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So many ways to get smart!
Harmony continues to ramp up educational offerings
By Gaye LaCasce, International President
Education is a hot Harmony topic right now. Our brand new education coordinator, Wendy Spilker, is eager to hear about the topics that interest or challenge you, your quartet, your chapter, or your Harmony goals.
Want to form a new chorus? Let us know.
Need guidance about choosing music? There are experts in the field who can help.
Interested in learning how to form or develop a quartet? We can help.
Fund-raising, youth initiatives, community outreach, music reading ... the educational opportunities are limited only by what our members want to learn!
(P.S. - Many thanks to Anne Colt for her years of excellent service in the education role!)
IBOD Mid-Year Meeting
Another hot topic (at least for your IBOD) is Mid-year meeting - that's how we are celebrating Mother's Day Weekend this year!
In all seriousness, it's a privilege to represent you all at our IBOD meetings. Every topic and agenda item dealt with at the meeting is viewed through the same lens - what is the best outcome for our members?
That said, we realize that our members may have differing opinions, so decisions made by the Board (a representative group of people with different opinions - that's democracy!) may or may not make you happy. But whether you agree with IBOD decisions or not, please know that the process is thorough, thoughtful, and well-researched.
Looking forward to constructive work for Harmony - and to sharing all the updates with you.
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| Area Conventions and Contests |
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A Most Unusual Day
Area 2 celebrates at 2024 convention
By Julie Schwingbeck, Area 2 Director
Hosted by Montreal City Voices, the theme of this year’s Area 2 convention was A Most Unusual Day. Each chorus randomly selected a month and received a calendar full of unusual and non-typical holidays to pick for their theme… and a most unusual convention it was – starting with being two weeks earlier than originally anticipated due to the loss of the contest venue to renovations. The convention team worked diligently to find a new venue, and were able to, just with a most unusual date!
MCV were hosts with the mosts, setting up a hospitality room with all kinds of activities - including a tarot reader! - and running a hugely successful basket raffle for Youth Outreach. Following the Area 2 Council spring board meeting there was a full slate of educational offerings on Thursday and Friday – a total of 16 presentations to choose from - including Area 4’s Libby Brown, who remotely led a class on HarmonySite functions and was available to answer a variety of questions. Then it was time for the contests.
Quartet Contest
The quartet contest was presented by D Dyer, former International President of Harmony, Inc. Nine quartets competed, six returning from last year and three quartets new to the contest stage.
Awards
2024 Area 2 Quartet Champion is Intonations
INTONATIONS ARE CHAMPS - Area 2 fielded nine competing quartets with Intonations winning the championship. High Gear and SweetLife also qualified for the International Quartet Contests in Louisville this fall.
- Three quartets qualified to go to IC&C in November: High Gear, Intonations, and SweetLife.
- 2nd Place High Gear
- 3rd Place SweetLife,
- 4th Place Steppin' Up
- Out on a Limb quartet took home the Voices of Experience Award, which is awarded to the highest scoring Area 2 Senior quartet.
- Out on a Limb also won the Rae Borror Memorial Award, which is awarded to the most improved quartet (by total score).
- The new Celia Landry From the Heart Award went to the quartet with the greatest improvement in Performance Category score and was won by SweetLife. This award replaced the Jane Beale Award, which was retired as its plaque was full and the chapter involved with donating it has moved to Area 5 (Donated by Carol Gardner and quartet members from the Capital Chordettes)
- The winner of the Area 2 Novice Quartet Award was Cherry on Top
We welcomed our judging panel: PC: Susan Novosad, ADM: Linda Muise, MUS: Anne Bureau, John Burri, PER: Lynn Blakeney, Paul Ellinger, SNG: Aaron Evens, Andrew Lujan. For three of these esteemed judges, it was their first time judging a Harmony, Inc. Convention – Aaron, Paul, and Andrew. We appreciate all our judges who give their time and talents to make us better ensembles.
Chorus Contest – 100% Participation!
All 12 chapters of Area 2 fielded choruses to participate in the Chorus Contest. This was a first for several years – most “unusual”! We were all quite happy to be sharing the stage with ALL our Area 2 sisters. The stage was filled with heartfelt ballads and rousing uptunes!
Awards
2024 Area 2 Chorus Champion is New England Voices in Harmony! and the Guiding Hands Award for the champion director was awarded to Renee Tramack.
NEW ENGLAND VOICES IN HARMONY - led the field of 12 choruses - that's EVERY CHORUS in the Area - to be named Area 2 2024 champs. Six choruses qualified to represent the Area at the International Contest in Louisville, Kentucky, this November: Barre-Tones, Inc., Harmony Heritage, New England Voices in Harmony, Silk’n Sounds, Sounds of the Seacoast, and Women of Note.
