The Heartbeat

The Heartbeat
May—2014, Volume 11, Issue 5
The official newsletter of the Heart Of Florida Chorus,
Central Florida Chapter, Barbershop Harmony Society
The chapter meets every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m.
in North Lake Presbyterian Church, 975 Rolling Acres Road
Lady Lake, Florida
HOF Has A Picnic
By Elbie Ford
heartoffloridachorus.org
2014 SUN Distrct Spring Chorus Contest
What The Judges Said
by Larry Robinson
Editors note: The chorus placed 6th (tied with Orlando's
Orange Blossom Chorus—one point behind the Fifth
place chorus—Harbor City Chorus from Melbourne.
Our quartet, 4 Sharps, finished 8th in the Quartet Contest.
After a few date changes, the chapter had their picnic on
Saturday, March 22nd, at the Satellite Clubhouse at Water Oak. There were about 70 people in attendance.
There was plenty of food to go around, so none of us
went home hungry.
Dick Gordon hosted the program and did a fine job (as
usual). At the talent show following the meal, the attendees were treated to two chapter made-up quartets, Ron
Scott story, a guest playing his ukulele and singing two
songs for us. I'm sorry but I know I've missed a few but
you know who you are and what you did—I'm sure you
did a fine job.
After some tag and polecat singing we all agreed that the
picnic was another success and went home satisfied.
(More photos on page 5)
The Heart of Florida Chorus sang first in the contest,
Our ballad was "All Alone" and the up-tempo tune was
"Drivin' Me Crazy." Following the contest, the Music
Team, plus a few interested members, met with three of
the judges. A few of their remarks follows:
The Music Judge, Adam Reimnitz, from the Rocky Mountain District said; "The first song was tastefully done,
done, most of the time you sounded sincere, but it wasn't
100% consistent throughout the entire song. Each singer
singer must take personal responsibility to make it real,
and keep it real." He also said, "The climax of the song
was good, and the key change was good." The main area
we should try to improve is Unit Sound. As an example,
he noted that when the leads sang, "All alone . . . " at the
beginning of the chorus, it did not sound like one voice).
We need to listen to each other, and "blend" our voices.
He also said the tenors were "out of it . . . blending . . ."
They were not good or bad—just different. (Maybe
Scotty understood that better than I.)
On "Drivin' Me Crazy" he said "Good fun and the key
change was well performed! Then the leads began to sag
a bit." We emoted the word, "crazy" very well, but we
could have looked for more words to emphasize. And he
added, "singers, often don't make enough of the consonants, although there is some peril involved if the singers
start 'punching' the words . . . keep it smooth. Was there
there a tempo plan?" He suggested we do percussion
drills to improve our singing to a planned tempo (bang on
pans, or hit two sticks together.
The Singing Judge, Brett Littlefield, from the Far Western District said we sang nice target vowels (See page 8)
Page 2
May
The Heartbeat
WONDERFUL HOSTING JOB
Harold Lathom
By President Fran Donohoe
Writing condolence letters to
the next of kin
of members is
part
of
my
“official” duties
as
Secretary.
This by far is one
of the most
difficult letters I
have
written.
We were dismayed
when
your dad became
ill and while the
news of his passing was not
unexpected,
it
was none-the-less, a shock. He was more than a brother
in barbershop to all of us—he was our friend, my friend,
and for that we all loved him. We weep tears not for him
but for ourselves.
By now most of us have recovered from
a very busy weekend. 44 members and
wives did one great job of Hosting our
District Convention! In spite of some
district folks being unavailable for the
convention, we all managed to make it
go quite smoothly. No one had a meltdown and all were patient. I am not aware of any vulgar
expletives being hurled at my self or any other member
of our team, so that is a good thing. I could single out a
number of guys and gals who did just an outstanding job
and I will Thursday evening. The only known casualty
was an unidentified chorus member being escorted to the
Vista room by my wife, Barbara. When they exited the
elevator he disappeared into a crowd and Barbara never
saw him again. Maybe we need a small four-person golf
cart for those with ambulatory issues.
Scott will review our performance in detail on Thursday
so be sure to be on time. I believe we will have an opportunity to hear an audio recording of our performance. If
each of us did everything asked of us then we should be
proud of our performance.
Thanks to all who helped==we’re definitely champions
in that regard.
Extravaganza
Sunday, June 22—North Lake
Presbyterian Church
Featuring—Main Street, The Society,
The Academy, and The Sunny Boys.
