (now 2) to Fairfield County and to its loyal HOTS followers! We have also welcomed 6 new
members in the last several months - and this was a great way to
get them on stage and gear up for contest preparation!!
We did have some very busy smaller groups performing holiday
favorites in concert and strolling formats, both as money makers for their groups, and volunteering in the community - something that our members love doing..
Our holiday party which also doubles as HOTS Market, a bazaar
where our entrepreneurs can sell their wares. After giving a
nominal percentage to the chorus, they get to make a little cash.
What’s better than a holiday party where you can sing, eat AND
shop!!! Once we get back from the New Year break - it becomes
full steam ahead to prepare for Springfield! We kick off the year
with our Saturday Chorus D
Danielle Blumner
Attention Women Barbershoppers,
and Music Educators…
North Atlantic Region 1, Sweet Adelines International, is hosting a Fabulous
Summer Music Conference, and you’re invited! Held in conjunction with
the 2014 Rising Star Quartet Competition, we will be offering an exciting
array of classes led by some of our top educators.
Thursday, July 31- Sunday, August 3, 2014
“Sun, Sand and Singing: A Summer Regional Event in New England”
Come for the conference on the University of Massachusetts Lowell Campus (All
facilities are fully ADA compliant), and stay for a vacation on the New England shore!
Early Bird Deadline: May 30th
To register go to www.sai-region1.org, and click on the Rising Star Registration.
Faculty:
- Marcia Pinvidic
- Joan Boutilier
- Gail Jencik
- Karen Sweeters
- Tori Postma
- Jim Arns
President-Elect, Sweet Adelines International
International Faculty
Expression Judge
Sound Judge
Tenor, Four Betty’s Quartet
Past Director
Director, Coastline Show Chorus (RI)
Expression Judge
Regional Faculty
Director, Harmony on the Sound Chorus (CT)
Showmanship Judge
Director, A Cappella Jubilee Express (UT)
Music Educator
Director, Melodeers Chorus (IL)
Plus, the Region 1 Faculty
10
Heart of the Valley Chorus
Reporting
for singing were eighteen
members of The Heart of the Valley Chorus
with our devoted Director Maggie Hawlicheck and coach extraordinaire Marion
Devokaitis . It was an early spring weekend
in the valley nestled campus of UMass Amherst. All were excited to prepare as contestants for this year’s first ever “Open Division “category ….and to have a little fun as
well! Greeted and catered to by a UMASS
hotel and hospitality student named DAX,
we were most happy with our new retreat
location venue. (Did we mention he was
adorable?)
E veryone was eager to put winter behind
us and look forward to our exciting new
venture. We had chosen three songs to sing
and would integrate them with a theme,
and add some crafted dialogue to illustrate
it.
The Pre Friday night and Saturday AM re-
hearsal found our sisters in song greeting
one another and checking in about their
current ups and downs of life, such as caretaking for a parent, nursing homes, emotional upsets, sciatica, recovery from knee
surgery, preemie grandbabies -now home,
retirement-just weeks away. Support and
encouragement permeated the risers on
many levels.
with a little more tweaking. It is
OUR TIME TO SHINE
among our Region One sisters in
Springfield.
Repeat
after me, directed Marian…
.”NYAH, NYAH, NYAH”. Reminding us to sing
with a forward sound, Marian went right to
work. “That is where your sound should be.”
And “SNORT, SNORE, SNORT SNORE, that is
where your breath should be. Are we ready
ladies?”
Each hour saw improvement in preparing
our unique package as we sang about the
stories of our lives…wonderful new opportunities, broken hearts, then renewal and
moving on…
A t night we shared smiles, laughter, and
of course more singing at our annual retreat
show. We were entertained by a puppet
named Sunny, some dancing and singing
foxes, some adorable Minions, also dancing, and an imaginary camel walk illusion.
Chris Nolan
Ta Dah!! After Sunday AM rehearsal we felt
transformed. We were ready for contest –
11
Island Grove Chorus
Island Grove Chorus (IGC) had an
extremely fun, productive Retreat to
prepare for the 2014 Contest.
Heidi Zacchera, a Region 1 “Inner Circle”
member, coached IGC with creativity and
energy. On several occasions, Heidi spontaneously performed a “happy dance”
when IGC attained a new level of proficiency. Heidi didn’t give up on us---she
relentlessly urged ever-higher standards--including that our Massachusetts-bred
members pronounce their “r’s”!
IGC Retreats, after many hours of intense practice, always make time for fun
and fellowship. At the pizza party held in
our Director’s hotel suite, a surprise-50th
cake was brought out, representing: a
50-year-anniversary as a Sweet Adeline to
our member Judy Wilmot, and simultaneously, a 50-year-birthday to our member
LeeAnn Frigulietti.
Lee Ann Frigulietti, Pat Hoitt - Director, Judy Wilmot
IGC has much to anticipate: we have
the excitement of the Contest
“Open Division”, which consists of a short
skit that encompasses selected songs.
Our theme is Boston’s Red Sox. Also,
IGC, a community performance chorus,
will sing at three local performances
this Spring season. IGC looks forward to
much happy singing!
