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SPRING, 2007
Contents
Address change?
Calendar
Chorus Chatter
Convention Details
Educational Opportunities
From the RMT
History Book Contest
Longevity Awards
Quartet Corner
RMT Meeting Highlights
Western WA Area School
Please feel free to make extra copies for
your chorus members! The
Text Only version will probably print
best.
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It's All About The Journey!
Pick up guidelines for singing your best on stage, acquire tips on
becoming a skilled singer, watch and learn from choruses getting
coached...and more...at the upcoming Western Washington Area School.
Saturday, June 2
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Calvary Lutheran Church in Federal Way
$15.00 registration fee includes lunch
Faculty for this workshop are
Sue Beck, Charlene O'Connor and Sally Wallace. All are
experienced members, coaches, directors, quartet singers, and faculty
members. You can't go wrong!
Whether you are new to Sweet Adelines or a long-time member, you will
get something out of this workshop to increase your knowledge of
barbershop and to take back to your chorus.
The registration deadline
has been extended to May 25. Get yours in today! For more
information, visit the
Workshop webpage on the Region 13 site. And for a downloadable
flyer and registration form, click
here. Questions?
Contact Sue Middleton,
253.874.2733.
Remember, it's all about the
journey, so take the trip to Federal Way and jump start your musical
education today! |
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RMT Meeting highlights
The RMT met January 27-28
at the Sea-Tac Marriott. Saturday was dedicated to old and new
business with Sunday being allocated for some long range planning.
The education team has some fabulous Summer
Enrichment Training coming up. The first weekend in August 2007. Diane Porsch will be the faculty and the location will be Pasco, WA. Check
out the regional web site for more information on this “Tropicale
Musicale”. In September 2008, we will be having a joint SET
with Region 26 in Richmond, BC with Rumors as the faculty, and in 2009 we will
have Betty Tracy; location to be determined. Other items included a
Director and Faculty Workshop this past March, Area Schools in Washington and
Alaska during the summer of 2007, Quartet Education and Young Women in
Harmony.
Every chorus and quartet is looking for ways
to raise money. We are working on preparing a Fundraising/Grant
Writing package to have ready for distribution at SET.
Since it was the January meeting, we
discussed the upcoming convention and future conventions and
contracts. We also discussed ways for chapters to purchase tapes
utilizing a “Director Cam” similar to what is available for directors
at an International Convention.
We discussed ways to improve regional
awareness of opportunities for members to assist Region 13 with a
variety of small to larger tasks. It is a goal to build a “Job Bank”
where members complete a quick and painless survey and we can track a
database of our available talent. The RMT will be hosting a table at
SET to promote this.
We allocated a significant amount of time to
begin working on a Long Range Strategic plan. This plan is a
work-in-progress; more information will be available during the
summer.
Submitted by Jan Matthews
_______________
Calling All Chorus
Historians!
Good news! Due to popular demand and further discussion, the contest
portion of the SET History Book Display is back on. All you Region 13
Chorus Historians, get your chorus scrapbooks ready for SET this year.
SET will be held in Pasco,
WA August 3-5. Remember that the event is a combination display and
contest: entries can be for display only or also be included in the
contest. It is your choice.
I
will be contacting chorus historians in June to touch base with you, give
out instructions and collect your entry information. You are certainly
welcome to contact me (509-218-4799) at any time with questions. I look
forward to seeing YOUR chorus scrapbook at this year's SET History Book
Contest/Display!
Jody Allen, Region 13 Historian
_______________
From the RMT
Directors Coordinator
 Congratulations
on a job well done! Our contest weekend was fantastic and now it's time to
strategize for the upcoming year. Vocal Skills are part of every judging
category so I encourage every chorus to start or continue a PVI program
(Private Vocal Instruction). If you need help starting this vital vocal
skills improvement program, contact me or a member of your friendly
regional faculty. We are all here to assist you. Use us!