(The quartets going to International)
Plus—the Heart Of Florida Chorus
Tickets $15—available through
The Villages Box Office
True Facts
Two 1903 paintings recently sold at auction for $590,000
- the paintings were in the famous "Dogs Playing Poker" series.
Romanian firefighters could not get their trucks close
enough to a burning building, so they put out the fire by
throwing snowballs at it.
A private elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia, accidentally served margaritas to its schoolchildren, thinking it was limeade
Oprah Winfrey and Elvis Presley are distant cousins.
We weep tears of sadness because we will not see or
sing with him again in this life.
We weep tears of disbelief that his friendship has been
taken from us.
We weep tears of hope because his memory will remain
forever in our hearts and thoughts.
We weep tears of happiness for the great memories he
has given us.
Our Barbershop Harmony Society is a brotherhood of
men dedicated to the preservation of this wonderful barbershop hobby. Harold was a forward thinker and was
always willing to share his knowledge of barbershop with
others. His dedication, great smile and unique sense of
humor shall always be remembered. We all are truly
saddened by his passing but richer for having known him.
On behalf of the Sunshine District, I want to express my
deepest sympathy to Julie, Jeff and the rest of Harld's
family. His support, leadership, and achievements during
his 40 years as a barbershopper showed he had a special
love for this hobby. His many friends in the Central Florida and Jacksonville Big “O” chapters, the Sunshine District, the contest and judging community, and the entire
Barbershop Harmony Society mourn his passing and will
miss joining with him in song and camaraderie. Please
thank your entire family for sharing him with us.
Sadly, Dan Brinkmann
May
Page 3
The Heartbeat
By Roz Fischer
Just A Couple ‘a Minutes
By Secretary Jim Busko
Board of Directors Meeting, February,
2014. Directors in attendance were:
Fran Donohoe, Jim Gehrlein, Brent
Bierma, Dick Fischer, Scott Werner
and Dick Baird. Directors absent were:
Tom Hogshead, Don Barnes, Dave
Holmberg, John Fleming, Jeremy Reynolds and Jim
Busko – Minutes taken by Brent Bierma. Minutes of
the January meeting were reviewed and approved. Darrell ‘Willie’ Williams was accepted as a member of the chapter.
Treasurer’s January Report. It was carried. The 2014
budget presented and approved.
Marketing and PR Report. Tom Hogshead had no report, but asked for ideas for marketing additional chorus
jobs, and there were some suggestions. He was asked to
pursue, assertively, some added print coverage, including
Recreation News and business cards in the Daily Sun.
Brent Bierma discussed recently placing a requested
article in the Rec News, and past attempts with TriCounty Briefs coverage.
Membership Report. A guest day is to be coordinated
with the Spring Picnic on March 22 at Water Oak, and
Dave Homberg is working to invite past members.
Music Committee Report Don Barnes reviewed the
music committee report. There was a discussion of the
hosting at the Orlando Spring Convention.
There was a discussion of the responsibilities of the VP
Music and Performance and Ken Carter has been asked
to coordinate show talent and venue arrangements. The
North Lake Church venue was discussed for June 14, as
many quartets travel after work if its on a Friday, so Saturday was selected.
The Music Committee recommended approval of revised
Quartet Show Guidelines; in good standing simply means
dues are paid up, and Quartet guidelines do not restrict
hiring outside talent. Music Director, Scott Werner, felt
"Driving Me Crazy" was coming along nicely for Convention. Jan Haley will help with lead sectionals and SP.
Scott felt the voice placement done last week produced
fuller and better sound.
(More minutes on page 5)
Hi Ladies, An interesting thing happened to me yesterday, as I was driving
home on Rt. 441. I had my Sirius radio tuned to 71.0 (Sinatra) and on
came Nat King Cole, singing
"Unforgettable." I really did not want
Sirius radio in our car, thinking it was a
waste of money; but finding this station
just last week has proven me wrong. Not only do they
play Sinatra, but all the really smooth oldies that we
danced to in high school. Nat King Cole has always had
a magical effect on my moods, as well as Perry Como
and Johnny Mathis. As, the Cole song ended, on came
Perry Como with "Solo Tu". I could feel the tension leave
my body and I began to relax. I had to sit in my driveway and listen to Perry sing the rest of the song before I
entered the house. These magical songs come on so infrequently that I will sit and listen to the rest of the song
before leaving my car. This is not a plug for Sirius radio,
but just to state that music is meant to be enjoyed and
does effect our moods, sometimes even making me cry,
reminding me of an event or a moment shared. I hope
you have this experience as well.
