Looking Back on the March 9-10 2012 MAD Intl Quartet Prelims

Well as you have likely heard from emails or phone calls or visits with fellow chapter members, the Alexandria guys and their quartets were right on top of the heap.  AND we will have a lot of friends to cheer for at the International convention in Portland in July.

This past weekend was the M-AD International Quartet Preliminary contest.  Our district will be sending more quartets to the contest this summer than we have done in many years.  (YeEd heard that we might even have more than these six, as some prominent quartets are competing in other district prelims to try to earn the 76% score that qualifies a quartet.  Quartets are allowed to do this if they have a conflict and can’t attend the contest in their own district.)

Here are the results of the contest with Harmonizer names in bold face.

1. WHEELHOUSE - 84.8% - Brandon Brooks, Rich Gray, Jeff Gray, Dan Van Wetering

2. DA CAPO - 83.0% - Ryan Griffith, Tony Colosimo, Joe Sawyer, Wayne Adams

3. MAD HATTERS - 78.3% - Rob Seay, Scott Disney, Rick Taylor, Steve White
4. TOP SHELF - 78.1% - Brett Thomas, Fred Womer, Jay Butterfield, Andrew Havens
5. FRANK THE DOG - 77.3% - Tim Knapp, Tom Halley, Ross Trube, Steve Kirsch
6. MAYHEM - 76.8% - Matt Fellows, Neil Dingle, Mike Pinto, Ken White

One of our Harmo family guys who lives in NY state competed in M-AD this past weekend.  George Azzam, whose name most guys recognize from the annual Put Together contest, is now singing bass in THE GENEVA CONVENTION and they made the finals on Saturday nite.

In addition to the quartets from our chapter who qualified, YOUTH RECLAMATION PROJECT with Mike Wallen, made the finals; and MINT CONDTION with Drew Fuller and Arthur Louis were the mic testers for the Saturday nite finals round.

Harmonizers were working all around the convention as board members, operations team, judges and emcee.  The Fairfax Chapter was hosts for the weekend in Reston.

DOCKSIDE HARMONY from Richmond won the district seniors quartet award. 

John Hohl was honored to have a few of  his arrangements sung this weekend by quartets including “The Unicorn Song” sung by MAYHEM at the Jamboree Sat. nite along with gestures done by some of the contest judges they invited up onto the stage.

Saturday morning there was youth quartet adjudication for high school and college students.  Gary Plaag was in charge of it.  Erin Odell had a guy’s quartet in the mix, KINGS OF CHORDS, from the school where she teaches near Richmond.

Saturday afternoon there was a two-hour session to help M-AD barbershoppers improve their success on individual membership recruitment.  The session was hosted by the district membership guy, Christian Hunter, with guest presenter, Paul Ellinger, from the Pioneer District.  It was well attended and the program was full of great ideas.  It will be on the internet for all to review and use.

YeEd recorded 33 Harmonizers there this weekend, in addition to the quartet singers and all the guys in leadership positions.

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 with the Alexandria Harmonizers. —YeEd.)