Pages for Website.cdr - Land O` Lakes District of the Barbershop

63 YEARS OF BARBERSHOP HARMONY
OVER 714,089 SQUARE MILES
Volume 63, Number 2
May - June 2011
A Bulletin for Barbershoppers in the LO'L District
KANSAS CITY HERE WE COME!!
VOCE
Manhattan/Westchester County
Shenago Valley/Frank Thorne
EXPEDITION
MAIN STREET STATION
Greendale/Hilltop/St. Charles
La Crosse/West Allis/Frank Thorne
GRAND DESIGN
ROOFTOP RHYTHM
Mankato/Hilltop/St. Croix Valley
Oshkosh/Northbrook/Frank Thorne
Best of Times Photography/Design Photo
See page 10 for housing and registration forms
GQ
Hilltop/Frank Thorne
GREAT NORTHERN UNION / HILLTOP, MN
Pitch Piper
The Pitch Piper is published bi-monthly by the Land
O' Lakes District Association of Chapters of the Society
for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop
Quartets Singing inAmerica, Inc.
Land O' Lakes Chapters are situated in the states of
Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan, and the Provinces of
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
Office of Publication:
Editors: Bob/Bill Fricke
2011 S. 14th Street
Manitowoc, WI 54220
920-684-6866
Email: pitchpiper@frickeprinting.com
Send address changes to Pitch Piper c/o SPEBSQSA,
Inc., 110 7thAvenue North, Nashville, TN 37203-3704
Any and all correspondence or copy should be sent
to the editor.
DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
LARRY LEWIS
130 Hilltop Drive
Neenah, WI 54956-3516
(H): (920) 727-4800 • (C): (920) 213-2516
llewis6@new.rr.com
Exec. Vice President:
CHUCK SCHUBBE
15398 615th Avenue
Mapleton, MN 56065
(H&W): (507) 869-3756 • (C): (507) 420-3658
cschubbe@myclearwave.net
Imm. Past President:
DOUGLAS MILLER
4822 Rutledge Street SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372-1847
(H): (952) 447-8265 • (C): (612) 964-8769
(F): (952) 447-0820 • lolprez910@yahoo.com
LO'L Home Page on the
Internet: http://loldistrict.org
Secretary:
ROBERT (BOB) BREY
1411 S. 31st Street
Manitowoc, WI 54220
(H): (920) 682-7073 • (C): (920) 973-4472
smtr934@lsol.net
Treasurer:
JACK EDGERTON
1804 Conant Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481-5819
(H): (715) 344-5746 • (C): (715) 340-3221
ragtime75@charter.net
Financial Development:
RICHARD STAEDT
1118 E. Byrd Street
Appleton, WI 54911
(H): (920) 734-9495 • staedtrl@sbcglobal.net
District VP - Division One:
THOMAS WEBER
N114 W16629 Royal Court
Germantown, WI 53022
(H): (262) 251-8943 • (W) (262) 789-2500
prezmve_2000@yahoo.com
District VP - Packerland:
CLARY REINHARDT
137 State Street
Neenah, WI 54956
(H): (920) 725-1485 •(C): (920) 915-2355
rhino139@sbcglobal.net
District VP - Southwest:
ARV ZENK
209 Candi Court
N Mankato, MN 56003
(H): (507) 388-7509 • (C): (507) 995-1655
arvjane@hickorytech.net
District VP - 10,000 Lakes:
DAN TRUE
8091 Stone Creek Drive
Chanhassen, MN 55317-7419
(H): (952) 401-0793 • (W): (952) 512-8049
(C): (952) 210-5156 • dtrue@mchsi.com
District VP - Red Carpet & Northwest:
GORDON BILLOWS
73 Haverstock Crescent
Winnipeg, MB R3P 2M7
(H): (204) 488-2009 • billows@shaw.ca
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL
CONVENTION
national preliminary collegiate competition.
Submitted by Larry Lewis
LO'L District President
LO’L qualified six quartets for the
international competition. I am not sure,
but I think this might be a record for LO’L.
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o Vo c e , G Q ,
Expedition, Main Street Station,
Grand Design and Rooftop Rhythm.
We wish all of these LO’L quartets the very
best as they enter the big dance this July in
Kansas City. We were also treated to some
outstanding out of district quartets, two of
which, Off the Record and Voices
Unlimited also qualified for International.
The weekend of April
29-May 1 in Greendale
was filled with outstanding Chorus and
Quartet performances.