If you have any cotton material, (the weight of bed
sheets), worsted yarn, or motel soaps, shampoos, lotions,
etc., please have your fella take them to chorus practice
and give them to my husband, Dick, for Operation Shoebox. Thank you from all the troops who will receive the
items. The yarn will be used to make hats for our troops,
and the fabric will be used to make bags for each troop
member. Operation Shoebox has sent over one million
packages since their formation in 2003. Questions? call
me at 750-6755
MEET THE HEARTHROB
CAROL BAJUS
This interesting lady was
born in Cleveland, Ohio, on
November 4th. She and her
husband, Emil, would have
been married thirty-two years
when Emil passed away. They
met at Emil's church in Ohio.
They had two children and
adopted a 16-month-old
grandson, who later died at
age 16. She has lived in Westlake, Ohio; Fairview Park,
(Continued on page 9)
Page 4
C R a f t
May
The Heartbeat
How To Determine A
Key—Part 2
O
R As seen in Nuggets—Bulletin of the San Obispo
Chapter, Rudy Xavier, Editor
n
E What if the song switches between major and
minor as it progresses or has other, more obvious
R key changes? How do we know which chord to
look at to find the Do for that section of music? Answer: we need to identify the “resting” places.
These are chords on which the song could end, and
everyone would feel a sense of musical completion
and satisfaction. BTW, a song doesn’t have to be
long to end on a satisfying chord. First, consider the
song “Happy Birthday to You.” Try ending the song
after each one of its four musical phrases. You can’t
end “Happy Birthday to You” anywhere but after the
final chord of the song because none of the first
three phrases ends on a tonic chord. That’s why each
of those phrases leaves you musically unsatisfied
and wanting/needing more.
Now, consider the song “Polly Wolly Doodle.” You
could end the song after the second “Sing Polly
wolly doodle all the day;” never get to the first chorus that begins, “Fair thee well,” and everyone
would still be musically satisfied. That’s because
the second “Sing Polly wolly doo-dle all the day”
ends on the tonic chord. So, in the middle of a song
with multiple keys, find a chord where you can rest
and feel musically satisfied and find out where the
bass is. Also look to see if any note is doubled by
two parts. I'd bet dollars to donuts, that’s your Do.
Technique #3 (to verify suspected minor keys): If
you think that you have determined that your song or
song section is minor, here’s another method likely
to corroborate what you sus-pect: look for forced
leading tones throughout the section of music in
question. What are leading tones and why would we
want to force them? The predominant leading tone
in any scale is the Ti syllable (just before Do). It is
only a half step, or semitone, away from the Do, so
it creates tension or suspension and “leads” you to
the Do. Your brain will naturally want to hear the
Do after it hears the Ti because it wants that feeling
of resolution—the tension of the Ti leads you to the
resolution of the Do.
If you play or sing a minor scale by simply following the key signature, you are producing the natural
minor scale. A natural minor scale has a lowered
third (Me), a lowered sixth (Le), and a lowered seventh (Te). Lowering Ti to Te eliminates the leading
tone, making the natural minor scale a rather unpopular one. We prefer our melodies and their supporting chords to have lead-ing tones (we like that
tension and resolution), so two alternate minor
scales, harmonic (most popular) and melodic (runner
-up), were developed. The harmonic minor scale
restores the Ti (leading tone) on both the ascent and
descent of the scale. The melodic minor scale restores the Ti (leading tone) on the ascent of the scale only.
How do we use our knowledge of the leading tone to
support what we already think we know about the
key (that it is the relative minor)? We look for accidentals in the music. Accidentals (sharps or flats)
are used when we need to deviate from the notes dictated by the key signature. Accidentals allow us to
create diminished or augmented chords (the “cool”
chords). They also allow us to restore the leading
tone Ti to the natural minor scale (which is the only
minor scale that the key signature can give us) in
order to give us our much-preferred harmonic or melodic minor scale. Find some accidentals and ask
yourself if they are transforming Te into Ti in the
harmonic or melodic minor scale that you are proposing. If some of these accidentals are transforming Te into Ti, you have good confirmation that you
are in a minor key for that section of the music.
Use these techniques to identify the key and you’ll
come off as a real musical authority!