- 2nd Place Women of Note
- 3rd place Sounds of the Seacoast,
- 4th Place Silk'n Sounds,
- The Area 2 Sandi White Membership award was awarded to Surround Sound, which had a 36.4% growth in membership!
- Barre-tones, Inc. won the Betty Costellow Small Chorus award, which goes to the chorus with 25 or fewer members that attains the highest score in the contest (excluding the winners).
- The Rising Star award also went to Barre-tones, Inc., which showed the greatest improvement in total score since last year's AC&C.
- Women of Note was awarded the Area 2 Achievement award, which goes to the highest scoring Area 2 chorus, excluding the immediate AC&C winner and International Medalists from the past three years.
Six choruses qualified to represent the Area at the International Contest in Louisville, Kentucky, this November: Barre-Tones, Inc., Harmony Heritage, New England Voices in Harmony, Silk’n Sounds, Sounds of the Seacoast, and Women of Note.
Saturday Night Festivities
Finally, it was time for the Saturday night high jinks. Each chapter took celebrating their most unusual day to heart and a riotous good time was had by all.
Host Chapter President Gail Chartier had this to say about the event: “We had the privilege of working alongside a dynamic convention team under the leadership of Diane Patterson. From the choice of theme over a year ago to the final banquet, it has been an absolute blast being a part of this wonderful experience. For a little chorus that “thought they could”, we actually did it with the help of so many wonderful people. We believe we were able to accomplish our goal of making sure everyone enjoyed themselves while enjoying ourselves at the same time. Area 2 - Thanks for playing along with us and being the special people that you are. These memories will last a lifetime!”
Area 2 closes out a most unusual day with a heartfelt rendition of What a Dream Can Do.
Area 2 can now look forward to Under the Big Top next year, where we will enjoy all the circus acts, assigned at this year’s invitation, at next year’s banquet.
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| International Convention Corner |
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We're halfway there!
Just 3 more Area Conventions to go
By Shannon Shelton-Muller, ICC Marketing Assistant
Can you believe it? We are already halfway through our Area Contests and Conventions! Congratulations to all the qualifiers so far.
As you may be aware, HI has transitioned to a new scoring system for tabulating scores and producing results at our contests. We are using the Barbershop Harmony Society's "Barberscore" system moving forward.
Now that you've qualified, what do you do to make your intent to compete at IC&C known?
Once you've qualified at AC&C, your quartet or chorus contact will receive an email with your official invitation to compete at IC&C from our corporate office. This email will contain all the links and pertinent information required to submit your intention to compete. You will have 15 days from the receipt of this email to complete the required contest entry information in the new system.
If your quartet or chorus does not plan to compete at IC&C, please complete HAR-059 Official International Quartet Contest Information Form or HAR-060 Official International Chorus Contest Information Form and select decline invitation. Your job will be done. That information will help with planning.
If your quartet or chorus does plan to be part of the contest, you will need to complete two steps this year as we utilize the new scoring system. The information below is what will be contained in the email from corporate:
- YOUR FIRST STEP is to provide Contest Entry information in our new system. (Instructions will be attached to the email on how to enter the information.)
Please note if you have any challenges at all with Step One, do not contact BHS! You must contact our Administrative Judge Category Specialist, Linda Muise. She can be reached at adm@harmonyinc.org.
If you find you are having trouble navigating the HAR-059 or HAR-060 form, please contact Kelly Peterson ED@harmonyinc.org or Angie Morton coassistant@harmonyinc.org for help.
Remember, if your quartet or chorus is planning to compete, you can avoid a $5 per member late fee by completing the 2-step process on or before 15 days from the receipt of the email. No contest entries are accepted after September 1, 2024.
Congratulations to all the qualifiers so far and "Break a Lip" to those who've yet to take the stage at AC&C!
Be sure to visit the ICC Convention Webpage for information and updates regarding this year’s convention.
Finally, two weeks prior to contest (October 24, 2024), all contestants must submit a song registration form (HAR-082), including a copy of the page showing the correct title and copyright information for any arrangement to be performed. Failure to return the composer and publisher information, or if the information given is found to be incorrect following adequate research by the ICJ Committee, the contestant may be disqualified.
HAR-059 Official International Quartet Contest Entry Form
HAR-060 Official International Chorus Contest Entry Form
HAR-082 Contestant Song Registration Form
AEP and Accommodations
So, you've qualified and submitted your intent to compete, what about your AEP?
