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Spring, 2009 |
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Performance Evaluation Trends To Shape Future R13 Education:
The judges' review of Competition 2009
The
Region Education Coordinator, Director Coordinator, and Events Coordinator met
with the judges for the 2009 Competition on Saturday, following the contests.
The judges provided an overall “region performance evaluation” that identified
trends which will give us an idea of how education might evolve for our
choruses, quartets, and the region as a whole. The overall consensus was that we
as a region need to work on posture, breathing, and pitch. Education and member
commitment will either propel or crash the future of increased scoring levels in
Region #13.
Music: Work is needed on taking
pitch on stage to alleviate accuracy and unit problems from the start. Vocal
skills need to be strengthened and up-tunes need to establish a strong pulse to
give life to the performance. We need to increase work on syncopation,
identifying what it is and how to sing it.
Sound: Work on singing clean
intervals including synchronization and the impact on locking chords. A better
understanding of the effects of vocal skills on blend and balance will improve
performance.
Expression: Focus on target vowels,
stronger vocal skills, phrase planning and execution, and down beat versus back
beat.
Showmanship: Good job of costuming,
make-up/grooming and demonstration of creativity. There is a need for riser
singers to support well-rehearsed front rows. Quartets need to personalize their
performance by making eye contact with the audience. Physical movements need to
be less mechanical. Plans need to have appropriate gestures that help draw the
audience into the story, rather than lead into techniques.
As a region, we will use the evaluation
trends as a set of tools to help members, choruses, and quartets think more
openly about the changing music environment in which education must grow! The
above comments are being used as we develop curriculum for the August 7-9, 2009
Summer Enrichment Training with Sweet Adeline International Faculty Betty
Clipman and Judy Poszgay.
What do we do as individual members,
choruses, and quartets to increase our performance level?
- Set goals for the coming year
- Decide to improve at least one area
mentioned on the score sheet
- Consider a variety of outside coaches
- Obtain at least one PVI per year
- Select contest music and create
visual package earlier
- Evaluate your individual voice by
recording at rehearsals
- Accept more performances
- Regularly hold section rehearsals
Contact the Region Education Coordinator
to inquire about additional education resources. Increasing your education and
commitment to the barbershop craft of music provides hope for the future of
overall level trends in Region #13.
Submitted by Patty Martin, Education
Coordinator
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RMT Joint
Training and Meeting
This January, your Regional
Management Team (RMT) packed eight hours of training with
Dorothy
Jurs--plus a full
meeting agenda AND exercises to build the team for the upcoming year--into less
than 48 hours.
 What a weekend! Combining a
training session and quarterly meeting is a great opportunity to build stamina,
and we all discovered sleep is highly overrated! Dorothy is a marvelous trainer, as
well known in the Toastmasters world as Sweet Adelines. She sings with current
champion chorus Melodeers, is past International Treasurer and is globe-trotting
this year bringing in-region training to Regional Management Teams.
The very interactive training focused on building for the future:
meeting the needs of our singers and choruses, how to do effective strategic
planning, marketing our product, and tools for cultivating new leaders. Similar
training is happening for regional management teams all over the Sweet Adeline
world, with each session tailored to the needs of that region.
The RMT also reviewed ongoing business items. Plans are underway
for three new regional awards to be presented at regional convention each year
for Outstanding Coaching, Outstanding Leadership and an Audience Choice award
for quartet and chorus competitions. Criteria and nomination details will be
announced shortly. Less exciting but also needed: an update of regional job
descriptions and organization chart.
The region has transitioned completely to electronic communications with the
recent elimination of Central Duplicating and we give HUGE thanks to
Marilyn
Rogers
for her many years of service in this capacity! Information for members and
chapters is now available on the regional website and through direct
emails, with the help of chapters to relay information to those members without
email. Members and chapters are now also able to notify the region of changes in
addresses and membership status through online updates.
2008 was a growth year for the region with a small increase in membership
numbers and two new choruses chartering. We will build on this in 2009 with
marketing, TAG visits, and other tools. The joint SET weekend in Fall 2008 with
Region 26 and Rumors
quartet was a success, both educationally and financially. Kudos to
Patty
Martin
and her team for making the planning and logistics look seamless!
The RMT will hold an intensive planning retreat in June 2009. Stay tuned for more exciting plans to come! See you all at SET in August.
submitted by Evelyn Weiss, Communications Coordinator
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International
Convention:
Enjoyable for the novice and seasoned alike!
Ed. note: Below is an article submitted
from Pacific Sound Chorus, the Region 13
representatives to International Competition last fall in Honolulu. You'll enjoy
reading about the two different perspective of attending SAI Convention.
From Joan Levitin
My first International competition experience was many years ago with
Jet Cities Chorus in Los Angeles. It was a
brand new experience for our whole chorus (not just me) and we were oh, so
green. None of us knew we should have warmed up outside or on the buses. When we
arrived into the bowels of the huge theatre, they would not allow us to warm up
vocally, because the sound carried up into the auditorium. We had a shaky start,
but recovered and ended up placing 8th internationally...still bemoaning how we
could have placed, had we been more savvy.
Now I know more people from other parts of
this country and even foreign lands. It is good to renew long-distance
friendships plus compete at a higher level, with more knowledge in our heads,
increased relaxation and creativity in our performances. Today the international
competing experience is more routine for me. It is thrilling to be part of
Pacific Sound Chorus and to still be learning new ways to improve our craft.
In Honolulu this past fall, it was more
difficult to concentrate on the contest performance with the palm trees swaying
and the ocean beckoning to detract us from our mission to perform at our very
best level. And I, with my usual directionally-challenged brain, took the wrong
turn more often than not in the puzzling layout of the Hilton Hawaiian Village
and its many towers (causing me to perspire even more unnecessarily, and have
sore and blistered feet from all the walking on those attractive cobblestone
walks...plus stage makeup melting with every step on contest day)! Yet it was
another fun and rewarding experience!