Attention
If you have not joined the Heart of Florida Chorus Yahoo email list, there is another option for you to join
the list. Send an email to: <Heart_of_Florida_Chorus
-subscribe@yahoogroups.com> and your request to
join will be queued up to me for approval. As soon as I
receive the notice, I will verify your email address and
approve your membership. When typing the address,
there is an “Underscore” character between each of the
words. The underscore key is above the dash. You
need to use the shift key. It is NOT a space. Most programs automatically make the address a hyperlink and
by default draw a line under the whole address. If you
have any problems, give me a call. John Fleming, 352430-1445
May
Page 5
The Heartbeat
(From page 3)
See Just A Couple ‘a Minutes
(From page 1)
See the HOF Has A Picnic
Board of Directors Meeting—Central Florida Chapter,
Barbershop Harmony Society, March, 2014. Board
Members present were: Fran Donohoe, Dave Holmberg, Dick Baird, Dick Gordon, Jim Gehrlein and
Dick Fischer. Members not present were: John Fleming, Brent Bierma, Tom Hogshead, Don Barnes and
Jim Busko. Visiting was Elmo Wagner.
The review of the secretary's report was postponed until
the April meeting.
Dick Fischer reviewed the treasurer’s report. On an approved motion his report was received.
Chapter Program Report - Dick Gordon will take charge
of the final preparations for the Chapter picnic on March
22nd and MC the activities. Dick and Fran Donohoe
will solicit additional assistance at rehearsal on March 20th.
Membership VP - Dave Holmberg reviewed his preparations for the picnic including the list of former members
that he will be inviting.
Jim Gehrlein followed up on a suggestion by the Music
Director that the chorus devote one rehearsal night per
month this summer to singing at Veterans Park in The
Villages. Jim reported that he had contacted the president of the board that oversees the park who agreed to
present the proposal to his board for approval at their
April meeting.
New Business: Fran read a note from NLPC, provided by
Elmo Wagoner, concerning charges for sound technicians and the church sextant at future shows. The board
agreed to continue to pay the sound technician $200 and
to pay the sextant $100 for up to four hours. Elmo also
reported that he had obtained permission to use the
church for an extra rehearsal if necessary on Tuesday
April 29th. Minutes prepared by Jim Gehrlein for Jim
Busko.
Dick Gordon, thinking no one would would
recognize him in sunglasses!
Elmo Wagoner, Norb Schneider, John Kirk and Joe
Burns singing during the program.
Ken Wantuck, Reed Johnson, Brent Bierma and
Dave O’Dwer singing during the program.
Visitor Randy Freeman from Plainfield, Indiana
sings two songs with his ukulele
Page 6
May
The Heartbeat
Six things every director
wishes you already
knew about rehearsing
By Bill Rashleigh, from The Harmonizer, January/February
2003, as seen in The Voice Of Rushmore,bulletin of the
Mt. Rushmore Chapter, John Elving, editor
Directors often become frustrated by the famous “I taught
that last week” syndrome that seems to plague every chorus. If all chorus members will internalize the following
lessons, they can reduce the “syndrome’s” symptoms—if
not cure the disease—and help make a better chorus in
the process. Here are some things to think about:
1. For the chorus to improve, each man must leave his
own behavioral comfort zone. If each singer would improve one aspect, skill, or attitude each and every time he
sings, the overall music will get better very quickly.
Take ownership of something. Maybe it is a breathing
issue, maybe a balance challenge, maybe it is adding
more air-flow over the break in your individual voice.
Simple things like these accomplish immediate improvement.
2. You should be emotionally involved in the music.
Barbershop is a very emotional, heartfelt, simplistically
beautiful style of music. The music doesn’t need to be
complex to produce complex emotions in the singers or
the audience. However, anything less than full effort will
result in a less satisfying musical experience for you and
your audiences. When you commit to becoming a member of your chapter’s chorus, you’re committing to being
a doer rather than a casual spectator. With that responsibility to put your whole self into the music comes the joy
of joining others to bring music to life. What greater purpose in the arts might there be?
3. Rehearsals will be more productive if you listen—and
extinguish comments—while on the risers. When your
director cuts off the chorus in the middle of a phrase, do
you sometimes choose this moment to tell your neighbor
that he sang the wrong note or “oo” vowel? You may
think you’re helping, but this disrupts the flow of the rehearsal. Remember this: Unlike you, the director hears
exactly what the audience would hear (the macro effect).
If he didn’t hear what you just heard (the micro effect),
the audience probably wouldn’t hear it, either. On the
other hand, the issues he identifies (both positive and
negative) will be critical. The director can fix many more
problems when chorus members withhold their comments and trust him to prioritize which issues need to be
addressed at the moment. If the director consistently
overlooks something that is bothering you, it is best to
discuss it with your section leader or your di
rector after you get off the risers.
