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Don't Worry, Be Happy
Singing lifts my spirits
By Gaye LaCasce, International President
It's a scientifically proven fact that music can lift the spirits; it also affects the autonomic nervous system (things like blood pressure and heartbeat) and limbic system (responsible for feelings and emotions.) Now consider that the act of participating in music-making has been proven to increase happiness, and may even make people like each other more than before!
I'm no scientist, so please forgive the probably overly-simplistic explanation. But I challenge you to disagree with the concept. We experience the feelings, as singers, when someone tells us that our ballad gave them "goose bumps" - or when adding to a great chord gives us goosebumps! We know what it feels like to join hands in a ballroom, while we all sing We're Harmony, We're Strong or What a Dream Can Do. We've all had the experience of dreading rehearsal ("I'm too tired" or "I'm too busy") but we still attend - and we feel energized and happy walking out the door.
This spring has been a particularly busy one for Harmony volunteers, and every spring is busy for chorus and quartet singers. But we continue ... because it makes us feel great. When my girls were little (before we found barbershop) we listened to a lot of reggae. It was the ultimate feel-good music, often with an uplifting lyric and a beat that insists you be on your feet. Two of my favorite tunes are below. Now I get to sing and dance with my granddaughter Bellamy, who (at 19 months) seems to enjoy these tunes as much as I still do.
Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy - don't worry, be happy now...
3 Little Birds - Bob Marley
Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin' don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!
Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', "This is my message to you-ou-ou:"
If you're feeling busy, stressed, worried - just keep these lyrics in mind, and the melodies will come, unbidden. Sing alone - sing with others. Just sing. It's medicinal!
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| Area Conventions and Contests |
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COFFEE KLATSCH - ACJC Trayce Elenteney brings us up to date on the doings at the Area 6 Convention and Contests.
Shenanigans at the shindig
Area 6 celebrates at 2024 convention
By Lindsay Fontana, Area 6 PR Chair
Roxanne: In news tonight, Area Contests are well under way with reports of qualifying choruses and quartets pouring in from across North America. One Area of Harmony, Inc. had such a gathering over the weekend of April 18, and here to tell us about it is Area 6 correspondent, Trayce Ayceejaycee. Welcome, Trayce!
Trayce: Wow! Thanks a lot, Roxanne! I just wanna say that I, Traycee Ayceejaycee, am real pleased to be here reportin’ to you all about the big shindig that happened here in Orlando. There was singin’! There was learnin’! There was laughin’! And there were some banquet costumes on Saturday night that I’m not sure I can describe in a respectable news publication such as this. I’ll tell ya one thing, those Area 6 folks really put the “HA” in Harmony!
Thursday at the convention was all about gettin’ settled in and takin’ those classes from the judges. Would you believe Area 6 had not only the usual eight judges for contest but they got three bonus judges on the practice panel? Plus the Church Lady was there judgin’ everyone as well! Those folks in the southeast must just love to be judged. Anyway after the classes everybody got together for the Contestant Briefing. You didn’t wanna miss this one, or you might not know if you’re supposed to wear boxers or briefs or what. I’m trying to think of an underwear joke, but I don’t have any clean ones! Haha!
Friday was a busy day with 20 quartets taking the stage, and it seems like Pam Ringo was in about 18 of them. Now if ya don’t know what a quartet is, you’ve got a real low voice that sings the rumbly part, that’s the bass. And then a real high squeaker singin’ the notes that make dogs tilt their heads and look real confused, that squeaky one is called the tenor. The lead is the singer that you can just sing right along with if you know the song. Then there’s one more person up there called the baritone, and they are the best looking one of the four. They are mainly up there to strike poses and mop up those weird notes that nobody else wants to sing.
Area 6 had somethin’ for everyone, with three mixed quartets and even a youth quartet up there locking and ringing or popping and locking or whatever it is they do for points. At the end there could be only one winner and this year it was the quartet The No Drama Llamas! I, Trayce Ayceejaycee, just love llamas, but my favorite kind of music is alpacapella! Ha!
The next morning it was time for the nine choruses of Area 6 to have their turn! They sang happy songs and sad songs and there was even a song about nursing homes, wrinkle creams and men wearing bad cologne! After all the singin’ and judgin’ was over, a chorus named Atlanta Harmony Celebration! came out on top! I’m not sure where they are from, probably New Jersey or somethin’. So a big congrats to them and to all the choruses who won fancy-schmancy awards, plus the five choruses who are headed to Kentucky in November!