From Ginny Riley
My International competition experience began a full year before competition,
when I first came to a Pacific Sound rehearsal. I was intimidated, nervous. But
it only took one friendly hello to bring me in. “Here’s a folder, stand here on
the risers and sing baby, sing!” I was hooked.
For me, International was not so much
about those final six minutes on stage, but the hours and reps put in to get
there. It was not the costumes and the makeup (good grief, the makeup!), but the
fittings, the sewing sessions around a table, and the testing of this lipstick
color or that one. It was not the twirls and fancy footwork, but the sore feet
and sweaty foreheads from running into each other as new choreography was
learned and re-done and learned and re-done, and learned and re-done...well, you
know.
For me, it’s about the journey taken to
get there. It’s the lifelong friendships made, the acceptance to our own clan
that has witnessed my worst and best, and still loves me. The family that greets
me with hugs and says farewell with a song, each time we meet.
We are all unique in style and expression,
Yet it all connects in one special presentation.
Let us sing from the soul in voice and presence,
Let us portray our joy in every essence.
We will dazzle with expression in eyes and smiles,
We will exude emotion with sincerity and style.
We will engage our audience in our power of song,
We will embark on a journey, and take them along.
A journey where worries are left behind,
Let the music fill them, in heart and mind.
Let them be lifted to a higher space,
And sail on the song to a better place.
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Chorus Chatter
Alaska Sound
Celebration Chorus
Alaska Sound Celebration’s
annual melodrama may have been a family show, but chorus members enjoyed being
really dirty. Literally dirty, as we happily traded false eyelashes for liberal
applications of...well, dirt.
Chera Boom, not only wrote this year’s
script, but also played a leading role as the hapless heroine. (Not
surprisingly, Chera was recently named ASC’s 2008-2009 Sweet Adeline of the
Year.) Her clever script killed off a leading character at the beginning of Act
I, only to have him nearly steal the show as a singing, dancing corpse (in his
coffin) in Act II!
 “Calamity at Clifford the Big Red Dog Mine”,
a word-play on both a children’s book and a large mine in western Alaska, ran
for 13 performances. We enjoyed sellout crowds nearly every night and made our
biggest profit ever. But more than being our major fundraiser, the melodrama
gave our chorus members a chance to closely interact with the audience, honing
performance skills in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. “Boo!” “Hiss!”
In early April, nearly half of the chorus
traveled to Spokane to attend the Regional Convention. We had the first time
honor of being hostesses and send congratulations to all of the competitors. It
was a great convention!
As May rolls in, spring means it’s time to
gear up for Nashville. We are thrilled to have two dual members joining us: both
are charter members of Alaska Sound Celebration that have relocated to the Lower
48. We have an active summer and fall of fabulous coaches beginning with Jim
Arns in mid-May.
Submitted by Terry
Alexander
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Coeur d'Alene Chorus
Soon after stepping off the regional
contest stage, the Coeur d’Alene Chorus
had an exciting invitation to sing at the Show of Champions for the Barbershop
Harmony Society’s Evergreen District Division V competition, held in Coeur
d’Alene, ID, April 25.
As summer approaches, we are gearing up
for the Kootenai County Fair, which is one of our major fund raisers. This is
also a wonderful way to support and get exposure in the community. Members grab
a broom and become "Sweep Adelines" as they do their part in keeping North Idaho
beautiful. The many outdoor summer festivals in our area offer bountiful
opportunities to sing and promote "real women, real harmony, and real fun"!!
The Coeur d’Alene Chorus challenges others
in the region to join us in the Star Chorus at SET; this is yet another great
opportunity to enjoy singing together! For learning tracks, please go to the
Star Chorus page on the Region 13 web site.
Submitted by Melodie Hays
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Jet
Cities Chorus
THRILLED does not begin to express how the
women of Jet Cities Chorus felt after
capturing Most Improved Chorus Award, First Place Small Chorus and then Second
Place Regional Medalists this year in Spokane. Since Teresa became our director
in 2005, we’ve worked very hard on vocal production, showmanship and (a biggie),
believing in ourselves. That this hard work paid off in April was truly
wonderful for the chapter.
Two weeks after contest, we took the stage
once again at the “Barbershop in the Valley Contest” at the Puyallup Spring Fair
and came home with first place “medals” (okay, so they were really plastic
dollar signs, but the honor … and prize money … was still all ours!). LiveWire
Quartet, which has two Jet Cities members (Teresa McCafferty and Anna
Chamberlain), won the quartet contest and was named Audience Favorite.
But life goes on after contest, so we have
been busy installing a new management team, refining old songs and breaking out
some new ones. We have some summer performances lined up, too! If you’re ever in
the Federal Way, WA area, be sure to come visit us on a Monday night at our new
rehearsal facility in the choir room at Todd Beamer High School.
Submitted by Becki Hill
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Olympia Chorus
It was truly a once in a life time experience for the
Olympia Chorus
to be on stage this past February at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, doing what
each member loves most to do: SING!
It was worth every minute of extra practices, transportation arrangements,
time changes, cold weather, logistics—all of that seemed trivial compared to the
feelings, excitement and energy of singing and performing at Carnegie Hall. The
Olympia Chorus performed for 20 minutes with songs and banter that represented
this area: Java Jive, Singing in the Rain (accompanied by Geoffrey La Force
dancing with the requisite umbrella), Blue Skies, 59th Street Bridge Song, My
Foolish Heart, and Raining Men.
Olympia was one of seven choruses invited to perform for the two-day concert
series. On Sunday, four choruses presented their exciting shows: Texas Harmony
Chorus (TX), Mission Valley Chorus (CA), Gateway Chorus (Canada), and
Jacksonville Harmony Show Chorus (FL). On Monday, in addition to Olympia,
Christchurch City Chorus (New Zealand) and Prairie Winds Chorus (TX) performed.
The finale was a phenomenal highlight. Under the direction of Dennis Loy of
MidAmerica Productions, the choruses performed for a delighted audience. Three
of the choruses were on stage and two choruses were on each side balcony,
surrounding the audience in beautiful harmony. The surprise encore even included
a full stage chorus line for New York, New York!