4. Singing well takes a lot of exertion. Singing requires
more concentration, for a longer period of time, than any
other activity. Psychologists will tell you the mind works
in concentration spurts, about 7-10 seconds, then we
think of something else. Most activities that require concentration require it for very short periods of time, but a
song lasts 2-1/2 to 3 minutes. That is a very long time.
So train your mind, through a variety of exercises, to increase the length of time you can concentrate, and you
will be able to handle the demands of the music. You
probably already know how to sing good vowels, sing in
tune, balance chords, and outwardly exude what the music demands. You have these skills and have done them
in isolation. The challenge is to do them for the duration
of the song and beyond if you are in a performance.
Practice does help. Use a mirror and sing, karaoke style,
some of your favorite quartet songs to see if you look like
they sound. Take ownership of some aspect of singing
and practice, practice, practice. Video cameras are also
great for giving truthful feedback for such practice.
5. Skills take time to learn and more time to re-learn.
The instructions in golf are very simple: Hit the ball into
the hole with the club, 18 times in a row . . . duh! But
anyone who has tried that knows it is not easy. Singing is
the same way. The instructions are simple: Sing all the
word sounds, perfectly matched amongst singers, in perfect intonation in relationship to the chord and the key, in
proper balance, with perfect unity and precision while
expressing that in a believable, heartfelt manner creating
seam-less artistry . . . duh! We know it is not easy. Allow yourself the privilege of honing skills and know that
it will pay off. Singing is a marathon sport, running over
the course of your singing life.
6. You should have fun when you sing. Like each other
and share in the joys of making great music because you
don’t know when you won’t be able to do so again.
Mr. and Mrs. Thorne had just reached the airport
in the nick of time to catch the plane for their
two-week's vacation in Majorca. "I wish we'd
brought the piano with us," said Mr. Thorne.
"What on earth for?" asked his wife.
"I left the tickets on it."
Bad things come in threes
Great things happen
in fours
Sing barbershop music!
May
Page 7
The Heartbeat
How to be a great baritone
An oxymoron, perhaps . . . but it's worth exploring.
submitted by Ron Knickerbocker,
The Regents, 1974 Champion
There are only two things one must do to be a great baritone: use proper vocal production and understand (and
obey) the baritone's job description. For purposes of this
discussion, let's pretend we all produce sound correctly
and focus on the job. A quartet baritone or baritone section in a chorus has three basic responsibilities:
1. Tuning chords
2. Balancing chords
3. Staying out of the way.
Some people, mostly basses, feel that the bari has a
fourth job—making the bass sound good--but I won't address the impossible here. In both tuning and balancing it
is critical to know what part of the chord you are singing.
For mathematical reasons, fifths should be sung a tad
sharp, and minor (barbershop) sevenths need to be tuned
a bit flat. Thirds should be sung sharp, because we habitually sing them way too flat). As a general rule, it is
easier to tune to the bass than to the lead.
A bari's balance responsibility is dictated by two things.
The first is where your note is with respect to the melody.
Bari notes above the melody need to be sung somewhat
softer (how much softer depends on how far above the
melody your note is), while notes below the melody
should be sung relatively louder. Some coaches maintain
that balancing isn't necessary as long as your quality
matches that of the lead. I agree that a bari can sing a bit
more loudly if he matches the lead well, but the melody
must still be predominant. Thus, balance is no less important than it used to be thought, just a little easier to do.
The second factor in balancing chords is the part of the
chord you are singing. As a general rule, sing roots and
fifths more loudly than other parts of the chord.
Staying out of the way means the bari must do whatever
he can to enhance the musical flow. Maintain vowel integrity, energize singable consonants and soften hard
consonants. Most of the time it is desirable to substitute
softer consonants for the hard ones, such as, using d instead of t. The substitutions must be subtle, however.
Don't hit the listener over the head with the fact that you
are using a different consonant.
Most rules have exceptions, but if you adopt these general suggestions, you will be well on your way to becoming a great baritone. Now, if we could only find a bass
that deserves you!
RON'S 10 TIPS FOR BETTER BARIS
1. Produce sound correctly.
2. Balance to the lead, but . . .
3. Tune to the bass.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Know what part of the chord you are singing.
Sing thirds and fifths a little sharp, AND,
Sing minor (barbershop) sevenths a bit flat.
Balance to the melody.
In general, roots and fifths should be a little
louder than other notes in the chord.
