Looking Back on the May 15th Chapter Meeting

The stage in Durant was packed with guys brushing up on contest package stage presence and getting in some drills on the moves for “Jersey Boys.”

Assistant director Will Cox did a terrific warm up session.

Before chorus singing, music vp Dan O’Brien reminded everyone about the large number of our fellow chapter members singing in quartets at Southern Division in Roanoke on Fri. nite May 25^th, starting at 6 pm.  We got to hear the first of three for the nite who came to sing for us – GOOD GUYS with Jim Lake, Frank Fedarko, Don Dillingham and Joel Golden.

Director Joe Cerutti started the singing time with a woodshedding exercise in prep for the June 19^th show at Constitution Hall.  We will provide background music singing two part harmony while a U.S. Senator reads a poem.

Before we working on the contest package, associate director Tony Colosimo presented another barbershop craft axiom.  This week’s topic was a repeat with more lessons – Champions are Made at the End of Phrases.

Joe introduced our coach, Geri Geis, who went right to work on the ballad, following many of the principles Tony taught. We worked hard til about 8 pm with a Geri helping us set the stage better in order to help the audience get into the music with us. Just in case, she had the fourth and fifth rows come down front and be first and second rows. That allowed she and the sp team to make sure everyone was together.  The package felt great!

Mark Klostermeyer filled in for ops vp Scott Kahler again this week in running the evening’s schedule and meeting.

Secretary Chris Buechler presented new member materials to Rich Hewitt and Dave DesPortes. Chris also presented membership renewals to Steve Murane for 10 years; Michael Gilmore for 20 years; and Bruce Lauther for 26 years.

Membership vp Phil Ashford introduced our guests – several first-timers and four applicants: Stan Quick, Sina Kazemi, Logan Lenhart and John Greene.  

Mark gave the chorus a short 10 minutes for break so we could get back to singing and the rest of the chapter meeting.  Bob Blair asked for some new truck driver volunteers to help get the risers to Roanoke. Brad Jones stressed the importance of all those going to China to get in their materials on time, or plan to drive them to MD to give them to him.

Nick Leiserson reminded us that the copy deadline for show program ads is next week.  And of course, WE ALL NEED TO SELL TICKETS!  Michael Gilmore and Ian Poulin helped Nick issue tickets on consignment.  This is a great way to help sell tickets.  When you ask folks to go, you can sell’em a ticket on the spot.

Assistant director Terry Reynolds pledges to get out an email with complete details for those competing in the chorus contest on Saturday in Roanoke, May 26^th. Likely the chorus call will be for 8 am, as we sing first up when the contest starts at 10. All will be expected to be there for that call with uniform. We will dress later in the morning.

Dan O’Brien introduced a second quartet contestant from our chapter – BECAUSE YOU ASKED with Jeff Salino, Steve Murane, Brian Ammerman and Drew Fuller.

Next the chorus worked on “Music of the Night” with Geri offering ideas for making it a more show-biz style performance.

Ken White announced our third quartet contestant – ACME CHORD CO. with Dan O’Brien, Chris Susalka, Chris Yates and Paul Grimes.

Then back to chorus work on “I’m the Music Man” with Craig Kujawa teaching more stage moves for this new opener.  It is fun to sing. And then we used the rest of the evening to drill thru “Jersey Boys” including displaying how much progress we had made on learning the moves (much of this from the 6 pm review).

Evening wrapped up with usual work and rush to get things put away so there was more time for tag singing and for helping applicants prepare for audition, and there was another audition.

Great to see Pete Frank in the house (YeEd heard Pete is new chorus director in Erie, PA, and they just won the spring chorus contest and were named most improved chorus!)  Also good to see DC Chapter’s assistant director Sheryl Berlin early in the evening. 

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 at an Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter meeting. —YeEd.)