We all thank Dennis for such a wonderful performing experience. We had so
much fun and now have special memories that will forever be a part of our
chorus.
Submitted by Diane Hills
Ed. note: Want to read more? You can view Olympia Chorus' article in April's
The Pitch Pipe by clicking
here!
Rolling Hills Chorus
Rolling Hills Chorus set a big goal to score at B level; you might say to “Become
B”. The journey has been amazing, and we have benefited from each and
every activity and bump in the road.
We had several amazing performances. We burst into song in Hermiston at
the Rose Arbor. In Boardman and Grandview, we belted it out in the
park, and we bopped down to Goldendale to sing at New Hope Farm’s Benefit
Concert.
Our director Lucy Heinkel, and Andreanna Flores (bass and director of
Blue Mountain) blasted into IES (Andreanna, barreling
around on her bike because her foot was in a cast!). They came
home with their brains full of brilliant ideas!
We crossed the border and headed to Richmond, British Columbia
for SET, braving the cold, burning the midnight oil, picking the
brains of Rumors and coming home with our minds brimming with
information.
We worked with Beth Smith, our beloved coach. Bunches of
us learned how to blend with each other in PVI’s. We bonded at
Retreat while building unity and perfecting our blending skills.
(We also worked our buns off!) We brought Ryan Heller to begin
Mentor Training for Lucy to help her become a better director.
In April we boogied up to Spokane for 2009 Competition, bent on
baggin’ us a B level score. We braved that stage and belted
out our songs in our best voices! We did it! We beat last year’s
score by 54 points and earned a solid B, 2nd place in Division A and 4th
place overall!
By being consistently B, we met our goal!
Submitted by Cheryl Ekstrom
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Quartet Corner
 Cadence Quartet
After many, MANY years as members of Sweet Adelines, the four of us thought
it would be fun to "give it another go". We started by singing together for
Christmas and were pleased enough with what we heard and felt--plus we were
having TOO much fun--that we decided to find a name, get a costume, and put our
hats in the ring. And so “Cadence” was born. Pat and Sue sang together
back in 1994-1995 in Legacy (along with Judy Widener and Claudia Kirkebo); Sue
and Carolyn sang together from 1999-2004 in SoundDesign (with Judy Widener, Kari
Metzger and Katy Hawley); and, Anne’s most recent quartet experience was with
Rush Hour 2000-2004 (with Debra Aungst, Nina Maxon, Carol Vecchio).
We worked with Charlene O’Connor a couple of times and one time with Carole
Kirkpatrick to try to get ourselves "back in shape" and apparently, it worked!
We’re delighted to have placed fourth in our first outing (and after only nine
rehearsals). The summer will be spent building our repertoire and having fun
with family, friends, and each other. We’ll be singing on
Voices Northwest’s June 20th show in
Everett (we’re all members) and look forward to seeing you all at SET in August!
Happy summer (hope the sun shines soon)!
Cadence: Carolyn, Pat, Anne, and Sue
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House Blend Quartet
House Blend has been busy since regional
competition. We participated in the Puyallup Spring Fair choral contest, sang at
Jet Cities' Installation dinner, represented
America's original art form (barbershop!) at a Multicultural Night at a school
in Kent, and made a return appearance Mother's Day weekend to sing at the City
of Federal Way's Buds and Blooms Festival at Weyerhauser's Rhododendron Garden.
We're looking forward to several more gigs in the future,
as well as working on new music and costumes for our next regional contest in
Anchorage in 2010. See you there!
House Blend: Sue, Vivian, Joanne and Becki
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 Impromptu Quartet
What do you get when you combine
barbershop, Impromptu, and middle school students from Houston, Alaska
(NOT Texas!)? A great day of singing, fun, learning and…barbershop!
In March, Impromptu represented
Alaska Sound Celebration with a
workshop on barbershop music. The school’s music teacher, Eric Robson,
discovered us by accident and fell in love with the music, energy, and harmony
of barbershop. Impromptu spent the day with each of his grades teaching simple
vocal production, barbershop basics, and a couple of tags. Once the tags were
learned, we couldn’t stop the kids from singing — they jumped up to do small
groups, double quartets, and even single quartets! The choirs performed two tags
on their spring concert, where Impromptu was invited to sing as well; what an
honor. Even a month after the workshop, the kids were loving barbershop!
So how did the Houston Middle School
music teacher discover barbershop? He and his wife came into Anchorage for a
show on their anniversary, but discovered their tickets were for the wrong
night. The usher was kind enough to tell them that a free concert was taking
place in the next theater, so they decided to check out…Alaska Sound
Celebration’s fall “Sing for Scholarship” show! Eric was very impressed with the
dancing and singing and “the incredible harmony!”
In this wonderful art form of ours,
we never know who will hear us or be inspired by our music. So get the music out
there any way you can, and the craft will sell itself!
Impromptu: Melodee, Linda, Chera
and Sandi
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 Kix Quartet
Kix hails from Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID and has been together
since 2007. Originally, the harmony parts got together at a rehearsal "for
kicks", but one evening we discovered the three of us blended well, so we
started looking for leads. Paulene had been singing karaoke for years with Deb
before finally getting her to visit a chorus rehearsal, and shortly after
joining, Deb decided to quartet. The rest is history! By September, we had
registered our name, began shopping for clothing “in fours” and purchased some
music.
Our first audition was tough: we didn't understand what being "performance
ready" really meant. Our nerves got the best of us and we didn't pass, but we
continued to work hard. When we auditioned for Education Coordinator Patty
Martin and Dottie Dedrick at a workshop in Seattle, we passed!
Patty encouraged us to sing as often as we could and we have. Since then,
we've been to a quartet workshop with "The Buzz" and attended several
educational events and shows. We sang at the Post Falls Junior Miss pageant, for
a high school reunion, and at Christmas (in Victorian costume, where we earned
enough to cover expenses for competition!). We have also appeared on the Lake
City Harmonizers (BHS) annual Spaghetti Feed, and most recently performed on the
Show of Champions for the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Evergreen District
Division V competition.