The lodging facility was
first class and the venue
for the contest was excellent. We did
experience difficulties with the school's
sound system, but with the help and
patience of several people, the problem
was remedied. As you know, we conduct
the International Prelims contest in
conjunction with hosting the Division
Contest. The competition also included a
senior's quartet contest and an inter-
Pitch Piper
Division One qualified five choruses for
the fall district competition. Congratulations to Greendale, West Allis,
Madison, Racine and Milwaukee. We
look forward to their participation at the
fall convention this October in Rochester.
2
DISTRICT OPERATIONS TEAM
Contest and Judging:
JACK RYBACK
3640 Lilly Road
Brookfield, WI 53005
(H): (262) 781-6587 • (W&C): (262) 844-5184
jryback@att.net
Chorus Director Development:
JOHN PLAZEK
5859 S. 42nd Street
Greenfield, WI 53221
(H&W): (414) 423-8885 • jplazek@execpc.com
Leadership Training:
JUDD ORFF
115 E. Linden Street
Stillwater, MN 55082
(H): (651) 439-3108 • JuddOrff3108@msn.com
Events:
LOWELL BENNES
517 Cedar Lane
Moorhead, MN 56560
(H): (218) 236-9418 • (W): (218) 287-2844
(F): (218) 287-2850 • lowell@lowellbennes.com
Marketing & Public Relations:
KEN METTLER
125 N. Blanding Woods Road
St. Croix Falls, WI 54024
(H): (715) 483-9202 • kbmett@hotmail.com
Membership:
STEVE ZORN
3036 N Snelling
Roseville, MN 55113
(H): (651) 639-0366
Google Voice: (651) 31S-ZORN
zorn.steve@gmail.com
Music & Performance:
DAVE SYLTE
1804 18th Street SW
Austin, MN 55912
(H): (507) 433-0004 • (C): (765-717-0081
sylte0004@msn.com
Youth In Harmony:
JON BUSS
120 Jewell Street
Star Prairie, WI 54026
(H): (715) 410-7324 • allegrobuss@gmail.com
Once again Expedition will represent LO’L
at the collegiate quartet contest in Kansas
City. Last year, Expedition medaled in
Philadelphia capturing fifth place. We look
forward to another exciting finish for
Expedition in Kansas City.
We had three VLQ's in the contest with the
Eight of Hearts from the West Allis Chapter
taking first place. Highpoint, a quartet
from the Greendale Chapter took first
place in the senior's quartet contest.
We welcomed Executive Vice President,
Shannon Eslwick and his wife, Becky, as
the society board representative to our
convention. This was Shannon's first trip
to LO’L. He attended our district board
meeting, HOD meeting and MC'd our
chorus contest. He passes along his
Continued on page 3...
May - June 2011
congratulations to all of the winners and
expressed his appreciation for his time at
our convention.
Ryan Killeen from Harmony Foundation
was also in attendance at our convention.
It was a special moment when the LO’L
Board voted to provide a $10,000
sponsorship to the Youth Chorus Festival
at the mid-winter convention in Tucson in
January, 2012. LO’L is the first district in
the society to provide this kind of
sponsorship. Thanks to Dick Staedt for all
of his efforts in promoting Harmony
Foundation in is role as the Vice President
for Financial Development.
A special congratulations to Lowell Bennes
who was named the district BOTY. Lowell
has worked tirelessly for the past twenty
years back stage ensuring that our
competitions run smoothly.
As we enter the summer months, I
encourage all of you to stay active and
involved in barbershopping. Be sure to
register for Rochester this fall. It promises
to be a great competition and convention.
was all about and turned much of our
giving to local organizations, which was
great. Through Chapter Connect, I would
hope to rejuvenate the Parade of Checks at
the Fall House of Delegates meeting, thus
regaining the support of LO’L chapters for
Harmony Foundation that was once
directed to Logopedics and Heart Spring.
The District Board approved the return of
the PARADE OF CHECKS AT THE FALL
HOD. Those funds will go to support the
first district sponsorship of the Youth
Festival Chorus Contest at Midwinter in
Tucson next January. Every Chapter is
encouraged to begin passing the Mug or
Hat at your meetings and announcing the
sponsorship at your shows and
performances to give your audience an
opportunity to contribute.
Today Harmony Foundation is dedicated
to using our funds for the “Preservation
and Encouragemanet of Barbershop
Harmony”. It is doing so through
scholarships for chapter directors, music
educators and quartets to attend Harmony
University, the Collegiate Quartet contest
BY THE NUMBERS
at International, the Youth Chorus Festival
at Midwinter, Harmony Explosion Camps
and Youth Festivals hosted by chapters.
The result of these programs has had quite
an effect already. 12 men have won gold
medals, 15 more have won at least one
other medal, 106 men have reached the
quarter finals or higher, 13 are directing
major choruses including: Westminster,
Alexandria, Denver, Hilltop and Nashville.