9. Extend the duration of vowels.
10. Reduce the duration and percussiveness of consonants.
Singing Tags Until the Wee Hours
Ringing Chords After a Convention
By a late night Quarteter
There was nothing more exciting than to be at midwinter this year and see barbershoppers in their 70s
singing with young singers in their teens until the wee
small hours of the morning. What a thrill it was to
hear those chords ring and to see the delight on everyone’s faces. One of the most exciting things to see was
gold medalists and singers who had never crossed the
competition stage before singing together to make harmony.
This year’s Mid-Winter Convention was the largest in
the history of our Barbershop Harmony Society and
next year’s looks to be even bigger with the possibility
of an even larger youth festival. Toronto was no different when it came to late night tag singing until the
early hours and once again, age had little to do with
whom you rang those chords. As the champions went
from lobby to lobby you could hear the harmonies all
over the place.
O.C. Cash and Rupert Hall must have been smiling
down as they heard many of the old tunes, and yes, . .
. there were some not-so-old tunes being sung as well.
A plethora of sounds of songs and tags filled each
lobby. this is what a convention is all about, after the
contest is over! If you have never participated in this
sort of activity, then you have not really been a part of
what makes a weekend or a week like this complete;
namely, ringing those barbershop chords with singers
you’ve never met or . . . singing with a medalist or . . .
your newest gold medalist.
Do yourself a big favor: The next time you go to a barbershop convention, challenge yourself to take the first
step and form a foursome and sing a tag. Stay up as
long as you can and continue to sing with guys and
yes, some gals in your lobby, and you’ll never forget
the tingle and goose bumps you experience.
Page 8
(From page 1)
May
The Heartbeat
See Judges Comments
on "All Alone." He said there was tension in the tenor
voices which may have been caused by their location on
the far right of the chorus—moving them more to the
center might help. He said we were working too hard on
"ting-a-ling," but when the leads hit the post on the tag,
the tension went away, and the sound was much better.
He said there was a nice resonance in the bass section.
"There should be love in the tone, not tension." We were
less out of tune in the second song. and there were sync
issues at the start. After the word, girl, in, "|got a girl
that's driven' me crazy," we started singing word-to-word
rather than smooth phasing. We should pick more words
(like "crazy") to emphasize. Our "moves" added energy,
and the sound improved. He said, "Move your bodies
with the music to take the tension out. Work on breathing technique. Watch the director's hands!"
The Presentation Judge, Gene Spilker, from the Central
States District, said, "A sad song should have areas of
relief for the audience." In "All Alone" we were stuck in
sad for most of the song. We need a plan to lighten the
mood in areas of the song. The start of the up tune
should have been happier. "Don't let the funk of the sad
song carry over to the next intro." "Moves . . . nice plan"
The 2nd time we sing, 'arms, yes, in my arms,' "Nicely
done. When executing moves, use your knees, not just
your upper body." The 'loosy-goosy' section was good,
but there should be a definite end point but for the movements. We did not finish the phrase endings (especially
on the second song). He asked, "Were you tired?"
All in all they were pleased with the direction we are
heading.
Quartet Reunion
By Elbie Ford
On April 2, Marty Jahnel, me and our wives traveled
down to Bradenton for a quartet reunion. While living in
Michigan, we all belonged to the Traverse City Chapter.
Marty J. had just moved up to Michigan from Illinois
and we got him in a quartet right away. (Having heard
his tenor voce.) We competed some (I don't remember
how many) in the mid 1970s, then Marty went back to
Illinois.
We still remembered a lot of our songs and also rang
quite a few tags. We all had a great time and look forward to our next reunion!
Marty Jahnel-T, Marty Chirgwin-L”, Maurie
“Moose” Allen-Bs and Elbie Ford-Br
Oh, By the Way
While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they
left the restaurant, and resumed their trip. When leaving,
the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the
table, and she didn't miss them until they had been driving
for about forty minutes.
By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite
a distance before they could find a place to turn around, In
order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses.
All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic
grouchy old man. He fussed and complained, and scolded
his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The
more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just
wouldn't let up for a single minute.
To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the
woman got out of the car, and was hurrying inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, "While
you're in there, you might as well get my hat and the
credit card."
The Gold Medal Research Team
May
(From page 3)
Page 9
The Heartbeat
See Hearthrobs
Ohio and Vermillion, Ohio; but The Villages is her favorite place to live.
Carol has worked as a private secretary, a bookkeeper,
and an accountant.. She is a prolific singer, having sung
with Sweet Adelines for many years. She has always
wanted to be an opera singer, to play the piano, and to be
an artist. Carol loves to dance, swim, quilt, sing, paint
and does colored pencil art. She also enjoyed horseback
riding and roller-skating. Volunteer work is done at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Carol always enjoyed listening to the chorus guys sing at
Ruby Tuesdays after practice on Thursday nights. She is
proud of the progress she has made in her sewing, quilting, and art work. Carol does not have a bucket list, since
she feels God has blessed her in so many ways that she is
happy with her life, just as it is.