Other games played during the pizza
party include:
1) The Baby Picture Contest---who was
who as a baby?
Adelene Ellenberg
2) What were you doing 50 years ago?
---guess who said it?
and
3) Who am I? ---based upon the “clue”
members wore on their headbands. Lots
of laughs erupted as people guessed
wrongly and confused people/statements.
Joanne Rawson wearing
her headband-and-clue tag
12
Liberty Belle Chorus
Winters can be cold in Region 1 and
this winter has been colder than most. It’s
been a good time for LBC to gather in the
rehearsal hall and do more than just dream
about spring and Contest. We need to use
this time to hone our skills and bring our
best performance to the stage. To help us
in our efforts we have gifted coaches who
have spent some evenings working with
us.
Ann Gooch has been one of our coaches for a number of years. A certified SAI
music judge and director of the Jacksonville Harmony Chorus, she has brought her
chorus to a blue ribbon at their regional
competition a number of times. Her attention to the details of creating beautiful
sound has improved our singing and inspired us. After an evening with her we are
very aware of how much work is ahead of
us – and how satisfying good singing will
be for each of us if we practice our craft attentively.
We have known Lynne Smith, a showmanship coach for a shorter time but always look forward to seeing her and being reminded that we need to get moving
– and keep moving. We regard our thigh
muscles very differently
now (thighdraulics) to demonstrate how
essential they are to the choreography that
supports the singing. It’s also a lot of fun
to just let yourself go and move with the
music. Lynne’s eye for choreography and
her ability to show us how to make it work
for our songs has made for lively evenings.
When she’s with us singing is a whole-body
workout!
On a sunny and extremely cold
Saturday morning in February, Liberty
Belles gathered at the rehearsal hall
for fun and learning at “Showmanship
Saturday”. We discussed and acted
out some characterization skills. We
mimed scenarios to test and improve
our expression of various emotions.
This fun day helped loosen up our expressive skills. Because performing for
fellow chorus members can often be
more nerve-wracking than being in
front of a huge audience, this informal
workshop helped many members be more
relaxed on stage.
Jim Arns reminds us that the first time
he came to Boston to work with the Liberty
Belles was in 2001. He has transformed us
in many ways. As usual he presided over
our retreat in March. He comes from Chicago and he understands our weather.
Without much temptation to be outside,
we concentrated on improving our singing for an extended time. By the end of the
weekend our skills, energy level and our
joy in singing had reached higher levels.
LBC has welcomed ten new members
and is working hard on our contest package. Barbara Braxten is preparing for her
final performance on the contest stage in
April after 36 wonderful years as Director.
Wendy Pachter, our new director, is singing
tenor with the chorus while she prepares to
take the reins on May 1. We will have much
more to say about Wendy in future articles.
We are delighted to have her on board.
Happy Spring and best wishes to all
choruses and quartets at the Region 1 Contest in Springfield!
13
Merrimack Valley Chorus
spoken. MVC does believe!
When most Sweet Adelines think of a
"coach" we envision a paid expert in our
barbershop craft. If we are fortunate, that
individual may be an international faculty
member highly skilled at all levels of a barbershop singer's development. Further
educational treasures may be found more
local to an individual chorus and/or more
specifically within our own chorus roster.
Our musical staff, starting with our Director
Eileen Gioe, along with her Director's Staff
(Carol Smolenski, Sally Jeffery and Becky
King) and music staff and QE's (qualification evaluators) all serve as coaches to the
chorus membership. Time and energy is
committed to improving musical excellence via auditory and visual skills.
Since MVC's last visit to the contest stage
Over the past year Merrimack Valley Chorus (MVC) has been thankful for guidance,
encouragement, nurturing and championing from Dale Syverson, Steve Tramack,
Laura Abraham, Diane Porsche, and Betty
Clipman. Each of these talented masters
brought our singing to another skill level.
Greetings all! It’s been an exciting year
In many ways we are all coaches to each
other in our Sweet Adelines' world. We are
a tightknit group supportive of our collective successes and sacrifices. Sweet Adelines share many of their secrets, which in
the business world would be considered
intellectual property.
As one of our favorite choaches would say,
"There is no vacation from greatness!" We
hope we can all bring those magical, goose
bump moments to the contest stage ... because in the end we want to do ourselves
and all our coaches proud.
We spent our retreat time in March with
Dale Syverson. Dale's sage advice reminded us of the words spoken by Yoda: "Do
or do not. There is no try" --a reminder to
commit oneself to something completely,
win or lose. We received throw down challenges and allowed her to put voices in
our heads. Affirmations were written and
Millennium Magic Chorus
we have had the pleasure of coaching our
newest chorus members: Michelle Dominijanni, Kathy Marith, Kate Bonci, returning
member Denise McGee, Terri Sherman
(dual member with Harborlight Show Chorus), Carmi Boutin and Gabriele Chase. The
last 3 members have all joined MVC within
the past month.
Linda Green
trally located to our membership and offers
easy access directly off the I84/Mass Pike/
Rt. 20 & 131 junction. We are thrilled with
the robust community that has welcomed
repertoire and had a welcoming concert
beautifully hosted by the Bethlehem Lutheran Church community! It was a huge
success and fun was had by all.