15 men have become judges or are
currently candidates. 4 men serve on the
BHS staff: Rick Spencer, Mike O'Neill,
James Estes and Eddie Holt. 2 chapters
have formed from the Youth Chorus
festival: San Marcos, TX and Western
Washington - who won the EVG District
Championship and placed 12 in
Philadelphia in 2010.
JD
Harmony Foundation is doing just what
our original name implied and our
founders hoped would happen; “The
Preservation and Encouragement of
Barbershop Harmony”. The members
of Ambassador's of Song and President's
Continued on page 4...
2011 DISTRICT SENIORS
QUARTET CHAMPION
Submitted by Richard Staedt
LO'L District VP Financial Development
Highpoint
In my last ar ticle I
mentioned the Parade of
Checks for Logopedics
and I'd like to follow up on
that thread. In the days of
Logopedics and Heart
Spring our Society numbered around
38,000 members. Today we are around
25,000. Thus dues income, Harmony
Market Place sales and convention income
are down. You've seen firsthand the
changes in Society personnel over the lean
years because funds were not there to
support keeping the amount of staff to
carry out the business of the Society. Today
we are working our way back with the
support of Harmony Foundation and your
membership in Ambassador's of Song and
President's Council.
When we no longer supported Logopedics
and Heart Spring, contributions to Society
dropped dramatically. We didn't
understand what Harmony Foundation
Pitch Piper
Greendale/Frank Thorne Chapters
Harry Hanson, David Ament,
Darryl Cremer, Robert Wozniak
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It!
Land O'Lakes District offered the First District Youth Chorus Festival Sponsorship
Ryan Killeen, our Harmony Foundation Representative, has given the Land
O'Lakes District the opportunity to become the first Barbershop District to sponsor
the Youth Chorus Festival Contest at a Midwinter convention. Immediately after the
House of Delegates meeting in Greendale, President Larry convened an
emergency board meeting where the opportunity was presented to the Board. After
a brief discussion the Board voted unanimously in favor of accepting the offer to
become a sponsor of the Youth Festival Chorus Competition in Tucson in January
2012.
This is a PROUD MOMENT for the Land O'Lakes District and it members.
Because of our support of the Youth Festivals, the HX Camp, membership in
Ambassadors of Song and Presidents Council, Ryan felt Land O'Lakes was worthy
of the opportunity to become a Youth Festival Sponsor.
3
May - June 2011
...Continued from page 3
Council can be proud of what has been
accomplished in the seven years since
Harmony Foundation began to use its
funds in support of the youth movement
within the Society. You can become a part
of the movement and take pride in
knowing that “YOU”, as an Ambassador
of Song or member of President's Council,
are contributing to the Preservation and
Encouragement of Barbershop Harmony.
Isn't that what it is all about? Providing
Barbershop Harmony for singers and
audiences of all ages to enjoy for as long as
songs are sung and people can listen!
Share the wealth of music as an
“Ambassador of Song” or “Presidents
Council” member.
LO’L DIRECTORS RECEIVE
DIRECTOR’S COLLEGE
SCHOLARSHIPS
Submitted by John Plazek
LO’L Chorus Director Development
I have the honor of
announcing this year's
Director's College
Scholarship recipients.
These Three lucky chorus
director's will receive a full
tuition, meals, lodging, and probably one
of the greatest Barbershopping weeks of
their lives. Where will they be going you
ask? Where else, but Harmony University
in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Every year the Harmony Foundation and
the Land O' Lakes District, donate
scholarships to Director's College. This
year the Harmony Foundation recipients
are:
- Joshua Umhoefer, from Midwest
Vocal Express, Greendale, WI
- Nolan Weisz from the Valley
Chordsmen,Greater Grand
Forks, ND
The recipient of the Land O' Lakes
Scholarship is:
- Kris Ling from the St Cloud
Singing Saints, St Cloud, MN
Congratulations to you all!
Pitch Piper
One note to our other fine director's in this
great District... Harmony Foundation has
g i v e n o u t 1 0 0 C h o r u s D i re c t o r
Scholarships each year for the past
number of years. The only requirements
are that you fill out the application, that
you have not received a Harmony
Foundation Scholarship in the past 5 years
and that front line directors receive first
consideration. It doesn't get much easier!
There is no limit to the number of director's
from each District that can receive a
scholarship. Next year let's try to send 20,
30 or more! Assistant Director's that means
you too!
Remember…It's What's Up Front
That Counts!
STANDING OVATION
PROGRAM TRAINING IN
KANSAS CITY
Submitted by Dave Sylte
LO’L Director Music and Performance
Chapters across the LO'L
District are continuing to
make good use of the
Standing Ovation
Program (SOP) as a
feedback tool to improve
and polish their performances. Several
chapters have routinely used the SOP for
several years and the impact is reflected in
the very entertaining and creative annual
shows they present for their audiences.