She has a beautiful daughter and son-in-law and a nice
home and good health. Should she win the lottery, Carol
would support two handicap organizations, her church,
and her family.
Her most embarrassing moment occurred on a cruise to
the Grand Cayman island, when a man intruded into the
womens' bathroom, while Carol was completing her
task. Both were embarrassed and stupefied as he realized
he was in the wrong place. Evidently, he was as much in
need of a restroom as she was. Carol is lively, active, full
of fun, and a great friend. I hope you all have the opportunity to meet this great Heartthrob.
Another Minute
By Jim Busco
Central Florida Chapter, April, 2014.
Directors in attendance were: Fran
Donohoe, Jim Gehrlein, Brent Bierma,
Dick Fischer, Dave Holmberg, Scott
Werner and John Fleming. Directors absent were Tom
Hogshead, Don Barnes, Jeremy Reynolds, Dick Baird
and Jim Busko. Minutes taken by John Fleming.
Minutes of the February 2014 meetings were approved
and minutes of the March meeting were approved.
Dick Fischer presented the Treasurer’s reports and they
were approved.
Music Committee report: There was a discussion of the
Extravaganza. Final quartets availability is still an issue.
Music Director Scottt Werner reported that we still need
to work on some subtle improvements to raise the possible score. Members need to show involvement in the
song as they sing.
Unfinished business: The Extravaganza is still an unfinished item.
New business items: John Fleming said he is frustrated
with the sound system. At the picnic, only Margaret
Holmberg helped unload and reload the equipment. John
also said he intends to use three microphones in the future. The microphones for quartet singing need to be left
alone on the stand. He will also connect a hand mike if
someone wants to address the group.
Tag Time
This one of many tags we used to sing at afterglows, etc. in the Pioneer District whenever four
guys got together (Which never was a problem!) Find three other guys and give it a try!
Page 10
May
The Heartbeat
Ba r be r shopper O f the Yea r
Ha l l of Fa me
Joe Pfeifer
Wayne Page
Marty Martin
Ken Carter
Dave Kirkpatrick
Joe Burns
Jim Gehrlein
Elbie Ford
Elmer (Elmo) Wagner
Rich Casanzio
John Fleming
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Chapter Eternal
Our brothers who have passed but will always
be on the risers with us in our hearts
Charlie Borders
Floyd Guernsey
Harry Olds
John Raymond
Emil Bajus
Don Himmelman
David MacEllven
Nick Nichol
John Burnett
Bill Davidson
Dutch Schultz
Carl Rostek
Verne Manning
Harold Lathom
Gil Mason
Mel Lee
Don Polley
Bob Yenney
George Murphy
Bud Mason
Spike Kenn
Marty Martin
Hugh McLeish
Lloyd Cole
Jim Miller
Wally Costello
Bill Hoag
Presidents Club
Fran Donahoe
Current President
Wayne Page
2003-2004
HOF Chapter Quartets
Four Sharps
Joe Pfiefer, tenor
Rich Casanzio, lead
Don Barnes, baritone
Jim Castanien, bass
So Far So Good
Jerry LaDue, tenor
Dave Kirkpatrick, lead
Dick Fischer, baritone
Jerry Weisenreder, bass
Sun Chords
Lee Shawcross, tenor
Wayne Page, lead
Joe Burns, baritone
Dick Gordon, bass
The Life Of the Party
Lee Shawcross, tenor
George Randolph, lead
John Fleming, baritone
Doc Weir, bass
Further Adieu
Ken Thomas, tenor
Paul Smith, lead
Jim Gehrlein, baritone
Jim Castanien, bass
HarmoniX
Jeremey Reynolds, tenor
John Bird, lead
Ken Wantuck, baritone
Brent Bierma, bass
Senior Moments
Bob Vincuilla. tenor
Norb Schneider. lead
John Carter, baritone
Mo Foisy, bass
May’s Milestones
Tom Hogshead
2
Bobby Vincuilla
4
Bill Boening
7
Bill Price
7
Ken Harr
10
Bernie O’Donnell
18
Dick Casanzio
31
Andy Papineau
31
We Always Welcome Guests
Rod Tinbera
Florida
The Villages,
Steve Ford
Tennessee
Cleveland,
Doug Brawley
Missouri
St. Louis,
What are you sayin’
When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve
months.