Karen Leet
907.745.8371 /
ckleet@gci.net
Events Coordinator
 The
2007 Regional Contest was a great success by all measurements taken!
Patty Martin (Education Coordinator) and I
put our heads together and came up
with a great start on taking the emphasis off the competition aspect and
turning our three days together into a true convention! The
Friday morning class was well-attended and something we hope to continue
next year.
The first
rehearsal of the
Star Chorus went well and the 35 hearty souls
who got up on the risers had a ball (to be con-tinued at SET 2007 in
Pasco). Region 26 also has a regional chorus and we hope to join them
at SET 2008 in Richmond, BC.
The Thursday night Kick Off format
was well-received and will be scheduled again next year, starting a
little earlier (as requested by folks who think they need to get some
sleep during the weekend!).
Working together with Ovation at the Saturday Night Afterglow was also
successful. We had a lot of fun and Ovation made some money for their
Fund. If you have any questions or comments for me as your Events
Coordinator, please feel free to email me
and I’ll do my best to respond!
Other ideas regarding contest weekend,
such as theme, format, future sites, etc., are more than welcome!
Contest locations are set for the next three years: Spokane 2008 and
2009 and Anchorage for 2010.
Sue Hahn
907. 272.4245 /
sourdoughsuesb-b@alaska.com
Marketing Coordinator
What an incredible
convention weekend!
To a very hard working Convention Steering
Committee, Thank You! The theme of “changes” was very appropriate.
The Thursday night kick off was a fun way of taking care of the annual
business meeting with some entertainment. And after the wonderful
education class and coaching by Carol Kirkpatrick on Friday morning, I found myself
listening with “smarter ears” during the quartet contest.
Continuing
with the “change” theme, the RMT faces remain the same but some
positions change. I have enjoyed being your Chapter Coordinator for
the last year. Last summer, after having proposed changes and
soliciting input from the regions, International had all RMTs vote on
a new Regional Management Team structure.
The two changes to the
current structure are to split the previously consolidated
Membership/Marketing Coordinator position and to eliminate the Chapter
Coordinator, whose duties will now fall under the Membership
Coordinator. I am stepping into the role of Marketing Coordinator and
will be looking to form a team. If you have an interest, suggestions
or any questions, please email me
or give me a call.
Jan
Matthews
907.522.1988 /
jlm@alaska.net
_______________
Moved? Changed your email address?
Did you know that updated address information
should be sent to
Teresa McLuen, our Regional Database Manager? Teresa will
then
distribute it to the appropriate people in the region who need the
information. Individual members can send the information, or chapter
leaders. You can even send a copy of your roster if that is easier!
This
information is ONLY used for official Region 13 business, such as the
InTune, and mailings for competition or workshops. Your name will not be
sold to anyone!
And don't forget to send your change on to
International, too! An email to
Connie
Heyer will do the trick! This will ensure uninterrupted delivery of
The Pitch Pipe, as well as any dues renewal or other important
information from International. SAI does not sell membership information
to outsiders either.
Thanks for
helping keep our mailing and membership lists up to date!
_______________
Regional Calendar
2007
June
2:
Western Washington Area School,
"It's All About The Journey", with Regional Faculty Sue Beck, Charlene
O'Connor
and Sally Wallace; Federal Way, WA
23: Grand Olympics Chorus
is pleased to
present "Let's Get Away From It All!" 7:00 pm; Port
Angeles High School Auditorium; 304 E. Park Ave; Port Angeles, WA
98362. Show time is 7:00 pm. Featured guests: Tracy Blume, with Jazz-n-Blume, and
the local Peninsula Girls Choir. Tickets can be purchased online
at: NWPerformingArts.com
and are $15 preferred seating and $12 general.
July
1-8: Society International Convention (BHS)
Denver, CO
11-14: IES (International
Education Symposium), "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Alamo"; Trinity University, San Antonio, TX. For more
information, click
here.
20-22: Evergreen District's Harmony
College Northwest; Tacoma, WA.
28:
InTune Newsletter deadline for
Summer
issue; questions and articles
should go to
Nancy Gott.
August
3-5 -
SET w/Diane Porsch - Pasco, WA
10-11: Alaska Area School, featuring Joe Connelly; Anchorage, AK.