We have begun working weekly with Al "Doc" Parker and look forward to growing
together while preparing for our next competition.
KIX: Erin, Deb, Glenda and Pauline
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LiveWire Quartet
LiveWire is having an explosive spring! Contest weekend is always such
a blast for us. We have so much fun reconnecting with friends and singing and
tagging and competing and performing…the win was icing on the cake! We want to
thank our choruses, Jet Cities and
Pacific Sound, for their love and support…
and for being willing audiences for us to try out our stuff! Congrats to both
chapters on their wonderful showings and respective wins at contest. In
addition, congratulations go to all the quartet medalists from the weekend: Q4,
Pepper, Cadence and Backbeat.
LiveWire spared no time in getting back on stage. We had a great time at the
Puyallup Spring Fair, where we sang one evening as guests of Worthy Music
Ministries Choral Festival and then again the next day on the
Puyallup Valley Harmonizers’
“Harmony in the Valley” contest, where LiveWire took first! Ask to see our bling!
International’s just around the corner, so now we settle in to some serious
study of sound, interp and “transcending the technique” over the summer so we
can blast off in Nashville as contestant #15. It will be fun to share the stage
with Mojo, too.
We also have our annual Quartet Extravaganza coming up on August 22 at Thomas
Jefferson High School in Federal Way. If you're in a quartet and want to come
sing, get in touch! Otherwise, we
hope to see you in the audience!
We can't wait to see you all at SET to party and sing until the sun comes up!
LiveWire: Teresa, Katy, Anna and Susan
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Mojo Quartet
Mojo, especially new baritone
Elaine Cotton, has been busy since forming in December! We’ve learned and
re-learned a dozen songs--kudos to Elaine for her hard work--and in February
(after six weeks together!) we had our debut on the
Lions Gate show in Vancouver. Talk
about a fast start!
In April, we attended Region 13’s convention in Spokane where we had a blast
participating in Melanie Wroe’s terrific education class, mic-testing, and
watching Julie compete with new chorus champions
Pacific Sound (congratulations PSC!).
Emcee’ing the quartet contest was particularly fun! What great sports our
wonderful judges are...Elaine took this photo of the panel from the stage!
Saturday evening we appeared on the Festival of Champions and stayed up until
the wee hours singing with all-comers at the afterglow. It was a busy weekend of
fun and bonding. Later in April we headed to Calgary, Alberta for Region 26’s
convention where we did it all over again! Lucky us!
What’s next for Mojo? We’ve taken some gigs--a birthday party in Seattle and
a teaching opportunity in Canada--and we’ve submitted a couple of US show bids.
We’ll spend the summer rehearsing, coaching, learning music and preparing to
represent Regions 13 and 26 in Nashville along with LiveWire,
Alaska Sound Celebration, and
Lions Gate. We’re enjoying
re-inventing our “mojo” with Elaine. Thanks as always for the love and support
you’ve shown us as a Region. We love you too, and feel blessed to be a part of
Region 13.
Mojo: Corinna, Julie, Elaine and Judy
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 Neon Lights Quartet
"They say the Neon Lights are bright on Broadway"...and they're right!
Not just on Broadway, but also on Market Street, Northwest Boulevard, at the
Otis Grille, Diamond Creek, and yes, even Riverfront Park!
Wherever we go, we manage to light up the atmosphere around us, with
show-stopping Broadway tunes, a little nostalgic stuff, and a couple of our
trademark pieces: the Beach Boys Medley and Chocolate!
Neon Lights is hard at work on new music that will help make our performance
opportunities even more memorable. In between gigs and rehearsals, we also find
the time to digitally record learning tools for our beloved
RiversEdge Chorus, who lovingly
support our efforts. Being so busy helps keep us at the top of our game as
there's no time for any "overs" or "oops-es." We've had some fantastic coaching
opportunities with Sharon Babb, Zoe Thompson, Jay Krumbholz and Darnelle
Preston.
We recently celebrated more than ten years together (three of us,
anyway). Our lead and the newest addition to the group, Pam Short, has been with
us for almost three years now. We may eventually reach the competition stage—but
don't hold your breath on that ('cuz the jury's still out deliberating). We DO
love to perform and make every effort to do just that at least once or twice a
month. New music, new clothes, and renewed energy…that's the stuff that keeps
the neon lights bright!
Neon Lights: Mary Ann, Pam, Diana and Phyllis
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 Pepper Quartet
Pepper is honored once again to earn medals in Region 13. We are
always amazed by the well-oiled machine that runs our conventions in this
region, and it is our honor to represent you. Thank you, RMT!
This year’s competition was tough, and we are happy that we could perform on
the night show with our little “dolls”. What fun we had putting that package
together!
Our year was "Peppered" with performances, like our first annual Christmas
show and Singing Valentines. We spiced it up with a fabulous coaching session
with Kim Hulbert (San Diego Chorus), a
couple of weekend retreats with Ryan Heller (Pride
of Portland), one with Mike Elliot (Spirit
of Spokane), and continuous individual voice lessons with Andrea Dawson (Gonzaga
University). BAM!!!
We have grown in our appreciation of each other’s talents and abilities, and
value the friendships that have grown, but we are humbled by the support of our
families and friends. Thank you to our wonderful friends, the Spirit of Spokane
Chorus, and to Region 13. We love you all!
Pepper: LouAnn, Debbie, Cheryl and Carran
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PriZm Quartet
PriZm lost our
baritone back in January, so we have been a threesome these past months. We
started auditions for a new baritone in March, but then had to wait till after
contest because everyone was too busy getting ready to compete with
Spirit of Spokane Chorus.
Auditions have resumed and
we should have a new baritone by the time you read this! We were disappointed to
not be able to compete at this year's quartet contest but are looking forward to
competing next year in Anchorage.