Chuck Alexander is the Society's lead
trainer on the SOP. He has conducted very
successful SOP classes at International
Conventions in Nashville, Anaheim and
Philadelphia as well as at the Mid-Winter
Convention in Las Vegas in January.
Because of the success of these classes,
Chuck will lead another SOP certification
class at the International in Kansas City.
The class is slated to take place on
Tuesday, July 5 from 1:00 p.m. to
5:00 p.m. at the Marriott
Headquarters Hotel.
as an SOP reviewer in the LO'L District.
Even if you have previously attended SOP
training in the District, it would be
productive to review the material with
Chuck who has led the Society's SOP
training program for several years. As
Chuck has noted, “It is a proven fact that
this program, which enhances the
performances of both choruses and
quartets, leads to increased membership.”
In thinking about the SOP and the other
educational tools the Society and our LO'L
District provide for our members and for
our youth, it is unfortunate to consider that
many or most of our members do not take
advantage of these opportunities. One
analysis by the Society suggests that only
about 20% of our members access these
opportunities.
I thought about this recently when I
attended a workshop for non-profit
organizations. One of the trainers stressed
the impor tance of inspiring our
organizations and communities in a
creative process to promote growth. He
offered a list of suggestions to accomplish
this that I think we can apply to our
chapters and our organization. Here's the
list:
1. Know the value of what you
create
2. Decide what you are best at in
the World
3. Create an invitation to explore
4. Lead the inquiry in the group
5. Be passionate, but not
opinionated
6. Once you have found a
direction, own it
If you have any questions about the SOP
training or if you want an SOP review for
your chapter or quartet, please contact me
at sylte0004@msn.com.
JD
If you plan to attend Chuck's class, you can
preregister for the class by sending an
e-mail to Chuck at chuckalexander@
rogers.com. Give Chuck your name,
e-mail address and indicate you will serve
4
May - June 2011
SPRING PRE-LIMS AND
DIVISION ONE CONTEST
CHORUS DIRECTOR
CERTIFICATION PRESENTATION
Submitted by Chuck Schubbe
LO’L District Executive VP
Submitted by John Plazek
Photo by Paula Billows
It was a perfect day to drive to Greendale from
Mankato for the Spring Pre-Lim’s and Division
One Contest, and that was just the start of a
wonderful weekend. The hotel was just great for
the convention. We were treated very well.
Good food, great rooms and a very nice facility
to meet and greet during our stay in Greendale. It was too bad
the afterglow had to be canceled, but thanks to the many great
quartets that sang at the Presidents Hospitality room the final
evening was filled with song. Larry and Alice were great hosts,
and they certainly know how to have a great party! We thank
them for making their room a great place to meet, visit and
enjoy all the goodies.
I would like to thank all those who made the contest so much
fun. MVE Chapter having the great venue for a contest and
having a wonderful group of people available to help with
everything we needed. The sound problems were corrected in
short order and the quartets, chorus, and VLQ’s sounded great.
My hats off to the Judging panel and Jack Ryback for making
sure everything was in place to give the competitors perfect
conditions to “strut their stuff”. I would also like to thank the
Events Committee and their camera crew for a very smooth
flowing contest for competitors and the audience. I am sure
Lowell and Gerry will be the first to agree that moving all the
men across the stage is not nearly as easy as it looks.
It is with great pleasure
that I announce that
SHERRIE JOANNE
BREDESEN, former
director of the Golden
Chordsmen Chorus
from Winnipeg, MB,
has officially become a
Cer tified Director.
Sherrie was unable to
attend the International Preliminary Convention in Greendale,
WI, April 29 & 30, 2011. I presented her plaque and lapel pin to
Gordon Billows, the Red Carpet & NW Division VP, on behalf of
Sherrie. He will make an award presentation to her in the near
future. This is a long process to earn this award. It takes a lot of
hard work and dedication to attain this level of expertise. Once
again, Congratulations to Sherrie on becoming a member of
the small group of men and women in the Land O' Lakes to
have earned this award!
Judd Orff, and his Chapter Counselors, will be visiting every
chapter in the LO’L District to conduct a “Chapter Health and
Wellness Survey” in the next few months. Judd’s committee will
ask a series of questions to see how your chapter is doing, and
what the District and Society needs to do to make your
Barbershop hobby more fun and productive for you as a
member. The goal is to have a 100% response
from the LO’L Chapters, so be looking
forward to the Chapter counselors making
an appointment with you for this very
important survey.
Sing well, have fun!
