Looking Back on the Feb. 19^th Chapter Meeting

This week’s set up crew had to add the “mirror” panels to the wall facing the risers for our use during stage presence work.  And a huge crowd of guys came early to work with visual trainer Chuck McKeever on the stage in review of the new contest uptune.

 

Assistant director Will Cox did the warm up session.  Jim Lake was on duty, as always, was our pitch man.

 

Director Joe Cerutti got us right to work on the contest songs. Then he dismissed the sections to work with their section leaders in separate rooms.

 

After we all returned to the risers, we worked with our own Carlos Barillo to learn the rest of the choreo for the uptune.  The front row worked in the lobby of the building.  It was another great session. At some point we put the front row guys in and did a run thru a couple times.

 

Next week we will have Cindy Hansen with us to coach and offer help with polishing the choreo.

 

Operations vp Bob Rhome conducted the chapter meeting. Jack Cameron has contest photos for those who ordered them. Secretary Chris Buechler is collecting orders for Harmonizer jacket for anyone who wishes one.  Chris also presented name tags to two new members Sean Devine and Mike Ibay.

 

Ike Evans was set up to take new or replacement photos for the display board of all members that is hung in Durant each week. See Ike if you pix doesn’t look like you on the board!!

 

Mark Klostermeyer, membership vp, with help from Ken White, welcomed this week’s good number of guests – some new applicants, some guys from other chapters and relatives and friends of members.

Word from music and performance vp Brad Jones: The Alexandria Harmonizers are proud to offer 2-3 scholarships for our members to Harmony University. This legendary experience in Harmony education will be held July 28- August 4, 2013. The University is held at Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, MO. You can get more information at http://www.barbershop.org/harmony-college.html.

After our coffee break, the meeting continued. President Alan Wile reminded members of his desire to hear from any members willing to offer financial or travel or housing assistance for members who might need support to go with us to Toronto.  See Alan or Joe.

Alan also displayed an auction item (print with an Joanne Woodward autograph) given to the chapter and hinted that it is never too early to be on the lookout for items for our next auction.

Earlier in the evening, there was a boot camp session for the MANY members who have never sung with us at International – to help them prepare and know what to expect.  In the second half of the meeting, those members were reminded that if they don’t have a room reservation in Toronto, see Craig Kujawa.  If those members don’t have a convention registration, which they must have to sing, they should see Bob Rhome. Actually that applied to any member planning to sing in Toronto.

Calvin Schnure offered to help any members who want to sing in a quartet in the Southern Division contest in Reston, April 26-27 at the Reston Hyatt.  See Calvin right away.

Associate director Tony Colosimo presented another great barbershop craft session with major emphasis on body posture.

Then assistant director Terry Reynolds initiated a process for vocal evaluation, assigning singers to specific evaluators. We sang the uptune for each evaluator to listen to a singer in his group and try out the system. Everyone else was on the risers in those groups and most all were preparing their personal recording.

Back to regular riser positions for more training with Carlos. We ended the evening with a drill of “Hello My Baby” before putting everything away.

 

After the meeting a special note came out from operations vp Bob Rhome to all members: Forewarned is forearmed! Do not leave items of value in plain sight in your car while parked - - anywhere. If you see suspicious activity around the Durant Center on Tuesday nights, please notify me right away.

 

Until next time – editorjack!

 (This message is prepared for your review if you were there, for your information if you had to miss, and as a historical record of the great things going on each week during the 65^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.)