2009
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles
U.C.L.A.
The batteries were given out free of
charge.
2010-2011
2012-2013
A dentist and a manicurist married.
They fought tooth and nail.
Deadline for the Heartbeat shall be
the 20th of the month.
A will is a dead giveaway.
With her marriage, she got a new name
and a dress.
Ken Carter
Marty Martin
Dave Kirkpatrick
Pat Haley
Brent Bierma
2005-2006
2007-2008
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
Articles with no byline are written
by the editor. Clip art courtesy of
the Barbershop Harmony Society.
When you've seen one shopping center
you've seen a mall.
Police were called to a day care center
where a three-year-old was resisting a
rest.
May
Page 11
The Heartbeat
The 2014 Central Florida Chapter Leadership Team
President:
Fran Donohoe
352-637-4369
franairways@tampabay.rr.com
Board Member-At-Large:
Executive Vice President:
Board Member-At-Large:
Dick Baird
352-753-0455
rmbaird777@gmail.com
Jim Gehrlein
352-751-0776
jsgehrlein@comcast.net
Immediate Past President:
Brent Bierma
352-750-2272
brentsings@embarqmail.com
Program Vice President:
Jeremy Reynolds
352-217-8425
bbs10rfl@gmail.com
Marketing and PR VP:
Tom Hogshead
352-750-4384
thogshead@aol.com
Membership Vice President:
David Holmberg
352-259-2209
humbug486@embarqmail.com
John Fleming
352-430-1445
john@w3gqj.net
HOF Music Team
Front Line Director and
Lead Section Leader:
Scott Werner
352-259-2572
lovebbshp@aol.com
Assistant Director and
Baritone Section Leader:
Don Barnes
352-259-8634
dode@thevillages.net
Bass Section Leader:
Pat Haley
352-753-3351
phaleybbs@comcast.net
Tenor Section Leader:
Joe Pfiefer
352-751-2415
the4sharps@comcast.net
Stage Presence Coach:
Jan Haley
352-753-3351
phaleybbs@comcast.net
Secretary:
Librarian:
Elmo Wagner
352-753-0449
phylmo22@gmail.com
jimbusko2003@yahoo.com
Treasurer:
Dick Fischer
352-750-6755
dickfish@comcast.net
Senior Editor:
Elbie Ford
352-438-8882
elbieham@hotmail.com
HeartThrobs Editor:
Roz Fischer
352-750-6755
rozfish@comcast.net
Staff Reporter:
Larry Robinson
352-357-7328
larry4lead@comcast.net
Chief Photographer:
Margaret Holmberg
352-259-2209
marsmoore45@gmail.com
Heartbeat Mailer:
Dolores Burns
352-259-8732
joeburns5@embarqmail.com
Heartbeat Distributor:
Joe Burns
Music and Performance VP:
Don Barnes
352-259-8634
dode@thevillages.net
Jim Busko
352-409-2462
The Heartbeat Staff
Mission Statement
We are an organization of community
minded singers, dedicated to spreading the joy of close harmony in our
schools and in our community.
352-259-8732
joeburns5@embarqmail.com
Purpose
The purpose of this chapter
shall be three-fold:
1.) To perpetuate the old American
institution, the barbershop quartet.
2.) To promote and encourage vocal
harmony and good fellowship among
its members.
3.) To encourage and promote the education of its members and the public in
music appreciation of barbershop harmony.
The chapter activities shall be conducted without personal gain for its
individual members and any profits or
other inurenments to the chapter shall
be used in promoting the purposes of
the Society, district or chapter.
The Heartbeat
The Heartbeat—May 2014
Printing of The Heartbeat done by
Ultrex Printing, Inc.
302 Oak Street, Suite A
Lady Lake, FL 32159
352-205-8222
See them for your printing needs.
Place
Postage
Here
Elbert Ford
1520 152nd Place
Ocala FL 34473
Phone 352-438-8882
Cell: Same
Email: elbieham@hotmail.com
WITHOUT MUSIC,
LIFE WOULD BE A MISTAKE.
—Fr i ed r i c h N i et z s c h e
June 12-14—Harmony Explosion, Melbourne
June 22—Extravaganza, NL Presbyterian Church
August 30-September 2—Labor Day Jamboree, Airport
Marriott, Orlando
August 31—Grapefruit League Novice Quartet Contest,
Airport Marriott, Orlando
October 10-12—Sunshine District Fall Convention,
Airport Marriott, Orlando
November 8—Our Annual Show, NL Presbyterian Church