The Benson Family Singers are pleased to announce
the release of their brand new CD, Shine On Me
featuring 12 of their favorite songs, including: “I feel a
Song Comin’ On”, “I’ll Fly Away”, “Da Do Ron Ron”, “It
is Well with my Soul” and other surprises.
To order and listen to samples, go to:
www.bensonfamilymusic.com
Pitch Piper
5
May - June 2011
STEP FORWARD NOW!
LO’L MEMBERSHIP 2011
Submitted by Steve Zorn
LO’L Director Membership
‘STEP FORWARD NOW'
to let men of all ages know
what a great experience
they can have singing
with Barbershop music. I
know many of you are
doing this as evidenced by the 2011
International Qualifying Contest held in
Greendale.
It was great to see the performances of the
choruses. From the biggest to the smallest
a fine product was presented. Division
One is certainly setting the standard for
Land O' Lakes District. We will see some
great singing in Rochester at the District
Contest in October.
How are Chapters reaching out and
recruiting new guys? Many chapters are
hosting guest nights where time is
dedicated to getting visitors to sing, not
just follow along. Why not have them
“tag” along? (Pun intended!) Be sure your
chapter members know a few tags,
especially ones with only three or four
notes, so a visitor can quickly sing along.
Other Chapters are using Facebook to let
visitors know about us. Are you scared or
hesitant to sign up for Facebook? If so,
consider using it ONLY for your singing
experience. You can hide practically
everything personal if you set it up
properly. I am always amazed at how
much information I learn from “friends”
on Facebook, even when I share very little.
Talk to someone in your Chapter about
Facebook and how it can work for you.
meeting, the next sing out, and the
annual show all free of charge!
Let's take a look at the membership
numbers.
2011 LO’L B.O.T.Y. Recipient
Lowell Bennes Moorhead, MN
receives the
2011 LO’L
Barbershopper
of the Year
award from
John Plazek,
2010 recipient.
Nothing beats personal, one on one
discussion with people you know or
meet. Your enthusiasm is contagious.
STEP FORWARD NOW and make a
difference.
Let's review the 35 new members this
year as of 5/12/11.
Age at Join Date
Less than 20
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-70
70+
No DOB
Number
8
9
1
2
8
4
3
0
Chapters with new members:
Saskatoon - 4, Hilltop, Greendale - 3,
Frank Thorne, Greater Grand Forks,
Wausau, Minneapolis, Madison, Green
Bay, St. Croix Valley - 2, Regina,
LaCrosse, Delta County, Mankato,
Appleton, Stevens Point, Winnipeg,
Dunn County, St. Cloud, West Allis,
Willmar - 1
CONGRATULATIONS
2011 Chapter B.O.T.Y. Winners
Dauphin, Man
- Pat McKay
Appleton, WI
- Jack Marcoe
ireless
HarmonyWith No Strings Attached
Visit our website at www.wirelessqt.com
Contact:Jim Puffe
3030 14th Ave S
Moorhead, MN 56560
218-236-7480
jimpuffe@wirelessqt.com
We can add to these numbers if each
one of us STEPS FORWARD NOW!
Please contact me with any membership
questions or ideas. What can we
promote in Land O' Lakes that will get
more men in to our Chapter meetings?
What are you doing in your Chapters?
Please let me know so I can use this
column to show how we can all STEP
FORWARD NOW!
Many of you have been invited to
“Events” on Facebook. You can set up
events that promote your Chapter
Pitch Piper
6
May - June 2011
METHODS TO GET THE MOST
FROM THE MEDIA
CHAPTER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
ARE PRESENTED
Submitted by Ken Mettler
LO’L Director Marketing and Public Relations
Submitted by Dick Teeters, Contest Coordinator
The Land O’ Lakes District conducted another Chapter
Achievement Awards Program for activities conducted during
2010. Chapters were provided a one-page form to be used to
tally points for the various administrative and musical activities
during the year. Thirty-three chapters participated. This is more
than the previous seven years and was over 60% of the chapters
in the district. Plaques were presented to the top chapter in each
of the three plateaus. Second and third place chapters received
laminated certificates. Special Recognition certificates, also
laminated, were presented to those chapters achieving at least
750 point (Plateau A) or 1000 points (Plateau AA). Other
chapters received laminated Honorable Mention certificates.
Welcome to another issue of Marketing the
Magic of Barbershop Harmony. Its always
exciting for us as barbershoppers to get news
about another chorus show. If you’ve put
yourself “out there” with a public relations
campaign, your dealings with the media now
become critical. Those relationships with the
media can make or break your public relations efforts.
Here are some Magic ways to get the media to love you:
1. Give media calls your full attention. Maybe you’re having
lunch; stop eating and put a pen in one hand and the phone in the
other. Allow no interruptions when the media is on the phone.