25: LiveWire Quartet Extravaganza; Tukwila/Federal Way, WA area.
The evening will feature several SAI and BHS quartets. Contact
Teresa McCafferty at
253.631.2130 for more information.
September
15:
Pacific Sound Chorus Master Class with Betty Clipman.
For more
information, contact
Susan
Soderberg.
October
9-13: International Convention - Calgary, AB
19-21:
Evergreen District
Convention; Meydenbauer Convention Center, Bellevue, WA
27:
InTune Newsletter deadline for
Fall issue; questions and articles
should go to
Nancy Gott.
November
9-10: Quartet Workshop featuring “The Buzz” sponsored by “Ovation” -
Seattle, WA
10:
Jet Cities Chorus Show; guest quartet The Buzz. Seattle area.
17:
Pacific Sound Chorus Master Class with Betty Clipman. For more
information, contact
Susan
Soderberg.
2008
April
10-13: Region 26 Annual Convention - Vancouver area
24-27: Region 13 Annual Convention - Spokane, WA
May
15-18: Region 24 Annual Convention
November
4-8: International Convention - Honolulu, HI
2009
April
2-5: Region 13 Annual Convention -
Spokane, WA
23-26: Region 26 Annual Convention - Calgary, AB
May
14-17: Region 24 Annual Convention
November
3-7: International Convention - Nashville, TN
2010
April
22-24: Region 13 Annual Convention - Anchorage, AK
29-May 2: Region 24 Annual Convention
May
13-16: Region 26 Annual Convention - Saskatoon, SK
October
19-23: International Convention - Seattle, WA
2011
October
18-22: International Convention - Houston, TX
2012
October
30-Nov 2: International Convention - Denver, CO
2013
November
5-9: International Convention - Honolulu, HI
Send Calendar info to:
Tracie
Cogdill, Calendar Coordinator
PO Box 80007
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Home: 907-457-5244
Fax: 907-456-5244
_______________
Risers Wanted
Prospective Voices Northwest Chorus
is currently
meeting in Snohomish, Washington. We have 21 auditioned members with
more on the way and no risers yet. If you have insights into how we
can find some -
without spending an entire fortune - please share. The sooner, the
better.
Thanks all!
Sue Beck, Director
Prospective Voices Northwest
_______________
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 28, 2007. Send articles to
Nancy Gott,
InTune editor.
_______________
Copyright 2007; all rights reserved.
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|
 Chalk up another smashing success for North Pacific Region 13! The
Regional Convention Steering Committee, under the leadership of
Marshia Nicholson, did a wonderful job of expanding a "contest" into
a true convention weekend. The competition backstage work ran like
clockwork as well, thanks to the hard work of CC Jill Landback.
All committee members and backstage crew deserve a huge THANK YOU from
the members.
Congratulations to Mojo, for winning the quartet contest on
Friday.
Corinna Garriock,
Julie Hagstrom, Patti Burklund, and Judy Pozsgay Rimple
(Lions Gate and Pacific Sound Choruses) will be
heading to Calgary, Alberta, Canada this fall to compete at the 2007
International contest.
Congratulations also go to Pacific Sound Chorus (Bellevue, WA),
under the direction of Susan Lamb Kegley, for winning the chorus
contest on Saturday. Pacific Sound will represent Region 13 at the 2008
international contest in Honolulu, HI.
Mark your calendars for April 24-27 for the 2008 Regional Contest. It's
gonna be another winner!
It's All About the Journey
WESTERN WASHINGTON AREA SCHOOL
It's All About The Journey
WOW!! What a rush! The Western
Washington Area School was absolutely fabulous this year. But what else
could it have been with guest faculty members like Sally Wallace, Sue
Beck and Charlene O'Connor?
The day started with Charlene
taking us through physical warm-up exercises (after a minor glitch with
the CD player, which Sue Middleton got sorted out). Not only did the
exercises wake us up (along with the caffeine from the coffee being
served), but she showed us how
stretching and warming up our “instrument" was more important and
beneficial than doing cute, fun choreography moves.