Despite the persistent Tuesday
snow storms, and the unrelenting grip of old man winter, we also
managed to get in three coaching
sessions with the mighty Joe Connelly, and a session with Lynne
Smith. We have also been quite fortunate to have Debra Lynn in our
own ranks doing routine PVI’s with
our individual members, as well as
ongoing group vocal production.
for Millennium Magic. Most significant was
our move to Massachusetts last May. We
now rehearse at the Bethlehem Lutheran
Church located at 345 Main St., in Sturbridge, MA. Our new location is more cen-
14
Millennium with open arms.
We enjoyed many performance opportunities, and for the first time in many years,
we shook the cobwebs off our Christmas
My own personal highlight of
the year was attending the International Convention with my sister in
Honolulu! Boston Accent brought
rounds of laughter to the convention hall and Farmington Valley’s
energy filled the stage with pure
entertainment. I was proud to call
myself a member of North Atlantic Region
1! Congrats ladies! Job well done! The 18
days in paradise wasn’t bad either…I didn’t
want to come home!
While visiting the Harmony Bazaar in
Honolulu, my sister Kappy and I entered
the silent auction for an opportunity to win
a show booking with MAXX Factor…and
WE WON. So, save the date and get ready
for a show you’ll never forget! Millennium
to the MAXX will be coming to the Daniels Theater, at Clark University, in Worcester MA on October 11th, 2014. Follow us
on Facebook for details and ticket info:
Facebook.com/MillenniumMagicChorus
You know that excitement and hunger
a chorus gets when the lure of new music is just simmering on the burner? Well,
we have some fun new arrangements just
waiting for us to put on the table, one of
which our own Sandy Kerr arranged! We
can’t wait for contest prep to be done so we
can really sink our teeth in! As we expand
our repertoire, and in preparation for our
show, we are actually looking to increase
our membership, strengthen our infrastructure, and improve our overall balance
and sound. We welcome passionate, dedicated singers to become part of the Magic!
If you are interested in auditioning, would
like to learn more, or just want to come for
a visit, email us at:
millenniumtothemaxx@gmail.com.
Anne Wilson
Mollyockett Chorus
It has been an exciting and busy year
for the Mollyockett Chorus of Oxford,
Maine. Our annual roadshow in July 2013
brought Barbershop music and laughter to
over 300 people as the chorus performed
The Ockett Family Plans a Vacation
The premise of the show had chorus members as a family of 17 sisters all with the first
name Molly who were together planning
their first ever family vacation but being
unable to decide what kind of vacation to
take. Under the direction of Wanda Foss,
the comedy skit of the sisters’ ideas for the
perfect vacation spot took our audiences
on a Sentimental Journey to Old Cape
Cod, as Stars Fell on Alabama and we reminisced about our San Francisco Bay Blues
and enjoyed the Mississippi Mud.
The story line introduced other chorus
favorites all echoing back to times a family
would likely want to connect around on a
first-ever family vacation. Our own quartet,
Meant to Be, performed their renditions of
Hernando’s Hideaway, Country Roads and
other flashback songs.
What a fun-filled program!
Our fall Singout schedule included visits to area nursing homes for Veterans’ Day,
an appearance in the Christmas for Teens
Benefit Concert, a community event that
provides Christmas gifts for more than 200
teens each year, and a Christmas program
brought to area nursing homes.
As the New Year began so did our rehearsals for the 2014 Region 1 Competition.
We were fortunate to have three coaching
sessions with Chris Ferguson who gave us
so many tips and techniques to help us improve our competition songs.
Along the way to competition, we’ve
had a change in our chorus Director.
Wanda Foss, who has faithfully led us for
many years resigned to spend more time
caring for her husband, and Bonnie Fox
stepped in to fill that gap.
Following her life motto to “make a
joyful noise”, Bonnie began singing with
the Mollyockett Chorus in 1999 "after raising five sons, experiencing the wonder of
grandparenting, establishing a family business, and attaining her career goals” she
recounted recently in an interview for local
newspapers about her quest for an outlet
for her musical talent. During her 15 year
involvement with Barbershop music, Bonnie has been Bass Section Leader, Board
Member, Assistant Director, and taken on
other jobs as needed. In 2000, Bonnie and
three other chorus members formed the
Quartet, Meant to Be. She loves the challenge of Barbershop as a singer and now as
a Director she hopes to inspire the chorus
to reach new heights and have fun along
the way.
About her experience with Barbershop
and her new role as chorus Director, Bonnie says, “I feel blessed to have discovered
this organization, where I can continuously
learn from masters in the Barbershop craft
and where I have the opportunity to share
my love of singing with talented, wonderful women of all ages and all walks of life.
Being able to let my heart sing with
my ‘sisters in song’ has brought much
happiness to my life.”
As we make our final preparations
for the Region 1 Competition, our dress
rehearsal on Friends and Family Night
(April 8) will include our competition numbers and a selection of our favorites. And
although it feels like the Regional Competition wraps up the year, as soon as we return
from Springfield we will be rehearsing for
our summer roadshow, Big Hair, which we
will perform in July for audiences in Poland
Spring, Lovell, and Denmark and in a Fall
Cabaret we will host in Oxford.