The top award winner in Plateau A was the Manitowoc County,
Wisconsin, Chapter with a score of 1409 points. Second Place
was secured by the Plymouth, Wisconsin, Chapter, with a score of
1160 points. Third Place went to the Rock Valley, Wisconsin,
Chapter with a total of 1144 points. Chapters scoring at least 750
points were Milwaukee (1048), Saskatoon (822), Fergus Falls
(785), and Madison (768). Other chapters participating were
West Allis, Wausau, Dunn County, Faribault, Bloomington,
Rochester, Kenosha, Duluth/Superior, Minocqua/Woodruff,
Albert Lea, Minnetonka, and LeRoy.
2. Treat the media like gold. Answer their questions in a
forthcoming manner, in a respectful, pleasant tone. Do not
disparage others and be careful about making negative
comments. Do not lie or provide exaggerated claims. Just like
you, media people appreciate those who take the “high road”.
3. Be realistic about coverage. A reporter can interview you for an
hour and you might only have one line in the media, or possibly
none. Depending on how the story goes or space available or the
editor’s whim, any of the above can happen. The reporters owe
you nothing for your time. Take this in stride and be pleasant and
understanding in future dealings with them.
The Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Chapter, was the top point scorer in
Plateau AA in 2010 with a score of 1990 points. Second Place
Chapter was the Mankato, Minnesota, Chapter with a score of
1782 points The Third Place certificate was awarded to the St.
Croix Valley, Minnesota, Chapter, which scored 1622 points.
Special Recognition certificates for scoring a minimum of 1000
points were presented to the Winnipeg Chapter (1343), Appleton
(1230), Greater St. Paul Area (1060), and Fargo/Moorhead
(1010. Other chapters participating were La Crosse, Green Bay,
Polk County, and Racine.
10. Give the Media a pat on the back. Thank them. Media people
are like you, they enjoy a “thank you” once in a while. And no
one can ever get too many thank-yous. To have a bigger effect,
put it in a hand written note.
By putting effort into developing positive media relationships,
you’ll increase
your chances of
Main Street Station
current and future
an a capella quartet
public relations
robb jason steve patrick
success. When
we have a
contact: steve mendell
product like
(608) 769-5830
skamwbass@yahoo.com
barbershop
www.mainstreetstationquartet.com
harmony to
facebook: main street station
market, it pays to
put our best foot
forward.
The Greendale, Wisconsin, Chapter was the top point scorer in
Plateau AAA again in 2010 with a total score of 2240. This was
the highest score achieved in the program. The Minneapolis,
Minnesota, Chapter accumulated 1269 points and received the
Second Place Award. Third Place was awarded to the Hilltop,
Minnesota, Chapter for scoring 1262 points.
Was your chapter listed above? Why not? I strongly encourage
every chapter to participate. It’s not really just a contest. Actually,
it’s a guide to let your chapter administration and members see
what they could be doing to improve their chapter and to
promote the art of barbershop singing in your area.
Was your chapter listed above? Why not? I strongly encourage
every chapter to participate. It’s not really just a contest. Actually,
it’s a guide to let your chapter administration and members see
what they could be doing to improve their chapter and to
promote the art of barbershop singing in your area.
Contact Joe at 715-344-1182
Email: joe@regalblend.com
7
May - June 2011
DIRECTOR NEEDED!!
The Mankato Riverblenders chorus is seeking a new musical
director. We are losing our fine, young director, Derek Glenna,
who is completing his education and moving to the Twin Cities
area to begin a new career. We wish him well in his new
venture and look forward to his future barbershop
accomplishments singing and directing. We are looking for
someone with solid barbershop experience to fill his shoes.
The Riverblenders motto is “Sing Well, Have Fun!” We are a
competitive chorus and are the current Southwest Division
champions and plan to compete in Rochester in October.
Derek will direct the chorus through the district competition.
This is a paid position with 50 rehearsals per year, 2 contests,
summer church sing outs, community events, Christmas
program, annual show, youth in harmony festival, etc. The
chapter has a full calendar of events available.
If you are interested in an opportunity to direct a great chorus,
sing well, and have fun, contact Bruce Gray at 507-934-2372
for more information or send your resume’ to Wayne Hughes
at 22280 489 Avenue, Lake Crystal, MN 56055.
JD
Pitch Piper
8
May - June 2011
on this much earlier and often. In order to break even, we need at
least 60 students to attend the camp. It can be a wonderful
experience. I talked to a young man at the convention who I met
at the camp four years ago and he is now in the local chapter.
YOUTH IN HARMONY
Submitted by Jon Buss
LO’L Youth In Harmony Director
Youth in Harmony is alive and well and that is
exciting. There are many events with youth
going on this year in the LO’L district.