Next, Sue Beck showed us how to
create a visual plan. Ask yourself these questions when planning for
competition - What IS the plan? What's the general theme (if there is
one)? How can the costume support the plan? If there is no theme...what
now? The focus of the showmanship category is the evaluation of the
salesmanship of the musical product. The elements of preparation, visual
planning, and commitment will create onstage magic. The
presentation/performance is where it all comes together and comes alive!
Following Sue, Sally Wallace
took the "stage". She walked us through Goal Reaching. Never set your
motivations so high that people in your chorus become anxious. This
scares ladies off and you lose members. Also, don't set it so low that
it becomes boring. Set your motivation just slightly above where you are
now so it becomes doable for everyone. Always remember that talent
varies from person to person. It will take effort on everyone’s part and
the chorus as a whole should work to increase the use of their talent.
It takes confidence! If you think you can....YOU CAN!!
After taking a short lunch
break, the Jet Cities Chorus got on the risers to be coached by Charlene
O'Connor. We sang "It Feels Like Home". Then Charlene showed us how to
breathe life into the song using facial expressions and the whole body.
Your body is your instrument. Sally Wallace put it like this, "Your body
is a wind instrument like a clarinet. If you bend over and put a kink in
your instrument, then you won't get enough air through it to produce the
correct sound. Proper singer's posture is SUPER important when singing!"
We then worked on "Sweet Georgia Brown". All of the ladies who attended
got to be involved with this one. The group was split in half, with each
side following their opposite in the chorus. Each move had to have
intensity and feeling.
We were then blessed with a
brief respite to get water and chat a bit. Then Sue Beck took over again
and walked us through Getting Ready To Perform and How To Learn New
Music. She took suggestions from the group and made a list. It's amazing
how many different ways people learn music! (The
lists are the ones I sent to you yesterday. I'm not sure what you want
to do with them, but it will make the article MAJOR long to use them in
it).
After an exhilarating (and
slightly tiring) day of learning, we thanked the three ladies who
generously gave us their time and knowledge, cleaned up and went
home. Many thanks to the ladies in the Jet Cities Chorus who set up/took
down risers, prepared/set out/cleaned up after lunch and rearranged the
furniture!! Y'all rock!!!!
Submitted by Nancy Gott
Jet Cities Chorus
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Our golden treasures
"There'll be some changes made
today”...what a fitting theme for our recent regional convention.
Our region has welcomed three new
or prospective choruses this year. The new
RiversEdge Chorus is
fully chartered on the "sunny side" of the state in Spokane. Plus, we
have two prospective choruses on the rainy side of the mountains:
welcome to Voices Northwest
(Snohomish, WA) and to Port of Angels (Port Angeles, WA). And how
terrific was it to have prospective POA on the risers for
evaluation!? Our hats are tipped in welcome to you all.
One of
the highlights of our conventions is presenting longevity certificates
and ribbons to those wonderful women who are the bedrock of our
organization. On
Thursday
evening, Sue Beck read through a carefully researched script (by
Regional Historian Jody
Allen) and we acknowledged milestone memberships for 121 women (the certificates were mailed to
the members’ choruses or to CAL members in late February).
Anyone who might wish to purchase a copy of the photos taken for each
group of award winners Thursday night should visit
ER Lilley's online site.
From left to right: Opal Hicks, Barb Iwai, Anita Gohl and Lois Dye
Of special
note, this year we presented three 50-year certificates and ribbons to
three special ladies as a part of the Show of Champions. Lois Dye,
Anita Gohl and Barb Ewai each received their 50-year certificates. Opal Hicks rounded out the presentation by receiving a certificate for
55 years!
So three
cheers for Region 13! In with the new but also recognizing that we
are what we are today due to the activities, vision and spirit of
those who have blazed the trail for Sweet Adelines here in the Pacific
Northwest.
