Looking Back on the August 5th Chapter Meeting and a Report from HU

As you might expect, the Harmonizers were well represented at Harmony University on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville from July 28-August 3. YeEd’s reporters sent word that it was great event (and the new campus, different from past years, was well received).  Joe Cerutti was dean of the school in his capacity as a BHS staffer (filling in for Mike O’Neal who left the staff recently to take a music educator position).  Joe was emcee for each morning’s general session.  By the end of the week, he was being called “Headmaster Cerutti.” 

 

Tony Colosimo and Carlos Barillo were coaching quartets and choruses during the week.  Mike Kelly was teaching a class on how to use technology at the chapter level and of course was always there for sound and av support at all sessions..  Terry Reynolds was teaching chapter leadership as part of a team to help those chapter choruses there for musical coaching also to address their organizational development.  Chris Buechler and Rich Hewitt attended the director’s college at HU.  Drew Fuller and Randall Eliason were student attendees. 
Drew sang in the Brigade Chorus on Saturday nite. Randall and Rich received Harmonizer scholarships to attend with the pledge to return service to the chapter. They both sang in the “green” rookie chorus that took the rookie chorus championship (everyone who was at HU for the first time got a ribbon designating which rookie chorus they would sing in).

 

About 700 students attended HU including music educators, women barbershop singers, youth as well as quartets and choruses.  It is a huge event and a powerful way to improve as a singer and barbershopper.

 

Besides the HU event, candidates to become certified BHS judges attended a school to help them prepare.  Chris Buechler was on the faculty.  Jay Butterfield is a new singing category candidate.

 

And in other news: our chapter visual team met last Sunday nite at Chuck McKeever’s home.  Carlos was back from Nashville to help Chuck.  The team includes Joe Cerutti, musical leadership (he was not back from Nashville);  Bruce Roehm and Craig Kujawa, front row leaders; Randall Eliason, faces coach; Keith Jones and TJ Jones, assistants to Chuck; and eight row leaders including Don Thompson, Carl Kauffmann, Dave Branstetter, Chuck Powell, Don Dillingham, Ian Poulin, Nick Leiserson and Bob Blair. 

 

This week the 6:30 start was hard for many to make it on time, since the DC area was in gridlock from the big meeting of African leaders in Washington.  But the risers ended up being full about 7 or so.  The welcome music to get us on the risers was one of our new songs.

 

Director Joe Cerutti did the vocal warm ups.  He was fresh back from Nashville and Harmony University – see above.

 

We went right to work on review of show songs since we have another outdoor concert, Friday, August 15^th, at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria. Be sure to invite friends and family to come to this one.  Bring some chairs for comfort.  Make plans for after the show in Old Town.  Metro riders might want to check out the trolley shuttle from King Street station.

 

 

 

Then we also worked more on the new contest ballad as well as some spots in “Anything Goes.”  We are still looking to confirm more singers for the fall district chorus contest in Wildwood NJ during weekend of Oct. 24-26.  Goal is 115 and we are getting close. Members should be sure they have signed in on harmonizers.groupanizer.com that they are gonna sing in the contest.

 

Operations vp Bob Blair conducted our chapter meeting and thanked chapter historian Martin Banks for the displays this week.

 

Bob thanked Calvin Schnure for his work on the successful Put Together Quartet contest last week.

 

Shawn Tallant reported that we have good numbers signed up to use rooms in the chapter’s hotel in Wildwood.  He also indicates we will have a chapter hospitality room in that property if some guys step forward to manage it.

 

Rick Wagner is accepting offers from members who are willing to host a fellow chapter member that needs a place to sleep some Tuesday nites after rehearsal – especially when weather is bad or when we have to be some place early in the morning in the DC area.

 

Ike Evans gave out the Harmo logo brief cases that guys ordered.

 

Several chapter leaders spoke about up-coming calendar items: all sections sectional on Sat. Aug 9^th  at 9 am at First Baptist; Market Square show on Fri. August 15^th; show with other DC area choruses on Tuesday August 26 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manassas; Cindy Hansen coaching us in Alexandria on Tuesday Sept 2 with emphasis on the new ballad.

 

Carlos Barillo is inviting men who want to be in the front row to speak with him ASAP.

 

Secretary Chris Buechler presented membership renewal cards to Carlos Barillo for 3 years; Don Dillingham for 5 years; Tim Buell for 10 years; Ian Poulin for 11 years; Craig Odell for 45 years; and Don Johnson for 46 years.

 

Rich Hewitt welcomed guests this week.

 

At break time, we all enjoyed a big container of banana bread (rumor has it Don Dillingham brought it in for us – Thanks Don). Other folks have also brought in goodies to share including Rick Wagner, Sam McFarland, Dean Rust, Chris Huber, Randall Eliason and Ellen Dellert. (YeEd figures he has forgotten someone – sorry but thanks too.)

 

After the break we had an important presentation by president Terry Reynolds about the future of the chapter – in summary: the board is considering how to transition us into an arts organization and not just a barbershop chorus. We were assured that we would continue to be a member group of the BHS and we would continue to participate in BHS contests and events.  The recent change in chapter bylaws by the BHS board will make some of the transition possible. There was also adequate time for questions and discussion with the chapter membership.

 

A good crowd was at the afterglow again this week with some good tag singing and lots of jokes and stories from Harmony University with some of our rookie faculty guys sharing “tales out of school.”

 

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 66^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.)