PriZm:
Joan, Alice and Jody
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Q4 Quartet
Q4 had a whirlwind
weekend at the Region 13 competition. Carol, a dual member of
Harmony Northwest and
Pacific Sound Choruses, joined the quartet
this past year, and we were hoping to have a fun time singing for our first time
together on the competition stage.
Karen, Laurajean and Randa,
also members of Pacific Sound Chorus, had enjoyed performing with Carol during
the Christmas season and also did some "Singing Valentines" together. Soon we
had an opportunity to be coached by Marge Bailey and Carole Kirkpatrick. Then in
the last few weeks as the competition deadline came closer, we had the great
help of Charlene O'Connor in preparing the quartet to hit the stage.
Q4 was thrilled to win second
place and have the opportunity to sing on the Festival of Champions! It was also
quite an “honor” to get the inaugural “Been There, Done It All” Award. In order
to qualify for the BTDIA award, the combined ages of competitors in the quartet
had to total 200 years or more. (Q4 just squeaked in, of course…)
We thank the members of
Harmony Northwest and Pacific Sound choruses as well as our coaches and friends
from Region 13 for all their love and support!
It was a very busy weekend,
and we had to haul a surprising number of costume items, but Q4 had a great
time! We look forward to working in the upcoming year to improve our skills, and
hope to have as much fun next year as we did this past year.
Q4: Karen, Laurajean, Randa and Carol
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 Stix-n-Stones
Quartet
How many are in your quartet?
Stix-n-Stones Quartet has seven, yes, seven members: we have three groupies
that follow us, even internationally. Yes, all the way to Vancouver, BC!!
Fortunately enough, neither sticks nor stones have been tossed in our direction
as we’ve had the privilege of singing around the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas.
We’ve ventured off to "the mainland" a few times, but we are a fairly well-kept
secret. We’re looking forward to making a splash in Anchorage 2010.
Congratulations to all the quartets who
were able to perform in Spokane. It was a great contest! Our bari,
affectionately known as “Ding”, was able to welcome her second grandchild,
Ginger, just after contest. Due to Ginger’s uncertain ETA, we opted out of
contest participation; however, we were thrilled at the last minute arrival of
Ding and Grandpa...with groupies...to bring us up to seven in Spokane. We are
excited to be cheering on Mojo and LiveWire in Nashville!
Stix-n-Stones: Candis, Debbie, Beth and
Leah
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 Tapestry
Quartet
Tapestry began Valentines Day 2008
barely knowing each other's names! We enjoyed singing for others so much that
day, not to mention enjoying one another's company, that we decided not to quit.
We're so glad we didn't, although Tapestry had the most difficult time deciding
on a NAME!! Where have you heard THAT before?
We have varied Sweet Adelines experiences:
Vicki came from Texas, where she sang bass with the
Richtones. She currently sings with
Lions Gate Chorus (Region 26), and
is excited to compete in Nashville! Danie began in California in the 1980s, took
a break to raise children, then moved to Woodinville and began singing once
again in 2000. She presently sings with
Pacific Sound Chorus. Pat Breen began singing almost three years ago with
Pacific Sound Chorus, and Evy began in 1999.
We've sung for several different venues: a
teachers’ annual party; an Alzheimer's Assisted Living Home where some of the
folks directed, sang with, and toe-tapped along; and at our baritone’s chamber
music gatherings in between the gorgeous harps, cellos, flutes and violins.
Tapestry sang ... and, lo and behold, they loved us and asked for us back to
join them! We felt honored! One upcoming performance is at the Gate's
Foundation, then a big birthday bash for our lead's sister's 70th birthday down
in Lacey, WA. We L-O-V-E entertaining most of all and seeing the smiles or tears
a song brings to a listener's heart!
Tapestry: Danie, Evy, Pat and Vicki
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Vocal Motion
Quartet
Vocal Motion had
a blast at contest this year. We picked our uptune (a fun one from Lynell
Diamond) in January and really stressed about the lateness of it, but then
decided we would just do our very best. Our contest was full of craziness, good
times and lots of fun singing...with just us and with other friends! We worked
hard and relaxed. We enjoyed our ringing chords and laughed over the bloopers.
Vocal Motion means “fun” for all!
Vocal Motion: Robin,
Melanie, Cora, and Connie
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Contents
Calendar
Chorus Chatter
Competition 2009: Judges
Review
Competition 2009; Wrap Up
Harmony
College Northwest
Harmony Emporium
History Book Contest
International
Convention Experience
Quartet Corner
Regional Management
Team
Star Chorus News
Tribute to Marshia
Nicholson
Please feel free to
make extra copies for your chorus. The
PDF version will
probably print best. |
|
Regional Contest
Wrap-up |
|
Well, if that Regional Contest didn’t turn your
crank, you need a new crank and that’s all I’ve got to say about that! We added
a few new ideas, tweaked some old ones, and refined the rest to give you a
well-planned weekend and it worked!
The new regional awards were well-received.
"Audience Choice" was a real favorite with LiveWire winning the quartet award
and the Olympia Chorus winning the chorus award. At the Friday quartet briefing,
the qualifiers for the “Been There, Done It All” award was a surprise, as half of the competing
quartets raised their hands to indicate the combined age of at least 200 years
which they needed to be eligible! They also needed a minimum score of
400 points. Q4 won that award in the contest that night.
The 2009-2010 Convention Steering Committee
will be up and running very soon to begin preparations for the contest in
Anchorage next spring. We’ll keep you posted as we develop a contest for you
“Alaska style”! An informational flyer will go out soon to the Alaska Sweet
Adelines encouraging them to participate in preparing a wonderful and exciting
contest for all of you!
submitted by Sue Hahn, Events Coordinator
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Tribute to
Marshia Nicholson |
 I would like to acknowledge the dedication and
commitment of Marshia Nicholson (right, Jet
Cities Chorus), retiring Chair of the Regional Convention…better known to
most of you as the “CRC”. In case you don’t know her by sight, she was the one
backstage at both contests with the sweet smile, prepared to deal with any
crises that might occur.