Marylin Newell, PhD
15
Profile Chorus
What? Another article deadline? This can
only mean one thing -- it's Region One contest time again!
Normally when I begin writing for the
spring edition of Tags & Swipes, the final
vestiges of winter are being ushered out
by the first harbingers of the warm weather
to come. By this time of year, tiny crocuses
have begun pushing their way through the
snow pack. However, this year's precipitation has left such a thick layer of ice on my
front lawn that I wonder if anything could
ever get through it. Mother Nature has
commandeered a fierce and unrelenting
cold season that has left many of us weary
and worn -- all the more reason for us to
look forward to the cherry trees in bloom
Sound of New England
Chorus
What a winter it has been (and is still
being)! When we weren’t canceling rehearsals for snow (six times, I think!!), we’ve
worked hard on our contest package and
had coaching sessions with Vickie Maybury
and Sharon Babb.
We sent six quartets out around Greater
Hartford on Valentine’s Day to deliver singing valentines. One quartet sang for one of
our emeritus members, Marge Daly, and an-
16
(or at least budding) in Springfield!
Profile has been incredibly lucky to welcome some very enthusiastic new members over the past several months. Since
their arrival, these newbies have continued
to amaze and inspire us! They have infused
Profile with wonderful energy, they have
been very gung-ho to fit in with our group,
and they've done all that we have asked of
them -- and then some! They are, of course,
very excited to be attending their first regional competition. This can-do attitude
is a testimonial to the friendships we have
forged during our frequent time together
and the continued fun we have every week,
working together toward a common goal
and enjoying the harmonies we create.
Upcoming on Profile's agenda is the "Spring
Sing with the 'Bubs" (also known as the
Tufts Beelzebubs) on April 4th at the Derryfield School in Manchester, where several a cappella groups will showcase their
talents to raise funds for the Symphony
New Hampshire Chorus. We are looking
forward to being a part of this event! We
are equally anticipating our turn as hosting
chorus this coming fall at regional weekend
in Nashua, New
Hampshire,
and
are hard at work on
our "theme" even
as I write this. International faculty
will be Vicki Dennis, Master Director for Houston
Horizon Chorus. I
am certain she and
the other excellent staff members
will provide many
learning opportunities for us, as well
as a great reason
for all our sisters
in song to get together and laugh,
eat, and sing (not
necessarily in that
order!).
Best of luck to all the regional competitors,
particularly to those who have never set
foot on a stage before. You will love it as
much as the rest of us do. Break a lip!
Deanna Dean
other quartet was accompanied by a crooning dog! All the area schools were closed, so
we missed some of the most fun valentines
to deliver, but we all had plenty of fun in offices, hospitals and homes.
We had a really fun performance in February at the West Hartford Senior Center.
They were having a party with an Academy
Awards theme; people were encouraged to
come all dressed up, and we had a wonderful script that tied our songs together in the
spirit of the party, and we joined in the fun
with our most sparkly costumes.
Contest weekend is almost upon us,
and we are looking forward to our spring
retreat where we will put the sparkle into
our package. We can’t wait to sing for the
region! We are also very proud to have
THREE quartets competing this year for the
first time in FOREVER!! Rendezvous 126 is
half SONE, half HOTS; Limited Edition and
Slightly Askew are all SONE. We will be there
to cheer them on, and wish all the competing quartets and choruses the very best.
Susan Jones
Valley Shore Acappella
The snowy winter may have had us down
for a while, but Sweet Adeline singers are an
optimistic bunch. We made it through the
bad weather with a few rehearsal cancellations. Why did it always snow on Tuesdays?
But we ladies are resourceful and persistent, we ended up with make-up Thursday
rehearsals! Bring it on, Mother Nature! We
can take it. And to prove it, an intrepid
group of VSA members went to a fabulous
Regional week-end in Burlington, Ma. We
were all excited to learn from the fabulous
Karen Breidert! Karen is the baritone from
The Buzz. Among her many accomplishments, besides being a Queen, she was
Director of Spirit of the Gulf. These weekends are incredible educational experiences, full of fun, music and, oh yeah, partying!
Seriously, we are fortunate to have such a
great Regional team who organize these
week-ends.
Kudos, Region One!
ny, Inc. She
and Steve tag
teamed each
other
with
suggestions
for
lighter
and
more
supported
singing. Morgan is full of
positive energy
and
manages to
get her message across
effor tlessly.
By
Sunday
morning, we
felt we had
Four A Song
improved the
quality of our compe__________
tition set! We may
have been totally exhausted, but we definitely knew we had spent worthwhile time
improving our vocal output.
From that nerve-wracking beginning, our
chorus has formed two quartets! One of
them has now officially registered as Four
A Song! The group is comprised of Cathy
Villwock- Lead, Carolyn Mariconi-Tenor,
Joan Hurworth-Baritone, and Jane ZanardiBass.