Congratulations.
4. Promote the Harmony University. I submited the name of a
local choir director to James Estes for a scholarship to the week
program. He is excited and he told me that BBS has helped his
entire music program.
We have more going on in our District than all of
the society. That is wonderful. I shared with the
District Board some of my goals and here they are:
5. Promote the Barbershop Harmony Foundation. They are our
life blood. Join the Ambassadors of Song, which is a way to
donate on a monthly basis by having it drawn from your checking
account. It can be any amount, $10 or whatever. I did and I don't
miss it and I feel great about doing it. I will also donate in addition,
but that program gives the Foundation a regular flow of income.
Dick Staedt is working on some different ways to get all chapters
involved in donating to the Foundation, so stay tuned for that.
What a great tax deduction to promote this great hobby.
1. Promote more Youth in Harmony directors. We need one in
each chapter. We presently have 19 out of 49 chapters. It takes
someone who will be committed to the program for at least a five
year period. After that he can train in a new one and work with
him. It is much easier to communicate with that director than the
President, who has a lot on his plate as it is. Include the director in
your chapter meeting so the entire board will be informed on
what is going on.
6. Promote the Leadership Academy in January. I hope to bring
other Youth directors to share their experiences. I am also working
on a detailed layout of how to do a workshop, so you will have a
written manual so to speak. I hope to have 49 Youth In Harmony
Directors attend the Academy. Okay?
2. Promote more youth events in the district. It can be a one day
workshop, joint concert, having a youth group on your annual
show, quartet to the various schools and sing with the students a
variety of songs, sponsor a youth chorus to the midwinter
convention, etc.
Let's get the whole world singing and the world will be a better
place.
3. Promote the Explosion camp. This really should be a yearround project, because you need to work with the choir directors
A Barn Burner in Greendale
In Memoriam
GQ was so excited to be a part of one of the finest Prelims contests in our district's
history! Six, count them, six quartets from LO'L have qualified for Kansas City!
That is a first for our district. There were also two out-of-district quartets, Voices
Unlimited and Off the Record, that posted qualifying scores. When eight quartets
sing that well in competition, the
audience is the winner. Thanks
so much to Kelcey Lee for the
great action pictures (like the one
you see with this article).
It is with sadness we
report the passing
of a long time
barbershopper and
Mr. Bass man, Rollie
Tonnell. Rollie was a
life long member of
the Fox Valleyaires
and also sang with the Pride of the
Valley. As bass of the Ham N' Wry he
has entertained chapter audiences
throughout LOL and the Society. He
will be greatly missed.
A highlight for GQ was singing at
Harmony Inn, a local Greendale
restaurant with a distinctively
barbershop ambience. We spent
time with Off the Record there; what a great bunch of guys! If you are ever in the
Greendale area, the Harmony Inn is a required stop.
We were lucky to be able to compete at all after our baritone, Brent Graham,
came down with a nasty cold. Thankfully he could still perform by smartly
managing his voice throughout the weekend. We're excited to have four strong
voices again (after the cold worked its way through the other quartet members) to
prepare for International.
GQ will be proud to represent LO'L in Kansas City this summer. We're especially
happy to cheer on the five other LO'L quartets. What a wonderful hobby!
9
May - June 2011
10
May - June 2011
QUARTET SCHOOL
FINAL NOTICE!!
2011 MN Twins Singout
As poorly as the Twins have been playing, that should not
deter us from giving them the best possible performance we
can.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 2011
LOCATION: Target Field
TIME: 1 PM game. Arrival must be no later than 11:45 AM
VISITING TEAM: New York Yankees
NOTE: MLB has the option of changing ANY game starting
time but it is rare.
TICKET PRICE: $20
SEAT LOCATION: Sections each side of the foul pole in right
field
We have 300 tickets this year. Rules are the same as last year,
SINGERS first (all were singers last year) then guests in order
of requests. We have received some requests for guests
already. All requests for SINGERS will be honored through
June 15 up to 300 total.
JD
Submitted by Clary Reinhardt
Another successful quartet school was held in Appleton on April, 2,
2011. My thanks to Judd Orff for lining up the coaches and to
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Appleton for letting us use
their facility. This was my second year hosting the quartet school at
this facility and I hope to be able to return there next year. We had
room for eight quartets, but in the end I had to settle for four. The
four quartets had some excellent coaching from Brad Charles,
Harry Hanson, Jim Franklin and Josh Umhoefer. The
quartets were: FOG - John VerBockel, Gerry Dunning, Jack
Marcoe and Clary Reinhardt. Members of Latest Edition are:
Chris Falk, Jennifer Wessman, Charlene Helms and Becky
LaLonde. Members of Next Generation are: Mark Tall, Ted
Brainard, Jeff Kobasic and Bill Ehrhardt: Supernova just
had 3 members in attendance: Nathan Seager, Ben Stephany
and Michael Blair. Although the men's quartets did not
compete, they all felt that the coaching was very helpful and it will
help them in the future. Latest Edition competed in a regional
contest. I apologize for not knowing their outcome in the contest.