Marshia has been my right arm since I accepted
the position of Events Coordinator for Region 13. She has supervised one of the
largest committees (10 of us!), keeping us on “the straight and narrow” for a
number of years and never losing her sense of humor … for which we are thankful!
Marshia dealt with personal serious illness this last year and still got the job
done. If she is willing, we’ll still find her stuff to do! I think a short break
is appropriate…a week should do it! Shoot me an email, Marshia…you know my
address by heart!
Marshia attends almost every event scheduled in
the region, so when you next see her, give her a hug and tell her “thanks” from
you personally. It will mean a lot to her. On behalf of your region, Marshia, I
thank you for a job well done!
submitted by Sue Hahn, Events Coordinator
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Candid Competition Photos Online |
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Did you know that the candid
photos from regional competition are now available online for your viewing and
ordering pleasure?!? The link to the event is:
www.pictage.com/610947
You can view photographs from the quartet and
chorus contests (including the announcement of winners), the Thursday Kick-Off
show, Saturday's Festival of Champions, and the following Afterglow!
Please note that these photos are different
than the posed one you may have ordered from your chorus or as a quartet. These
photographs should have been received by now, so if you do not have yours,
contact ER Lilley.
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WANTED:
Harmony Emporium Coordinator |
|
 What
do Sweet Adelines like to do as much as we like to sing? SHOP! Ever wonder how
the Region 13 Harmony Emporium magically appears at every regional event?
Actually, there is a mastermind behind the magic. Our current wizard,
Kelly
Warren-Russell,
needs to go on to different things after SET, so we are looking for a successor.
We
hope you are interested in the challenge of organizing Harmony
Emporium! Kelly or I will be happy to talk with you during SET weekend, on the
telephone, or via email to answer any questions you might have before
volunteering to keep the magic flowing.
Janice McKenna /
206-368-5499
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Star Chorus News |
The regional Star Chorus did a stellar job singing
on the Kick-Off Show on the Thursday night of convention. Director Sue
 Hahn
says, "We’ll need a little more work on our choreography (ha!), but at
least we were all facing the right direction. We must have been
successful … when we were done, the audience was still there! It does help to lock
the doors!"
All joking aside, the Star Chorus has been invited to sing on the
Saturday night show at SET (August 7-9 at the SeaTac Marriott). Sue is looking
for rehearsal time and space already.
YOU can
join the Star Chorus at any time – just
click here for more
details. More
information will be available soon to let you know about a new song, repertoire, and costuming
for SET.
In the meantime, if you have any questions,
contact Sue Hahn.
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Regional Calendar |
2009
MAY
May 29-30: Evergreen District (BHS)
Division III Contest; Calgary, AB
May 29: Fairbanks Frontier Chorus Show,
"CELEBRATE ALASKA! A Musical Revue of Events Leading to
Statehood"; 7:30 pm; Fairbanks, AK. For more information,
contact Mary Anne Laroe,
907.456.6094.
JUNE
June 4: Fairbanks Frontier Chorus Traveling Show,
"CELEBRATE ALASKA! A Musical Revue of Events
Leading to Statehood"; 5:30 pm; Haines, AK. For more
information, contact Mary
Anne Laroe, 907.456.6094.
June 5: Fairbanks Frontier Chorus Traveling Show,
"CELEBRATE ALASKA! A Musical Revue of Events
Leading to Statehood"; 7:30 pm; Skagway, AK. For more
information, contact Mary
Anne Laroe, 907.456.6094.
June 6: Fairbanks Frontier Chorus Traveling Show,
"CELEBRATE ALASKA! A Musical Revue of Events
Leading to Statehood"; 7:30 pm; Juneau, AK. For more
information, contact Mary
Anne Laroe, 907.456.6094.
June 7: Fairbanks Frontier Chorus Traveling Show,
"CELEBRATE ALASKA! A Musical Revue of Events
Leading to Statehood"; 7:30 pm; Sitka, AK. For more
information, contact Mary
Anne Laroe, 907.456.6094.
June 9: Fairbanks Frontier Chorus Traveling Show,
"CELEBRATE ALASKA! A Musical Revue of Events
Leading to Statehood"; 7:30 pm; Petersburg, AK. For more
information, contact Mary
Anne Laroe, 907.456.6094.
June 20: Voices Northwest
Chorus Show, “On the Road: a VNW Vacation”; 7:30
pm; Everett PUD Theater; Everett, WA. Also appearing will be
Cadence and Champagne Quartets, with special guests Jet City
Improv. For tickets and information, visit the Voices
Northwest website,
or contact Deana at 425.239.6630.
JULY
July 17-19:
Harmony College Northwest
(HCNW), Tacoma, WA. Don't miss this weekend workshop with our friends from the
Evergreen District. OC Times is the guest faculty! Click
here
for more information.
July 23-26:
Director's Seminar and Judges Training, "Side by Side"; Marriott Renaissance
Center; Detroit, MI. This newly developed SAI program will bring directors and
judges together to learn and share. Details and curriculum to be announced.
July 25: InTune Newsletter deadline for summer issue; questions
and articles should go to
Sue Middleton.
AUGUST
August 7-9:
SET
(Summer Enrichment Training), with guest faculty members Betty
Clipman and Judy Pozsgay-Rimple. Seattle, WA area.
OCTOBER
October 17: InTune Newsletter deadline for fall issue; questions
and articles should go to
Sue Middleton.
October
20-24: SAI International Convention. Nashville, Tennessee
October 30-31: Evergreen District Fall Convention; Whistler,
BC
NOVEMBER
November 20-21: Ovation Quartet
Workshop
with 2009 Queens of Harmony, Moxie Ladies!
Everett, WA. Stay tuned for more details!