At the Winter Regional, Four A Song sang
publically for the first time at the Friday
night Quartet Club. They did a great job and
managed to overcome their nervousness.
Thank You
Morgan!
Their VSA sisters cheered them on. Later,
during our retreat week-end, we were
serenaded by both groups.
We’re proud of our new quartets, but
Carolyn Douglas, Mary Blewitt, Marion Ivey
and Karen Olsen, you need a name!
VSA is looking forward to an amazing
competition in Springfield in April. See you
all there!
Onward to Competition, we worked diligently on our package through February.
We couldn’t wait until our retreat week-end
to laser focus on our musical performance.
We gathered to our favorite cabin in the
woods of Ivoryton, CT in March. For the
2nd year in a row, our Director, Steve Wolf,
was able to book Morgan La Croix, our favorite Canadian! Morgan hails from Montreal and is the tenor in the award winning
quartet, Foreign Exchange. She also directs
Montreal City Voices, a member of Harmo-
Marylou Zinser
Since Steve Wolf took over as VSA Director, he’s been pushing us to get involved
in quarteting. During our very first retreat
with Steve, he challenged everyone of us to
form a quartet and perform a song for each
other.
17
Quarter
Notes
MAXX Factor:
Lessons From My Queens
When I was greeted with hugs at my
first audition with MAXX Factor, I never in
a million years thought that I would be
sitting here a year and a half later, reflecting on my experiences and what I have
learned. I went into that audition with
two goals. I wanted to see if I really had
what it took to hang with the big girls, and
I wanted to meet members of Region 19
so if I went to any activities I would know
someone. Something special happened
that afternoon. I opened my mouth to
sing and for the next two hours I did not
have to think once. Not once did I have to
change my placement, change a vowel,
or sing more softly. I just fit. I was singing with Leslie, Val, and Molly, and actually
ringing chords!!! Obviously I got the job,
but seriously, they picked me??!! Never
in my wildest dreams did I think that that
would happen.
I began rehearsing with them in MidAugust of 2012 and our first show was in
the beginning of October. I had to learn
10 songs, interpretation, choreography,
and the banter in between in 7 weeks. It
was a daunting task, but I knew it could
be done. Well, it had to be done. Every
18
waking hour in my car was spent singing
along to the learning tracks. We rehearsed
every week on Thursdays and had coaching sessions on weekends a few times as
well. The first thing that I learned from being around these three ladies is that they
work VERY hard. They are prepared for
every rehearsal, have a schedule planned
out for each rehearsal, and get through it
all, while having a bit of fun. We rehearsed
in front of mirrors to make sure the visual
plan was working. This I am sure was more
for my benefit than theirs, but they never
once acted bored
or disengaged. My
first show with them
went well. It was
not my best performance on record but
I got through it, and
their encouragement
helped. It was also
nice to have Boston
Accent on the show
as well, so I had some
familiar faces to make
me feel comfortable.
The last year
and a half has been filled with experiences
that I only could dream about a short while
ago. I have sung on the Coronet Club
Show, been an international webcast anchor, taught regional weekends, sung the
national anthem for the Baltimore Orioles
(who were playing the Red Sox that day),
gone to Australia, and did a few shows
with the Sing Off Tour. These are all once
in a lifetime opportunities, to say the least.
It is quite surreal at times because it is just
little old me doing these things, but MAXX
has been ever supportive and understanding of my many star struck moments.
Having my own personal voice lesson
with three queens when I rehearse has also
been priceless for me. I listen to recordings
of myself and I know that I have grown as
a singer. I have had to up my game considerably to sing with these ladies. I would
like to try to share all that I have learned
with you. Surprisingly, most of it we have
all heard before a million times. The difference for me was to actually experience and
feel what it is that our coaches are talking
about each time we see them. It all makes
so much more sense when you feel it all
the way down to your toes.
1. Vowels Do Matter:
• Barbershop is built on vowel
match
• Do vowels every rehearsal- in the
beginning we did it for 30-40 minutes
• This is the grunt work, but it has to
be done in order to improve scores
2. Resonance:
• All members must have resonance for true vocal blend
(I did not know what it truly was until I
started with MAXX)
• This is the Ah spot singing, preh
singing, bending upside down for placement singing, molar space singing… It
has many explanations. Do whatever you
understand and works for your quartet
3. Be Relentless:
• Practice, practice, practice – The
work ethic of this group is staggering.
When learning new music, EVERYONE
knows their part by the next rehearsal.
There is a competition between us to see
who can be off paper first.
• Keep up your quest for knowledge. Attend regional events, IES, international competitions. You will always learn
something. Watch top 10 international
quartet videos. What do they do differently than your quartet? How can you learn
it?...
• As a quartet, become proficient at
one thing at a time. Don’t try to do it all at
once. Vowels first, then add breaths, diphthongs, interp, choreo… Layer it on one at
a time.
4. Song Choice Is Key:
• Do not sing songs out of your capability, not even for a show. Everyone has
to sound great to score well.
• Choose songs that have personal
meaning to you – especially the lead. If the
story of the song can be personalized, and
then emoted, you will always score better.