Gayle Robinson,
Membership Coordinator
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Chorus Chatter
Alaska Sound
Celebration Chorus
“Newborn” Alaska Sound Celebration Chorus (ASC) took our first “baby”
steps on the stage of the Region 13 Competition in Spokane and brought
home second place medals, a score which ensured co-directors Karen Leet
and Peggy McBride Master Director status. “Peggy and I are very proud
and humbled by our new Master Director designation,” says Karen. “We
know you obtain the Certified Director status yourself by completing the
DCP tests, but it takes a chorus to give you the gift of Master
Director; we thank them for our wonderful gift!”
In January 2007, the two
Anchorage
choruses (Anchorage Sourdough directed by Peggy McBride and Top of the
World, directed by Karen Leet) merged. These “Babes of Barbershop”, or
BOB, showed up full force in
Spokane with 69 of our 77
charter members making the journey. BOB also made his presence known in
sparkling BOB pins and signs, and was also featured in ASC’s Showcase
performance on the Saturday evening of Competition weekend.
Karen and Peggy said,
“We
are extremely proud of these ladies. They took a risk in merging these
two long standing successful choruses and their risk paid off. Everyone
has been working non-stop since our first ‘real’ rehearsal last
September and they haven’t stopped yet. The great part is, we’re working
hard but having lots of fun in the process too. There is a buzz of
excitement in the air every time we meet and we love that!”
Our newly formed Management Team now continues the work begun last
winter with Elaine Albertson at the helm as our new Team Leader, who
says, “I can say without a doubt, this is the most challenging and most
rewarding musical experience I've ever had, and it just keeps getting
better!”
ASC will grow into the future and bring traditions from both choruses as
we mature. The December 2006 holiday show featured a “Sing for
Scholarships” contest for high school students; a local Rotary club
provided some of the scholarship money. We intend to grow that program
and other mutually beneficial relationships. The February 2007 Melodrama
was a fundraising success and introduced new Top of the World talent to
the Melodrama stage; 2008’s show holds the same promise. ASC will
continue to sing at the monthly Naturalization ceremonies for new US
citizens, while performing at the Alaska State Fair, delivering
Valentines and Christmas Cards, and enjoying several coaching sessions
will round out the year. And did we mention 8 other new songs to be sung
this year?
Alaska Sound
Celebration looks forward to a bright and exciting future expanding our
repertoire and preparing for 2008 Competition. “One heart, one voice and
one chorus” was the theme for our merger year. Now, as we work together,
we look forward to some amazing musical adventures. As Karen says, “Our
first competition experience together was marvelous. Thank you to
everyone to who gave us encouragement along the way. It has meant the
world to us.”
Submitted by Beth Galea
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Coeur d'Alene
Chorus
The ladies of the Coeur
d'Alene Chorus had quite a time at Regional Competition this year. All
but four of our members were able to compete, and those four were in the
audience to lend us their support...and boy, did we have support! Well,
I should qualify that. Our chorus was enveloped in love and support from
everyone at competition, partly because our physical support
unfortunately left something to be desired!
On Friday, we arrived at the DoubleTree to rehearse for Saturday’s
chorus competition. As we entered the rehearsal room and began to ascend
the risers, they suddenly collapsed, throwing several members to the
floor. Three ladies on the top step landed between the risers and the
wall, hitting both as they fell. Other members either fell onto the
riser or were able to jump free. Paramedics arrived within minutes and
four women were transported to the hospital.
The rest of us were in a state of shock. As we waited to hear about
our friends, sharing hugs and tears, we realized what might have
happened if some of us had not stopped on our way to rehearsal to listen
to Mojo singing out in the hallway!
We decided it was important "the show went on" and--with cell
phones set to vibrate with hospital reports--headed to the quartet
competition to support Moxie with our director, Bianca Perry.
As good news trickled in, we took a collective deep breath: there
were fractures, sprains, lacerations and an assessment for a concussion,
plus various soft tissue injuries to all those places you never knew you
had! But we’re very happy to report that our “walking wounded” returned
to the hotel that day and every last one of them competed...braces,
slings, headaches and all! We sang our hearts out, even though many of
us had lumps in our throats from the very emotional standing ovation we
received when the curtain opened!