2010
APRIL
April 22-24: Region 13 Annual Convention (SAI); Anchorage, AK
April 29-May 2: Region 24 Annual Convention
(SAI)
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2011
MARCH-APRIL
March 31-April 3: Region 13 Annual Convention (SAI);
Spokane, WA
OCTOBER
October 18-22: SAI International
Convention; Houston, TX
2012
MARCH
March 15-18: Region 13 Annual Convention (SAI);
Spokane, WA
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER
October 30-November 2:
SAI International Convention; Denver, CO
2013
MAY
March 16-19: Region 13 Annual Convention (SAI); Spokane, WA
NOVEMBER
November 5-9:
SAI International Convention; Honolulu, HI
2014
APRIL 2014
April 10-13: Region 13 Annual Convention (SAI);
Spokane, WA
Send Calendar info to:
Tracie
Cogdill, Calendar Coordinator
PO Box 80007
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Home: 907-457-5244
Fax: 907-456-5244
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New Management Team Installed and Ready
to Serve! |
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Do you know the members of the Regional Management
Team (RMT)? Could you spot them at a regional event or at the grocery store? Do you
know what their job really entails? If you answered “No” to any of these
questions, check out the side bar in every InTune newsletter (see
below!). The
team’s photos and contact info is listed every time, along with a short article
about what they are working on or a topic of interest to their position.
The new Region 13 Management Team was installed
at the Thursday night Kick-Off Program in Spokane on April 2. Two members
retired from the RMT, Chera Boom and Susan Soderberg, and they
will be greatly missed. Both of these ladies served the region for several years
and created many new programs during their tenure. The two new members joining
the team are Nikki Blackmer and Evelyn Weiss. They hail from the
a cappella joy and
Rolling Hills Choruses
respectively. We are excited to have these two energy-filled, talented ladies
joining the team.
Something new this year: four positions will be
three-year terms instead of two-year terms. This is a one-time occurrence
implemented when SAI noticed some positions work closely together and really
shouldn’t turn over on the same years. These are the Events and Education and
Marketing and Membership jobs. Therefore, the Team, Events, Communications and
Marketing Coordinators will complete a three-year term this time around to make rotating off a
smoother transition. SAI added the
Team Coordinator and Communications Coordinators to the three-year terms so that
four positions are up for re-election every year. Got all that?!?
The RMT members are always looking for
assistance in their projects and duties, so if you would like to “serve the
region better”, give one of these hard working ladies a call or send an email to
find out how you can help. There are short-term projects and long-term projects,
so take your pick! Your new team is here and ready to serve! Join in on the fun.
submitted by Karen Leet, Team Coordinator
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History Book Contest |
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Regional Contest is over and now it is time to start
thinking about SET, which will take place in the Seattle area August 7-9! One of the highlights of SET weekend is the History Book
Contest and Display. This event gives our chorus historians a chance to show off
all their hard work throughout the year in the form of their chorus scrapbook.
Some scrapbooks are submitted for the contest and some are
submitted for display only. Either way, it is a lot of fun and everyone enjoys
stopping by the table to look at the books. There will be a People's Choice
Award as well, which allows visitors to the table to take part in the contest.
And you
never know...there might be a twist or a surprise or two!
I will be contacting choruses starting in June, so all you historians out there, put those finishing touches on
your books! Wouldn't it be exciting to have a scrapbook on display from
every chorus? That would take a few tables!
Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions.
Jody Allen, Region 13 Historian
jotenor@hotmail.com
509-218-4799
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Harmony College Northwest |
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Have you heard about Harmony College NW
(HCNW)? Think of it as a mini-IES...in Tacoma! Brought to you by the Barbershop
Summit, a group of men and women from the Evergreen District, and Sweet Adelines
Regions 13, 24 and 26, HCNW is a good way to get your summer educational fix
(especially if you cannot attend SET in August).
Scheduled for July 17-19, 2009
at University of Puget Sound (UPS) in Tacoma, HCNW offers coaching for quartets
and small choruses, classes on a huge variety of topics, fabulous faculty
members--including OC Times,
Martini, Melanie Wroe, Ryan Heller and
more--AND a fantastic show to top it all off.
Here is a sampling of classes
offered:
Arranging for Directors and Advanced Quartets:
Trouble with parts that are too low or too high? Your
chorus can’t handle key changes? Here are some ideas and solutions.
Section Leader Boot Camp:
A three-class series designed to help you be a better
section leader. Understand the duties and responsibilities, evaluate your
strengths and know your challenges, learn where to find help, find out how to
use qualifying programs to your advantage and to give constructive feedback to
your section singers, and learn how to use Personal Vocal Improvement programs
to improve singers who need more help, to develop section unity and camaraderie
through effective team building, and ways to help you stay motivated.
Strategies for Learning
Music: Learn
strategies for learning new music that are keyed to visual and auditory
learning.
How to Sing Forever:
Ryan Heller, the director of Pride of Portland Chorus, addresses the challenges
of older voices, young voices, and the voices of over achievers in middle age.
Learn to sing with less abuse and more freedom.
Gospel Singing:
Spend the Sunday morning session singing along with a gospel quartet. Lots of
songs, lots of joy.
"Wrapping the Package" -- the role of the MC:
After your chorus selects its best music as a gift for the audience and wraps it
up just right, it can all fall apart if you don't have the a way to keep it all
together. Learn how the emcee is the "tape" that helps your package stay
beautifully wrapped and presented.
Visual Plans – Why Bother?:
Another series of classes, these led by Melanie Wroe, emphasizing the role of
the visual plan in entertainment, audience connection, and support of a musical
presentation. This class is a foundation for Visual Plan Launch Pad and Creating
Your Visual Plan.
The cost is very reasonable, plus there are
"commuter" rates if you live in the area. Registration is underway right now
To view a flyer about this
exciting three-day workshop, click here. For even
more information, including a schedule, detailed class information, and show
lineup, visit harmonycollege.org today!
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Region 13 Management Team |
Team
Coordinator
I’m excited to be stepping into the position
of Team Coordinator this year. I served on the RMT as Directors
Coordinator for the past four years, but am looking forward to the challenge of
learning this new position. If you thought corralling directors was like
herding cats, just imagine what organizing and leading this dynamic group of
leaders will be like!
Karen Leet
907-745-8371
ckleet@gci.net
_________
Communications Coordinator
 I
have had the greatest time reading about YOU! This issue is my first time
working with the InTune team and I was late with a call for articles.