• Choose songs that match the
quartet’s personal style. Don’t try to swing
on down to Dixie if you don’t like that style
of music. You won’t be able to sell it.
5. Don’t Live By the Score:
•
This is the hardest one for many.
Go by the level, not the score.
• Try to maintain or improve upon
your LEVEL. If you earned C scores, try to
improve to C+ scores the following year.
• Work on improving one category
per year. Too much will overload your system. Focus on one thing at time.
•
Did you reach your goals personally and as a quartet
6.
Undergarments, Lashes, and
Makeup:
• Everyone should always wear a
flexie, all in one, unbelievabra, or whatever
smoothing undergarment you prefer. It
does make a huge difference in how the
costume looks and fits!
• Everyone should always wear
lashes for a performance. I did not do so for
many years, but they do make a huge difference in expression from the stage. More
points from the showmanship judge for
emoting the song.
• We do not all wear
the same pan makeup! What
looks good on Val looks orange on me, and what looks
good on me looks terrible
on Molly, etc... It makes it
easier for choruses to all
use the same makeup so
that it is a bit more consistent, but with a quartet you
don't have to look like a very
tanned pumkin! Wear your
skin tone just a shade or two
darker. You should just look
sun kissed, not orange or
like George Hamilton.
• For eyes we have
two choices. We do either brown shadows
or purple shadows. Val usually will tell us
which color palette to use. We do not all
use the same colors or brands. We just go
by the color palette and wear our personal
favorites.
One of the most
interesting things that
I learned from this
bunch is that they do
not rest on their laurels. As a quartet they,
I guess it is we, want
to put our best out on
that stage. Mediocre
performances are not
what people are paying to see, and we want
to maintain the same
level of performance
that was achieved on
the contest stage. We
rehearse, we still get
coached, we still set
goals for ourselves
personally and as a quartet, and we still are
competitive. We work very hard and we
also have a lot of fun while doing it. Boy do
we have fun! I feel as though I am living in
a dream most days. I still have to pinch myself when I get texts from Leslie. My mind
still thinks what in the world am I doing texting with a queen!!!!
I am excited to come and share my
good fortune with you all next fall. MAXX
will be singing on October 11, 2014 in Massachusetts! I hope that I have the opportunity to see most of you there!
Xoxo
Dawn
Editor's Note: Many of us in Region 1
remember Dawn Adams Clifford when she
sang with Liberty Belle Chorus and her award
-winning Quartet - Full Throttle. It is so
gratifying to know that she has been able to
fulfill her dream of singing live with such a
well known Quartet and was willing to share
her experiences with us . Most of us will only
get to sing with their CD's now , although I did
have the pleasure of singing Lazy Day with
Maxx Factor (even though I didn't realize it
at the time) in the Virtual Barbershop Chorus
that Peter Nugent put together and uploaded
to YouTube a couple of years ago. Can't wait
to see them live in October!
I have been very fortunate. I hope that
you were able to take something away from
this rambling of thoughts. I do miss my Region 1 sisters all the time. Regional weekends are not the same without your smiling
faces and many hugs.
• For performances, we always have
our toes painted and nails done. Toes are
any color of our choice, hands are French or
nude shade.
19
Directors
Region 1 Welcomes
Two New Directors:
Bonnie Fox
Ray Johnson
Bonnie Fox
Mollyockett
A Brief Bio of Post Road's New
Director:
Raymond B. Johnson is a 22 year
member of the Barbershop Harmony
Society. Ray’s first directorial position
was as assistant director of his home
chorus the Berkshire Hillsmen under
Mike Joyce. He then served with the Vocal Revolution (then Sounds of Concord)
as interim director, before they found
Dan Costello. He further honed his skills
after moving to Missouri while serving as
musical director to the Voices of America.
Now back in New England, Ray is excited
Ray Johnson
Post Road
to be a part of the Post Road Chorus and
is ready for the journey ahead. PRC will be
growing into and becoming the fulfillment of their mission.
As a singer, Raymond has been classically trained as a boy soprano, and then
learned the Broadway style of singing
in college at the Hartt School of Music.
It was at the Hartt School where Men
In Black formed with Ray singing baritone. In 2005 they won the International
Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest
of the BHS. They have competed in the
Semi-finals of the ICCA for the Northeast,
and have performed at the Finals of the
Harmony Sweepstakes. In their 12 years
together they have performed in more
than half of the states in the US, throughout Canada and as far as Finland. Sharing this lifelong passion for excellence in
a cappella ensembles is something Ray
loves to do. Whether singing in a show,
performing in an ensemble, or directing a
chorus, his love for music and joy of singing always come first.
Editor's Note: We congratulate Ray whose
Men In Black Quartet took 1st Place in the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Quartet
Preliminaries held on March 22, 2014 in Nashua,
NH
Scheduled Teaching Faculty:
A Cappella Harmony
Academy July 23 - 26, 2014
Starting in October 2013, syllabus
and registration materials for A
Cappella Harmony Academy was
available for download from the
News and Events menu of the
SAI website:
http://www.sweetadelineintl.org
20
Karen Breidert, Master Faculty
Peggy Gram
Cammi MacKinlay*
Marcia Pinvidic
Renée Porzel
Judy Pozsgay*
Mary Rhea
Dale Syverson
Melanie Wroe
With Special Guest Faculty:
Lisa Forkish
Regional Faculty
Barbershop Style
Random Thoughts From a Randome Mind
This time I am going to take the liberty
and ignore the Editor's well thought
out questions again
and just have
a chat about contest from the
judge’s standpoint, AND from the
contestant’s standpoint.