If there is a silver lining here, it is that we hope everyone will
perform regular checks on their equipment. Mike Elliott, Spirit of
Spokane director, was on the scene to see if he could determine what had
caused the riser accident. Though no cause has been absolutely
identified, he felt one of the riser section locks had worn to the point
that it no longer gripped the frame enough to hold. When the lock gave,
it pulled the other two sections with it. This was something we never
thought would happen.
And now, one final bit to our competition story. On Saturday
evening, most of the chorus met for dinner at Luigi’s. Sharing the
banquet room were members of
Inland Harmony Chorus. After dinner, we began to sing, inviting
Inland Harmony to join us. It was a perfect way of celebrating both our
love of harmony and the strength of the bonds that hold us all together.
What an uplifting experience! It erased the last of our trauma nerves
and got us back in top form.
Many wonderful stories of the love and support shown to our chorus
at this year’s competition have been shared, and we continue to get
“hope everyone is okay” messages. What a great region--and
organization--we belong to!
Submitted by
Jean Bledsoe
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Pacific
Sound
Chorus
Pacific Sound takes this opportunity to congratulate all
choruses and quartets for an amazing contest! It's clear that no one
should take any "win" for granted. The number of quality quartets is
especially impressive. Add to that the obvious effort expended by Alaska
Sound Celebration to be the very best they can be pushes the Region 13
bar higher. Best wishes to Spirit of Spokane in Calgary!
It was a tremendous pleasure surprising Carole Kirkpatrick with a
tribute to her past leadership and, at the same time, welcoming Susan
Lamb Kegley home to PSC. Region 13 is blessed beyond measure with women
like these in our midst.
P.S. Aloha Pumehana! (P.S. We Love You!)
Submitted by Susan Soderberg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
RiversEdge
Chorus
It has been a whirlwind year for this new
chorus. We began our journey in July of 2006, and we received our
new charter on April 19, 2007. YIPPEE! In that time we produced a
successful Christmas show, acquired new risers, and have found a
wonderful home at Alpine College in Spokane where we rehearse every
Tuesday evening.
In March, RiversEdge had a booth at the
Women’s Show where we showed videos of recent International
Competitions and had information available about our chorus and
Sweet Adelines. We felt it was a great way to reach women of our
demographics, and we have had four ladies visit the chorus, two of
whom will be joining. It was a great way to publicize our new
chorus and add to our mailing list. We are planning to have a booth
next year, and will be part of the entertainment.
On May 12, we held our first annual
Mother’s Day Tea, which was a rousing success. We had a nearly
sell-out crowd of beautifully dressed ladies who had a wonderful
afternoon sharing tea, refreshments, watching a style show presented
by Chico’s and a performance by the chorus and quartets. We plan for
this to be an annual event, and invite you to join us next year.
We are looking forward to a busy summer
with coaching sessions and performances. Since we are all good
friends, we will also be taking time to enjoy each other’s company
at a couple of patio and lake parties.
Submitted by Mary Ann Milette
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Rolling Hills Chorus
Yo, Yo, Yo... Lean with it... Rock with it... Region 13
is so fly!
Rolling Hills Chorus was thrilled to be on the Festival
of Champions as your First Place Small Chorus. Our Rap package came
about spontaneously during retreat. We had been working on keeping an
even tempo with the beat from an electric piano. Our coach, Sue Beck,
and our director, Lucy Heinkel, paused for a few moments to discuss
things among themselves when the whole chorus started to rap to the
beat: "Oh; you beautiful doll. You great big beautiful doll..."
Rolling Hills would like to thank Region 13 for all the
educational programs they offer. We have benefited from skilled,
knowledgeable, dedicated faculty and coaches right here in our
region. Thank you, Sue Beck, for being a great coach.
In addition to getting ready for competition, Rolling
Hills has had two "sing outs": one for the men's barbershop chorus,
Columbia River Chordsmen; a High Tea Social at the Kennewick Senior
Center; plus, a "sing out" coming up on June 5th at the Grandview Fair
Grounds. We love it! Our annual show in January will be a tribute to
Irving Berlin, with lots of fun songs to learn while working on our
vocal production skills.
