Looking Back on the Feb. 2^nd 2021 Virtual Chapter Meeting & Midwinter

 

A good number of Harmonizers joined the Zoom meeting again this week and there was a lot of chatter as guys were joining the call. 

 

Director Joe Cerutti launched this week’s gathering and updated the chapter on a number of issues including sharing word that Jim Henry will be a guest next week.

 

Joe did appeal to everyone to suggest speakers, and better yet, to offer to do an elective of their choosing – sharing about your hobby, your profession, your quartet experiences, you family musical background, or any topic.  Let Joeknow what you can share with the chapter.

 

We had a brief recap of the recent virtual Midwinter convention organized by BHS. It was a fun and interesting event.  It began on Thurs. Jan. 28^th and ended on Sun. Jan. 21^st.  Generally there were almost always about 20 Harmonizers on the “campus” in the avatars they had created for themselves in the virtual world.

 

The largest Harmonizer crowd was on Thursday night when the big show was “From the Archives” and included a set by VAUDEVILLE (Harold Nance, tenor [‘who was actually attending the event]. Scott Werner, John Hohl and Bill Cody).  

 

During the convention there was a full schedule of Harmony University classes.  YeEd heard that Terry Reynolds, Tony Colosimo and Joe Cerutti made presentations. 

 

It was great to chat with fellow chapter members as well as old friends from the district and around the Society.  Our chapter had a terrific “room” in the MAD hospitality room that featured a video our of Toronto contest package on a screen there.

 

Our popular coach, Kevin Keller, gave a fantastic keynote address during the Saturday evening schedule.  He received many accolades.  You can see/hear it by going to barbershop.org and click on his picture.  It is totally on target with how we come out of this Covid year as a chapter.  Take a listen.  

 

(Actually we listened to a segment’s of Kevin’s address at the end of this week’s meeting and discussed how his thoughts relate to our own chapter – especially as we emerge from Covid restraints.  And Joe promises we will learn the tag Kevin taught in his speech.)

 

Recently the music team has announced plans to rekindle the plan to have members submit recordings.  There has been a delay getting the support materials out to the chapter, but singers can still work on preparing themselves by working on the current songs – “Help from My Friends,” “Never Fully Dressed,” “Chorus Line Medley,” and “Something’s Coming.”  Joe also announced that we will be getting “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” soon too.

 

Associate director Tony Colosimo conducted the warm up session to get the body and the voice ready for the night. Sectionals were next and they concentrated on “Something’s Coming” with the reminder to download the annotated copy of the music from Groupanizer. That was followed by more work using Jamulus with singing “What I Did For Love.” This week’s Jamulus quartet was Tony, Turner Arndt, Jacob Broude, and Doug White. 

 

 We returned to the small group concept and the singers worked on “Never Fully Dressed.”  A member was invited to sing a section of the song and then others in the group offered positive suggestions.

 

Alan Wile conducted his 17^th Harmonizer Hero interview of a member who has submitted his Hero form for publication on our Groupanizer page.  This interview was with Adam Afifi, who has been a Harmonizer for four years. Adam grew up on Savanah, GA, and auditioned to attend Savanah Arts Academy high school where he sang in the boys’ choir as a freshman (he was named most improved singer in that group) and then moved to the mixed choir for the remaining three years.  The school had a strong music program and Adam got to sing at Carnegie  Hall and at the Kennedy Center.

 

Adam attributes his musical background to his Mom. He also shared the great experience he had attending a Youth Harmony Camp in high school singing lead in the school’s barbershop quartet. The guys in that quartet actually were invited to sing in the BHS collegiate contest when they were in colleges in the Savanah area.  They sang in both 2014 and 2015,  In 2015, Adam sang with the Carolina Vocal Express chorus at the International too, and that is where he met former Harmonizer, John Adams. 

 

For college Adam enrolled at Savanah College of Art and Design which set him up for his career in service design. Currently he works for Booz Allen Hamilton here in the DC area.

 

After the interview,  Joe invited the members to listen to the finale of Kevin Keller’s keynote address from the Midwinter. We opened the mics and shared thoughts regarding his talk.

 

Our next  Harmonizer Tuesday meeting will be via Zoom again at 7 pm on Feb. 9^th , 2021. 

 

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 72^nd year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. - YeEd)