Looking Back on the Mar. 26, 2024 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting
The Alexandria A Cappella Collective (AACC) met at the AlexRenew building in Alexandria for their rehearsal. There were a lot of members and guests present again this week. The warm up session for the combined ensembles was conducted by Metro Voices assistant director, Maggie McAlexander. She used a fun round to get everyone singing.
Then artistic director, Joe Cerutti, just back from Germany, with stories about his visit with the
German chorus the Harmonizers did a show with when we went to Normandy. He also congratulated the quartet singers who represented the chapter at the Southern Division contest last weekend in York, PA, and thanked chapter members who helped manage the event.
He plugged the spring2ACTion fundraising event coming up on Wed. April 24 including the chapter’s cabaret night/watch party as we keep an eye on the fundraising results. It will be at The Bike Club in Alexandria. Joe is eager to hear from any members who can do a non-barbershop appearance for the cabaret by April 1. Zak Sandler will be accompanist for any act that needs it.
Finally, Joe highlighted the plans for another outreach opportunity for the two AACC choruses to share their talents and friendship with members of the Northeastern District (NED) of BHS, May 3-4-5 in Lake George, NY. Leaders of that district have invited AACC to sing as mic testers for the chorus contest, to provide educational sessions and possibly coaching, and to do a show.
A bus will likely depart from the DC metro area Friday afternoon and return Sunday, although some members may wish to drive with a carpool. Most expenses will be covered by the NED with AACC members covering some minimal costs.
This will be the second time the chapter has gone to another BHS district as an outreach project. The first was to the Seneca Land District in Rochester, NY, a couple years ago in the fall.
Joe has previously announced that our combined ensembles will perform “Why We Sing” in Lake George. All NED members are getting the song in advance and will be invited to join us on the risers as the finale for the show.
At this point during this week’s meeting, the two ensembles started their rehearsal on new music. Both groups held sectionals during the evening.
At the evening’s half way point, the two groups met back together for a fun ice breaker organized by Becca Williams and Devin Gerzof. It required members to form groups of 5, then using the age of the members in that group, see which group came closest to 200 in years. Actually, one group hit 200 on the nose!
The chapter business session was managed by chapter communications director, Steve Murane. History committee chairman, Don Harrington, had brought Harmonizer clothing items from a former member that were free to all. Zak Sandler asked any of his fellow singers to join him on a song he has written for world peace.
President Noah Van Gilder reported on the recent passing of Miriam Barton, wife of Dave who was formerly assistant chorus director and a regular in the front row. They have lived in FL for several years.
Chapter secretary, Heidi Krukpwski, presented membership renewals to Adam Afifi for 10 years and to Noah Van Gilder for 16 years.
Mary Cooper welcomed recent guests back this week: Mary LaBori, Callie Cirillo and Jim Friel. First time guests were Charles Davis who found us on Facebook, Jimmy King who found us on Google, and Grayland Snead Jr. who is a DCPS music educator and had brought students to the recent Youth Harmony event. Charley Rothemel was introduced as our newest member. Terry Reynolds directed the “Welcome Song.”
A chunk of time was used to report to both ensembles the summary results from the 2024 individual interviews. Joemet with new Harmonizers, and met together with Samantha Tramack with all Metro Voices. The section leaders met with all of the other Harmonizers. Terry Reynolds coordinated all of the interview process. Joe thanked the interview team and also thanked the singers who took time to attend the interviews. This was the eighth year for the chapter’s interview process.
One outgrowth of the interviews was a revamped self-recording program for both ensembles. Sophie Clarkeexplained the new plan which centers around regularly scheduled recordings and self-evaluation. Some easier steps to submitting the recordings and getting feedback are part of the new program.
Terry Reynolds reported statistics he tabulated from answers to the survey all members took prior to the interviews. Joe followed up with comments about six major areas that came to the top when members were interviewed: rehearsal timing (getting there on time so the ending can be closer to 9); improve the on-boarding process of new members (who to see and what to do and when); repertoire (in order to add more songs like many members requested, then singers need to learn songs faster); tags and Polecats (Joe pledged that the musical leadership will add them to the evening); communications (chapter leadership will address coordinating the communication efforts); fundraising (info will come to members about our fundraising programs to explain their differences).
A final report from the musical leadership was a listing of coaches for the coming season: Cy Wood for choreography; Kim Newcomb for Metro Voices; Kevin Keller for the Harmonizers; Steve and Renee Tramack for the chapter retreat May 31-June 2 (which includes our appearance at Wolf Trap). The tentative plan for that weekend is a Friday night session from 7-10 pm, Wolf Trap from 9-noon on Saturday with social time in the evening; then 9 am to 2 pm on Sunday. The location has not been chosen but the plan is to meet somewhere in the DC Metro area not far from Wolf Trap.
Just after 9:30 pm Joe invited the guests and members to come to the Harmo House for an afterglow, took a count for pizza, and invited Zak Sandler to direct “Keep the Whole World Singing.”
There were a couple other recent news items from outside the chapter: Jason Lee organized a fun contest on SLACK among members regarding the NCAA basketball contests; and Kevin Mendez sang with his quartet ,WILDFIRE, at the Sunshine District contest a couple weeks ago and qualified to complete in the BHS quartet contest in Cleveland in July.
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 for the great things going on each week during the 75th year of the Alexandria Chapter. - YeEd)
The Chapter Mission Statement Enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater DC area.
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