So, peace out! We love you Region 13. You're so fly, yo!
Submitted
by Julee Perry_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Spirit of Spokane
Chorus
We knew our show could succeed, but it meant REALLY working hard!
In the end,
New York,
New York
and Dances with the Stars delivered! Our annual show had creative
entertainment AND financial success! Despite a perilously short
four-month timeframe, our show committee, led by Farol Stroyan and
Phyllis Albee, managed to create success in several key areas:
partnering with local media celebrities, careful financial planning,
clever advertising techniques, and above all, a renewed positive energy
for the chorus!
Most Americans have heard of the hot, new reality show “Dancing
with the Stars” from which our show evolved. The story was set
around a chorus traveling to
New York City
to perform at Carnegie Hall, stopping along the way to visit famous
theaters. One theater was having a dance contest with two Spokane
celebrities as contestants (what a coincidence!).
Our success took more than a good idea, though. Establishing a
relationship with local media personalities was part of our win-win
combination. Not only did we meet some incredible people, but received a
huge amount of free radio and television exposure. Why did Robyn Nance,
KXLY TV news anchor and Dave Sposito, KZZU morning radio show star jump
on our bandwagon so willingly? Because we pledged to raise money for two
local cancer foundations.
To quote Robyn, “It was such an honor and a joy to be part of a
wonderful show. I was able to help raise funds for cancer care, which is
close to my heart, as my grandmother is fighting (and beating) cancer. I
made some amazing new friends in the cast, and the show sparked a new
passion for me: ballroom dancing!Thank you for including me. I loved
every minute!”
Another element which propelled this show to success was the choice
of a great
Spokane
landmark as our venue: the Bing Crosby Theater, which was a fun place to
perform as well as a historic showbiz setting for the audience.
Providing tickets through TicketsWest also lent a professional
quality to the show. Add to that great singing and guests, and the show
was a winner all the way.
The fun didn’t stop when the curtain fell. Thanks to the
outstanding commitment from the chorus, we exceeded our profit margin by
162 percent. The number of chorus members selling ads and tickets
increased tenfold. Best of all, ticket sales soared and we enjoyed our
largest audience ever! In addition, we raised and donated $650 to both
the Northwest Cancer Foundation in
Spokane
and North Idaho Cancer Care in
Coeur d’Alene.
Look for our second Dances with the Stars to be even bigger,
include more celebrities and raise more money! When you give, you
receive! The Spirit of Spokane Chorus is beginning to make its mark in
the arts community, but more importantly is raising money to battle
cancer, a disease that touches so many lives. Now that is trying
AND succeeding, in show biz and in life.
Submitted by Dee
Pearson and Laura Lambert
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Prospective
Voices Northwest
Chorus
It was
a tiny paragraph in the free weekly paper that covers the town of
Snohomish, Washington, the kind that still reports on the police blotter.
I don't even always read it. The article was short, sweet and entitled,
"Chorus Forms". It said a new county-wide chorus called Voices Northwest
was starting in January. I have been telling my husband for years that I
wanted to find something music-oriented to balance out the stress of my
corporate job. I hoped this might be it.
As soon as I walked into the room the first night, I felt the
energy. What a GREAT group of women. All ages, all walks of life, all
types. And THEN, they said this was going to be a chapter of the Sweet
Adelines! I could not BELIEVE my luck. Though I'd not previously been in a
position to join, my aunt was a member 30 years ago in Virginia. My mom
sang in a chorus in
Oklahoma
with many CAL members when I was very young. I couldn't wait to tell my
family I had stumbled into a newly forming Sweet Adelines chorus!