However, numerous
quartets, choruses and individuals came through with fun items for the Region to
read about. Thanks so much.
Want to make a difference for the region? Here’s a small action
that can make a big difference: send me an email and let me know what kind of
things you’d like to read about in the InTune. If you have questions or need
help, please call or write to me. You are the reason for the RMT to be!
Evelyn Weiss
509.967.5311 /
509.420.6754
weiss@weissguys.net
_________
Director’s
Coordinator
 Hello,
Region 13! It is such a pleasure to be working on the RMT as the new Director
Coordinator!
For those who don't know me, I direct
a cappella Joy Chorus, current Third
Place Small Chorus Champs! I also sing with
Lions Gate Chorus in Region 26, and
I will have the pleasure of directing the
Young Women in
Harmony Workshop and Chorus in Nashville this October (along with Melanie
Wroe, choreographer).
I look forward to getting to know everyone and really getting to know the
directors of our fantastic Region 13, and working with our Education Team to get
more workshops in our area for directors!
Nikki Blackmer
425/821-5758
ajoyfulsinger@yahoo.com
_________
Education
Coordinator
Patty Martin
360-754-9450
pgmartin1@comcast.net
_________
Events
Coordinator
 I
was asked to remind you of upcoming regional contest dates. They may seem far
into the future, but we are already beginning to plan for 2015! Yikes!
The dates range from mid-March to mid-May. In fact, there are 14 months between
the 2012 and 2013 dates. Just think what we can do with the extra time: rehearse
more, change the choreography, learn an extra song...who knows!
::
2010: April 22-25 (Anchorage)
:: 2011: Mar. 31-April
3 (Spokane)
:: 2012: March 15-18 (Spokane)
:: 2013: May 16-19 (Spokane)
:: 2014: April 10-13 (Spokane)
See you at SET in August!
Sue Hahn
907.272.4245
sourdoughsuesb-b@alaska.com
_________
Financial
Coordinator
 At
this year’s convention, I mentioned that we may have to pay penalties because of
our housing shortfall at the Spokane Doubletree hotel. In fact, the Doubletree
has waived any attrition or damage charges. The Region owes a debt of gratitude
to the Doubletree for their generosity.
Even with this being said, Sue Hahn and I are
looking at our future contracts (already established) to see where we can make
changes to our requirements that will avoid these scares in the future.
On another note, next year’s convention (April 2010) is back in
the great state of Alaska! I challenge all of you to start saving now for this
trip. Anchorage is a fabulous city and has always done its best for us. In fact,
they’re
already starting! Our hotel costs are being kept the same as they were the last
time we competed in Anchorage in 2002!
We will keep you posted on airfare savings as we go forward this
year, but start planning now. Saving $10 per week will put $520 into your
convention coffers. On top of that, we have the added bonus of the International
Convention being here in Region 13 when 2010 brings Sweet Adelines worldwide to
Seattle!
Plan ahead and plan to have fun. If you’ve never been to
Anchorage, it is a must see! As a transplanted east-coast person, I thought the
mountains here in Washington were something else; but on my first trip to
Anchorage, I was speechless. Continue to think “Out of the Box” and strategize
ways to make the trip to next year’s convention a priority for you. You won’t
regret it!
Janice McKenna
206-368-5499
brucejan@drizzle.com
_________
Marketing
Coordinator
What a fabulous Convention. Congratulations to all
competitors.
It is amazing how quickly time flies. May is here, and it
is time for new Chapter Team and Board members. Hopefully each chapter has a
Marketing/PR Coordinator on your team. When you get a chance please send me a
quick email to let me know who you are; it can take a while to get the
information from SAI and I’d like to update my contact list.
Whether you are gearing up for a membership
campaign or looking to promote an event, you should check out the
Marketing
Center on the SAI website. I recommend that your chorus consider getting the
manual "Selling Sweet Adelines, a Public Relations and Marketing Kit". The kit
is intended as guide, to give you ideas and support your efforts.
Also, mark your calendars for the upcoming
Marketing Your Chorus Part II Webinar, presented by
Kathy
Carmody. The
webinar is June 6th, 9:00 a.m (PDT), and you can pre-register by
following this link.
This
webinar will provide an in-depth look at the online
Marketing
Center. As
you can see, there are some great tools available.
I would love to hear what your chorus or quartet
has been using to market your group, so drop me an email or give me a call. As always
if you have any questions or need help don’t hesitate to ask me. I’m here for
you.
Jan Matthews
907.522.1988
jlm@alaska.net
_________
Membership
Coordinator
Cris Turner
509-443-3505
crissings@charter.net
_________
Other
Contacts:
Regional
Librarian
Jean Hansen /
208.772.4776
Regional
Calendar Coordinator
Tracie Cogdill
/
907-457-5244
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Did
You Know... |
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...that the Sweet Adelines International website
has all the handouts from the last two (2007-2008) International Education
Symposiums (IES) available online? You can gather an incredible amount of
information and ideas by looking through them.
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Access Your
SAI Member Information Online |
Members can now update their personal information online, including name,
address, e-mail address and phone numbers! Log on to the following Web page to
make corrections to your membership information:
http://64.207.244.220/sai/
members_online/members/
viewmember.asp?action=start
. You can also
send information by email to
Connie Heyer, the SAI Membership guru!
Please
note that when logging in, if your member number begins with a "0" you must omit
it; for example if your member number is 01234, the log-in page will only accept
it if it is entered as 1234.
When
submitting email updates to International please include your member number,
name and chapter name with your updated information.
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InTune is published quarterly for the
membership of North Pacific Region 13, Sweet Adelines International. For
questions or comments about this electronic edition, please contact
Sue
Middleton at 253.874.2733.
_______________
The next issue will be distributed in the
summer; deadline is July 25, 2009. We'd love to hear about your chorus or
quartet! Send articles to Sue Middleton,
InTune editor.
_______________
Copyright 2009; all rights reserved.
Check us out on the web:
North Pacific Region 13
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