If you are planning on singing, please do the following:
1. Count the number of SINGERS and send a check(s),
made out to either the Great Northern Union or the
Minnesota Twins for the right amount ($20 each
ticket).
2. Tell me the number of guest tickets you would like
there is no guarantee that there will be any available.
Send NO MONEY for potential guest tickets. If any are
available, I will tell you how many you can get and you
can send another check(s).
3. Send an email to the address below (or call) to let me
know that you are sending in your request.
I need all the money for SINGERS
by June 15th, please.
At that time I will contact those who would be eligible for
guest tickets. Remember, first come, first served.
Tickets will be distributed in July after International. If you
are a local chorus singing at Como, I will have the tickets for
you at that time.
Contact me with any questions you might have.
Ken Slinde
VP Membership and Twins Ticket Wrangler
Great Northern Union Chorus
2100 Dixon Drive
Bloomington, MN 55431-1711
952.884.4975 Home
612.817.5724 Cell
Email at: gnubass@comcaast.net
TOP BULLETIN EDITORS FOR 2010
Submitted by Dick Teeters
LO’L District PROBE Coordinator
The 2010 chapter Bulletin Editor of the Year (BETY) was unique in
that there were only two entries - one each in the two categories.
One category is for printed publications; the other, recently added is
for bulletins that are available on-line.
Chord-inator, chapter bulletin of the Minneapolis, Minnesota,
Chapter, edited by Dr. Hardin Olson was declared the 2010 Land
O’ Lakes District Bulletin Editor of the Year (BETY) in the printed
category. Hardin has submitted entries to the District bulletin
editors’ contest seven times previously and has placed in the top
spot six times. The Chord-inator has been entered in the
International BETY Contest each of these six times and moved up
in the standings four years (from 22nd in 2004 (2003 bulletins) to
fourth in 2009 (2008 bulletins). He was presented the Dick Girvin
Most Improved Bulletin Award in 2005 for advancing 10 places.
GNUsNews, chapter bulletin of the Hilltop, Minnesota, chapter,
edited by Terry Wheeler was entered in the electronic category
and declared the 2010 Land O’ Lakes Bulletin Editor of the Year
(BETY) for that category. This was the first year that Terry has
entered the contest.
Both of these bulletins have been entered in the International
Bulletin Editor of the Year (IBETY) contest in its respective category.
Each of them is a high quality publication and will represent the
district well in the IBETY.
Plaques were presented at the House of Delegates meeting in
Greendale.
11
May - June 2011
Land O’ Lakes District Association of
Chapters of SPEBSQSA Inc.
110 7th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37203-3704
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
MANITOWOC, WI
54220
PERMIT NO. 14
DATED MATERIAL ENCLOSED
Calendar
NOTE: Dates shown on this page are for those activities
that have proper clearance through the District Secretary.
Please DO NOT send show registrations to the editor, DO
notify:
BOB BREY, Secretary
Land O' Lakes District
1411 S. 31st Street
Manitowoc, WI 54220
smtr934@lsol.net
2011
June
17
5
8
2
Hilltop, MN
2-10 Kansas City, MO
International Convention
August
6
Madison, WI
September
15-17 Fargo-Moorhead, ND
October
1
Delta County, MI
Max Q, Next Generation
1
Milwaukee, WI
1
Stevens Point, WI
Cabaret
SEP, The Benson Family
Easy Days, Chordiology
8
Rochester, MN
21-23 Rochester, MN
Fall Convention
November
5
Winona, MN
5
Bloomington, MN
12
19
19
Eagles
19
Red Carpet & Northwest Contest
October
26-28 Rochester, MN
Fall Convention
2013
April
6
May
Rock Valley, WI
Hilltop, MN
Minot, ND
Fergus Falls, MN
3-5
5
Division One Contest
International Prelims &
Spring Convention
Southwest Division Contest
October
Fergus Falls, MN (Wadena)
July
Lake Geneva, WI
Polk County, WI
2012
March
24
Manitowoc, WI
30-31 Southwest & 10,000 Lakes
Contest
April
14
Greendale, WI
Division One Contest
14 or 21 Mankato, MN
May
4
Stevens Point, WI
5
Stevens Point, WI
Spring Convention &
International Prelims
Packerland Contest
25-27 Fall Convention