It is all the more fun to be a charter member of this new group, and get
to help build it. We have the most fabulous mixture of very experienced
members, less experienced members, and complete newbies like me. Our group
is collaborative, welcoming and helpful to everyone who is interested. Our
experienced members are incredibly talented, starting with our director,
Sue Beck. Six of our members just came back from Regional contest and four
came back with a first place medal earned with the Pacific Sound Chorus
where they enjoy dual membership. One of our members is an experienced
arranger, several others have sung in medalist quartets, and still others
of us have belonged to various choruses in this and other regions and have
recently moved here to
Washington
State.
We are still working out all the administrative details, but it's
exciting to see it all form and come together. We're looking for risers
and planning repertoire. Sue very wisely had us singing immediately and we
have surprised her with how quickly we are learning. She is hustling to
find more music, moving us along in record time. I've been singing in one
form or another since I could talk and I've not seen a group sing together
as well as ours in such a short time.
I could not be having any more fun. When I told my husband what I was
looking for, I tried to describe this type of music to him (a non-singer)
and now when I go to rehearsal, I feel like I am in the middle of my
wish. I am meeting new people and finding wonderful friends in an instant
community. For whatever cosmic forces conspired to have all these events
come together for me, I am eternally grateful.
Submitted by Nona Clifton
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Quartets Corner
Happy Hour
Wow - what a whirlwind weekend!
Our regional competition, yet again, proved to be the highlight of our
entire year! After a year
of working hard, coaching with our three FABULOUS coaches: Beth Smith,
Lea Beverley and Sandi Robinson Marron, singing for audiences
throughout the west coast, and laughing ourselves silly, Happy Hour
was thrilled to win 4th place, and improve by 44 points! We feel so
lucky to have a cappella joy Chorus and Harmony Northwest Chorus as
our "mother" choruses - their love and support really drives us to do
our best. And, yes, we have a mother in each chorus!
It was also a special treat to know
that our families were watching on the webcast. Even Sharon's Mum and
Dad watched the entire
competition... from Scotland! And, we'd like to send a huge hug and
thank you to each of the other quartets - it was great seeing
and hearing everyone and we're looking forward to next year!
Happy Hour Quartet: Sharon, Nikki, Carol, and Erika
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Mojo
It’s difficult
to put into words how very grateful we are for the amazing love and
support you gave us during competition weekend in
Spokane.
Thank you for helping create wonderful memories of our first contest
together. We are already hard at work preparing for our trip to
International Competition in
Calgary
and hope that many of you will be there to share that experience with
us.
As we prepared
for Regional competition, we were blessed with exceptional coaching
from Dale Syverson and Sandy Robinson Marron. Before we hit the stage
in Calgary, we will continue to coach with Sandy, and also have
coaching sessions planned with Carole Kirkpatrick and Peggy Gram.
There may be others on the horizon as well.
We are so
grateful for our families, both in Canada and the USA, who continue to
amaze us with their love and support. And, of course, Region 26 and
the Calgary-bound Lions Gate Chorus (Judy & Corinna are members) and
the Pacific Sound Chorus (2007 Region 13 Champs!) … well, YOU ROCK!
And last, but by no means least, the love and support from Ovation
Chorus has been phenomenal. What a celebration they gave us as new
champions!
Congratulations
to all of the quartet and chorus competitors. You are ALL winners!
Mojo: Corinna, Julie, Patti, Judy
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Pepper
Our thanks
once again to Region 13 for putting on a great contest! There were
many wonderful quartets and choruses, and we are proud to have
earned medals again this year.
Our year has
been filled with performances, coaching, and rehearsals in Montana,
Idaho, and Washington. Certainly the distance between our members
presents certain challenges, but it has been well worth the effort.
The highlights of the year include mic-testing
for the Region 24 contest, headlining the Helena chorus show, and
coaching with Dale Syverson.
We
especially want to thank our coaches, Mike Elliott, Ryan
Heller, Dale Syverson, and
Carol Kirkpatrick; to our families for their loving support and
sacrifice; to the Spirit of Spokane Chorus; and for the
amazing support and encouragement from members of Region 13
and Region 24. We appreciate all of you!
Pepper:
LouAnn Hommel, Debbie Drake, Elizabeth Keller, and Carran
Kelley
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