“Civilians” (i.e. non-Sweet Adelines for
our newbies) have a very, very difficult
time understanding how we can show
up week after week after week, from
January to April or May, and sometimes
throw in a couple of Friday night/all
day Saturday sessions, as well as a “retreat” where we are on the risers from
Friday night to Sunday morning almost
constantly. . . .and all we sing are the
same two songs. Nay – sometimes it’s
the same four bars – over and over and
over and over. How the HECK can we
possibly be getting any enjoyment out
of THAT!?
And then we cheer for ourselves, and
applaud the leads or baris when they
do well, and hug and kiss each other
when the day or weekend is done.
Well, ladies, we all know that THIS is the
enjoyment of perfecting our craft – our
BARBERSHOP. The sound that mesmerized us into joining this “cult” (as our
husbands refer to it) in the first place!
That is one reason I am absolutely
deeeee-lighted that our new Open
Division has been added to contest
to allow contestants to show off their
talents in some of the non-barbershop
music. And the traditionalist in me (yes,
I know you wudda not thunk it) hopes
that the rest of us will then stick with
REAL barbershop choices for contest.
In my book, it’s a BARBERSHOP contest,
so sing BARBERSHOP! If you want to
sing other types of four part close harmony, then enter another contest. OK
– now I will probably get emails Funstuff4@megahits.com.
Lorraine Rochefort
Anyway – from the pit’s perspective –
our buddies there are kind of split in
mind. But the word is out that
TRA-DI-TION
(sung to If I Were A Rich Man tune) is
the by word this year. Hope you all
complied.
And speaking of that Pit Crew (i.e. da
judges) we should all look forward
to seeing them there, just waiting to
hear our performance! They WANT
us to do well; they are WAITING for
a great performance; they hurt with
us when someone makes a boo boo;
they get caught up in the emotion, if
WE get caught up in the emotion. So
many times, we focus on the outcome
of a contest. I look at it as a mini-performance where there is no MC-ing.
And I luvluvluv to perform!
If you go into contest to outscore
another contestant – you may be
disappointed. That other contestant
may peak that day and you may not.
Doesn’t mean they are better than you.
Just THAT 10 MINUTES, they were.
If you go into contest to beat your
last year’s score – you may be
disappointed.
This is a whole new panel of judges
with their own opinions and absolutely
no knowledge of what your numbers,
or placements were last year. And
moreover, they don’t care. They are
there just to give an evaluation of just
THAT 10 MINUTES.
If you go into contest to achieve a
certain position (it used to be “make
the first page”, or now it’s “come in top
ten” or “earn a medal”) – you may be
disappointed. Now this is beginning
to sound like Jeff Foxworthy’s “You May
Be a Redneck” routine!
However, I digress.
Focusing on
achieving a certain position may be a
good goal for some, but not everyone.
I like to approach contest as a stage
where I can just show everyone what
I have been working on, how I’m doin’
now, the fun I have been having, and
how cute I look in my new costume.
LOL As one who has come in everything from first to last and most places in between (and most of you were
there to see it) I’ve learned that it ain’t
worth getting upset over. Even if you
walk away with a blue ribbon for both
chorus and quartet, on Monday morning when you start to do the laundry,
then walk into Shop Rite, nobody
cares! Even if you DO wear your medals to the grocery store and explain
what they mean to anyone who stares
at your chest!
So just enjoy that road that all Sweet
Adelines travel each spring. It’s one
that we all look forward to (I hope!)
And this spring, I truly wish that each
and every one of you – whether competing in a chorus or quartet – has
enjoyed the trip!
Bring ‘em on.
21
Regional Faculty
Ask "Sweet Addie"
The Name of the Game: Preparation
Dear Sweet Addie,
I am nervous about forgetting everything we have rehearsed when I step onto
the contest stage. I am
afraid that when I see the lights, judges
and people in the audience, I will be unable
to find my best
voice – I will have no breath, no concentration and I won't be able to perform.
Help!?
Stressed on the Risers
Dear Sweet Addie,
What do I do in contest if the wrong
pitch is blown? Or if I can't hear the pitch?
Frantic in the first row and quaking
in the quartet!
Dear Frantic and Quaking,
Preparation, preparation, preparation.
Rehearse every possible mishap you can
before contest. Should your worst fears
come to pass, you will be ready. In general,
ballad or up tune, if you stay in the moment
and don't throw up, the pitch will blow
again and no one will be the wiser. Or if
they are, they will admire your aplomb.
Dear Stressed,
We rehearse in a friendly space, (our
second home, let's face it) with normal every day lighting. We have no opportunity
to rehearse on the competition stage in
costume, under stressful conditions - nochance to test ourselves. No wonder we're
all nervous. The good news is that it's your
nerves that fuel your energy and excitement. The trick is to control them and not
let them get you by the throat.