Pricing for AEPs is as follows:
Performing Member AEP $165
Non-Performing Member AEP $125
Performing Youth Member AEP $125
Non-Performing Youth Member AEP $95
Pre-registered AEP $165
Non-member AEP $135
Single Event Tickets $35Registration is NOT AVAILABLE yet, but information on that and more will be added to the Harmony Inc website IC&C page as it becomes available.
What about booking a room at the Galt House?
The room block will not be available until July 2024. However, you can check out available information on our venue on the Harmony Inc website IC&C venue page.
Want to be part of the Convention Team and see the action from the inside out?
We're looking for a:
Convention Team Assistant
The Convention Team Assistant was a new position created last year. In this position, you will work closely with the Convention Manager to project manage all things related to IC&C to ensure we stay on task for everything leading up to the event. You would also support some of the more admin-specific tasks such as monthly call notes, hotel rooming lists, fair share assessment charges, and other tasks as needed. This position does not have any direct responsibilities onsite at ICC; but if you are attending, you may be asked to assist as needed.
If you are detail-oriented and love working with spreadsheets and documents, this is the position for you! Contact Allison Thompson for more information.
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Use the guidebook for exciting results
By Taralee Lashway, Director of Membership
In the last issue of the HI Note, we took a deeper look into the FIND YOUR VOICE guide and learned how to set up an amazingly successful membership drive. Now that you have your guests hooked and in love with barbershop, it’s time to offer them membership!
The requirements may vary between Chapters based on their standing rules. Some Chapters may require an audition, while others may not. The FIND YOUR VOICE guide will outline everything you will need to provide to your interested singers during the process of becoming Chapter Members of Harmony, Inc.
For example, three things that should always be included for the prospective member is:
- a written application (APPENDIX E, SAMPLE APPLICATION FOR REGULAR MEMBERSHIP),
- an opportunity to read the Chapter bylaws and standing rules, and
- an overview of the financial obligations required of the members.
Pre-made informational packets can provide singers with answers to many of their questions. Use the FIND YOUR VOICE guide for other suggestions and resources! IT’S ALL IN THERE!
FIND YOUR VOICE is a fantastic resource that is available to every member from our awesome website! It has recently been revamped and energized so that it is user-friendly, energizing, and helpful. We will continue to spotlight various sections in upcoming HI Notes to help you become more familiar with this resource. FIND YOUR VOICE can help you not only to grow your Chapter but also make your Chapter more robust! To see what all the excitement is about, log on and click FIND YOUR VOICE.
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Phase IV
By Debbie Parmerter, International Parliamentarian
The ballots have been tallied and the results are in. All the recently proposed bylaw amendments have passed by overwhelming margins.
Thank you to everyone who took time from their busy days to vote on these very important amendments.
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JAY DOUGHERTY
By Kim Meechan, Philanthropy Committee Chair
There are many reasons why people donate and just as many ways to donate. One way is through the donation of arrangements and learning tracks. Think about the impact of this gift! Every member of Harmony, Inc. benefits from that individual’s generosity. Read on to find out why Jay Dougherty, Director of Choral Activities at Marietta College, became one of those unique donors.
What was your first experience with Harmony, Inc.?
My first experience was being invited to judge the 2023 Area 5 contest. I’m a Musicality Judge for BHS and for many years have heard how wonderful HI events are. I’ve always wanted to judge one of the events to see for myself. My opportunity came in 2023 at Harmony’s Area 5 AC&C. It was beyond my expectations. I could write an essay about the reasons I loved it so much, but it really boils down to how welcome I felt and how much fun everyone seemed to be having. It had a “family reunion” feel, where everyone was there for the sheer joy of harmony rather than for the rigor of contest itself. It was refreshing!
What stands out for you as your most memorable moment while attending a Harmony, Inc. event?
Most memorable was the Saturday gala/dinner. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. To have the entire Area there enjoying dinner and music together, dancing, dressing up as characters of the theme for the weekend… I have never seen anything like it before or since. My jaw was to the floor for two hours! I took videos so I could show my SAI chorus. Watching this spectacle happen reminded me what singing harmony is really about: the people. The love of Harmony. My biggest takeaway from that weekend was to fully understand that an Area convention is just a big gathering of harmony enthusiasts who love to spend time together and sing… Oh yeah, and there’s a contest happening somewhere, too. Contest took kind of a back seat in a special way and I loved that about it!
You have been generous to Harmony, Inc. with a donation of an arrangement and learning tracks. What are your reasons for contributing in this meaningful way?