Guess what works?
Preparation, preparation, preparation.
It gives you confidence with nerves and
confidence is the name of the game.
Love, S.A.
22
Jane Tamarkin
Preparation Tips leading up to
contest:
FOCUS: It takes quiet to think clearly
and give quality attention to the complicated work of singing
Barbershop. Digging in to the music,
lyrics, breath, resonance, dynamics, connection with your
director, actively listening (to name but
a few) – these take enormous effort, physical and mental. We
don't need silence – but we do need to
have a healthy respect for what it takes to
sing great Barbershop.
VISUALIZATION: Visualize every moment of your ideal performance, every
move, every note –
every night.
TEST YOURSELF: Practice staying in the
moment at rehearsal. Do not be distracted.
DRESS REHEARSAL: Use your dress rehearsal night to discover (Write it down!)
where you get tired
or lose concentration so you can feel
prepared. Have I mentioned that Preparation is the Key?
“Preparation equals confidence.”
BREAK A LEG!
Name
URL
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 Regional website there is also a Members Only side that you
must register on the site to access.
SweetAdelinesInt (also known as "Sing")
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/
SweetAdelinesInt/
A Yahoo Discussion group for Sweet Adelines and fans - currently 3599 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 - currently 169 members.
Region 1 Sweet Adelines
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Region1-Sweet-Adelines/173084668423
A Facebook site for Region 1 - currently
491 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.
We are fortunate to have so many
wonderful people in our Region who
are willing to share their expertise
with us and it was fun to learn that
one of our own members was able to
fulfill her dream of singing with
Maxx Factor.
Thank you Dawn for sharing. I
can't wait to see Maxx Factor perform
when they come to Clark University in
Worcester, MA on Oct 11, 2014.
It is interesting to have the
opportunity to see other Regions'
contests on webcasts and we can feel
a connection with them when we
hear them sing our favorite Barbershop song, but it is even more fun to
go to Springfield with our friends (as
we will soon) and listen to our own
Region on contest stage.
Core Values:
Camaraderie, Musical Excellence, Personal
Growth, Professionalism, Open Communication
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)
tate to contact me so that you don't
miss out on the detail we provide on
the Members Only side of the website:
admin@sai-region1.org
or just use my personal email, if
you prefer:
marais9@msn.com
For those of you who might like
to try free video conferencing with
me as a test to see if you might derive benefit for your chorus by using
it to have 12 people communicate all
at once from their home laptops or
computers with webcam - find me on
oovoo.com shown as patmarais .
After reading Deb Richard's article, we currently have 906 members
and as Webmaster, I can see that not
all of you have yet taken the opportunity to register on our Regional website for the Members Only section. If
you have tried to register, but think
you didn't get an email from me with
a simple security question, don't hesiPat Marais - Editor
23
Mark Your Calendar
Region 1 Choruses
Chorus
Director
City, State/Prov.
The Greater Montreal Chorus
Heather Solomon
Westmont, QC
West Island Chorus
Tracey Larder
Pointe Claire, QC
Farmington Valley Chorus
Cheryl Wilcox
Simsbury, CT
Harmony on the Sound Chorus
Karen Sweeters
Trumbull, CT
Millennium Magic Chorus
“under our own
direction”
Sturbridge, MA
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
Tori Lynn Cook
Peabody, MA
Heart of the Valley Chorus
Maggie Hawlicheck
Florence, MA
Island Grove Chorus
Pat Hoitt
Abington, MA
Liberty Belle Chorus
Barbara Braxten
Arlington, MA
Merrimack Valley Chorus
Eileen Gioe
Wilmington, MA
MetroWest Harmony Chorus
Julie Jeffery
Marlborough, MA
Post Road Chorus
Ray Johnson
Worcester, MA
Mollockett Chorus
Bonnie Fox
Oxford, ME
Royal River Chorus
Wendi McPike
Westbrook, ME
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
Alexa Beal
Hartford, VT
April 24 - 27, 2014
Contest 2014
Springfield, MA
July 31 - August 3, 2014
Rising Star 2014
RQA Day
Summer Regional Weekend
Lowell, MA
September 26 - 28, 2014
Fall Regional Weekend
Nashua, NH
Check the Region 1 website for
Updates and Additions
http://sai-region1.org
Advertise in Tags & Swipes
Published 3 times/year.
Prices:
Full page $125
3/4 page $100
1/2 page $75
1/4 page or smaller $45
Checks payable to:
N.A. Region One
Mail to:
Ruth Widerski
28 Watertown St.
Lexington, MA 02421
E-mail ad to Editor Pat Marais:
marais9@msn.com
Copy Deadline
The Fall 2014 Edition of Tags & Swipes will be issued at Fall Regional Weekend.
Please email copy to Editor: marais9@msn.com no later than
August 17, 2014
.
Please attach photos to email rather than inserting into copy.
Photos will be used as space allows. Check Region 1 website for Instructions, if needed.
24

North Atlantic Region 1 - Sweet Adelines International

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