My experience in Area 5 reinvigorated my love of harmony and conventions. I came away from that weekend completely blown away, enlightened, and empowered to know what a truly welcoming and enjoyable convention experience should look like. So, in that way, I felt like Harmony, Inc. had given me a gift, and I immediately knew that I had to give back. The best way I knew how was to write an accessible, contestable arrangement that would be free for any chorus or quartet to use. I wrote Charley My Boy, from a public domain melody so that there would be no copyright issues. I generated my own learning tracks, made them freely available to anyone, and I dedicated it to Harmony, Inc. I know there are many small choruses out there that don’t have a big budget for music, so this was my way to provide something for them to use, whether for shows or contest.
What impact do you hope to see as a result of your donation of music?
I expect nothing in return. That said, it sure would make my heart overflow if I ever heard a chorus or quartet singing the chart in contest somewhere. The PDF and learning tracks can be found freely accessible on the HI Members website.
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Have you considered volunteering with Harmony, Inc.?
Check your email tomorrow (May 6) for our Volunteer Interest Survey. Please complete the survey to identify areas in which you would be interested in lending your assistance. Every volunteer matters and makes Harmony Stronger!
Seeking New Chapter Development Coordinator
By Taralee Lashway, Director of Membership
Do you know what dedicated service to Harmony looks like? Well, I can certainly say that it looks like Beverley Jackson!
Lovingly known as Bev, she started her service to Harmony as an Area Representative from 1988-1996. From there she jumped right in as Vice President from 1996-1998. She was then elected International President and served from 1998-2000. And if that wasn’t enough, she then took on the role of New Chapter Development Coordinator and has served for over 23 years! We are very lucky to have such a devoted volunteer in Harmony.
After serving faithfully for all these years, Bev has decided to retire from her role as New Chapter Development Coordinator. Her work has significantly paved the way for Harmony to continue to grow for years to come.
Do you have what it takes to serve by helping new Chapters launch into the love of Harmony? Are you willing to share some of your time and energy to stand by a budding chorus to help them become a chartered chapter of Harmony, Inc.? Then this is the role for you. These seem like big shoes to fill, but you will have Bev and an entire team behind you to help you be successful.
Detailed information about this position is located in the corporate manual. If you are interested or would like more information, please email Taralee Lashway, or complete form HAR-001.
Still seeking . . .
- International PR Coordinator
- Survey Resource Team Analyst
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Generating Grassroots Financial Support in a Post-Pandemic World
Joe Cerutti
Wednesday, May 15 - 7:30 pm Eastern
In this course, participants will discover practical strategies for cultivating grassroots financial support tailored to the unique needs of barbershop ensembles in the post-pandemic landscape. Emphasizing community engagement and relationship-building, the class will empower attendees to position their ensembles as leaders in their local communities, inspiring meaningful connections and sustainable revenue streams. From leveraging existing events to crafting compelling narratives, participants will gain the tools and confidence needed to navigate the evolving fundraising landscape and secure the future of barbershop harmony.
REGISTER
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Your donations to the For Love of Harmony program enable you to identify individuals or groups to receive special recognition, while at the same time providing a monetary gift to Harmony, Inc.
?
Belinda Thompson
Cynthia Knapp
Harmony Heritage in memory of Mary Levasseur
Area 2 Council in honor of Area 2 ACC Judging Panel
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| Condolences From The Membership |
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- to Sandy Hamilton-Ziegler (Crystal Chords, Area 3) on the death of your father, Marshall Hamilton
- to Harmony Heritage (Area 2) on the death of member Mary Levasseur, who passed away on April 2, 2024. Mary will be missed by all.
- to Cathy LaGreca (Harmony In Motion, Area 3) on the passing of your husband, Sal
Need to post a condolence notice? Please have the information sent to the Corporate Office Assistant to be recorded. Thank you.
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11 MAY 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET - IBOD Mid-Year Meeting. Members wishing to observe may request access by contacting the International President.
15 AUGUST - US Chapters are required to file an electronic 990-N with the IRS
15 SEPTEMBER - Canadian Chapters are required to file a T2 with CRA
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| 2024 Area Conventions & Contests |
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Except for Area 4, all entry deadlines have now passed.
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| International Conventions & Contests |
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2024 NOVEMBER 6-9, GALT HOUSE, LOUISVILLE, KY
2025 NOVEMBER 5-8, HERSHEY LODGE, HERSHEY, PA
2026 NOVEMBER 11-14, GALT HOUSE, LOUISVILLE, KY
2027 NOVEMBER 10-13, NIAGARA FALLS CONVENTION CENTER, NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO
2028 NOVEMBER 1-4, HERSHEY LODGE, HERSHEY, PA
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The next issue of the HI Note comes to your inbox May 20. What would you like to see covered in our pages? Drop a line to editor@harmonyinc.org and we'll tell the world. Next deadline is May 13.
See you again, soon!
Copyright © 2024 Harmony, Inc., All rights reserved.
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