Then it was time for my favorite part of the whole shindig: Live from Orlando, It’s Saturday Niiight! The theme of this event was What Not To Wear, and I gotta tell ya, these folks sure know how to bring the tacky! They wore boxers, they wore briefs, and they wore everything in between. What a wild night. It all goes to show you, it’s always something! But it’s like my father used to say: before you judge someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. After that, who cares? You’re a mile away and you have his shoes!
Roxanne: That’s the news, goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.
QUARTET CHAMPS - No Drama Llamas are the Area 6 Golden Girls Award winners and first place medalists. Also qualifying for IC&C are In A Chord, 4/4 a Time, The Short List, Daphodyls, Serenade, and Low Hanging Fruits.
CHORUS CHAMPS - Atlanta Harmony Celebration! is the 2024 Area 6 chorus champion. Also qualifying for IC&C are Sisters of Sound, Music City Sound, Unaccompanied Minors, and Sunshine Harmony.
WHAT NOT TO WEAR - Music City Sound gets into the spirit of the convention.
MBHA CHAMPS - What's the Deal is the winner of the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association trophy at the Area 6 convention. Also qualifying to compete in the mixed contest at IC&C is Limitless.
Click to view all convention scoresheets.
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| Questions About Contest Entry |
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By Linda Muise, Administrative Judge Category Specialist
As we transition to using the BHS Barberscore program to record contest entries, input scores, and publish results of our contests, contestant contacts, chorus directors, and select others may receive automatic notifications from the system.
This is a gentle reminder to NOT "reply" to these notifications or send questions to the BHS Member Center Customer Service. They are not involved in the Harmony, Inc. process.
Please direct any questions to Linda Muise, Administrative Judge Category Specialist, who is acting as the Help Desk for all Harmony, Inc, issues.
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Celebrating 100 issues
Harmony volunteers rock!
By Roxanne Powell, HI Note Editor
With this edition of the HI Note, we celebrate delivering 100 consecutive issues of this newsletter to your inbox. Successfully producing and sending this publication by firm deadlines twice each month for four and a half years doesn't happen by magic. It takes the dedicated - and skillful - efforts of a small army of volunteers.
Let's peek behind the curtain.
How it all began
In late November 2019, then International President Donna McKay called me to say the IBOD agreed with my comment that we should re-think the format, frequency, and purpose of the old E-Note -- and would I please get busy producing a revamped newsletter for delivery to the membership...NEXT WEEK. We decided that the traditional compendium of administrative announcements and instructions should be expanded to also promote and celebrate other aspects of our Harmony life. So we included feature articles on quartet and chorus activities we thought might interest our readers. With highly favorable reaction, we have continued that format to this day.
Where does the content come from?
Over time, we have refined our processes and presentation, but one thing has remained the same: our reliable worker bees. Each month, the International Board Members and all the various Coordinators and Assistants to the Board check their job descriptions and send to the editor any announcements or reports indicated. Some go beyond and pen feature articles in their area of expertise. Area, Chapter, and Quartet PR contacts also send in stories they think we may find of interest, sometimes at our request, often "over the transom". We are delighted to consider all submissions.
Then what?
I copy edit, format, and lay out this material. Then the fun begins. The Marketing & Communications Chair, EVP, International President, Corporate Assistant, the CEO, and my dog Spot (well, not Spot - he can't read), all proof the document, suggest grammar and content corrections, check that the mechanics - live links - are copacetic. And they do this twice each month, on time with no excuses. At the same time, the rest of the M&C team improves the look of the document with graphic art and amplifies the reach of the content through social media posts and website resources. And finally, the Corporate Assistant pushes SEND et voila, you have your next issue of the HI Note.
Many, many thanks from the editor to ALL who have contributed content, time, and talent to these 100 issues. Here's looking to 100 more!
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Say what?!
Dear Liz,
I've just joined a wonderful Harmony chorus where everyone is so enthusiastic it's really uplifting. And every week as they chatter about "AC&C" and "afterglow" and "woodshedding" I get progressively more confused. Then my section leader and director keep encouraging me to "get centered", "hang 10" (I don't SEE any surfboards), and wait to "turn the diphthong". Can you help me?
- So Confused
Dear So Confused,
First, let me welcome you to Harmony. You've found your tribe, a chorus of women who live to raise their voices together in song. Congratulations!
Now, like any human organization, Harmony has its jargon and a collection of acronyms that serve as shorthand to convey more complicated thoughts or instructions quickly and efficiently. Here's a glossary of some of these common terms:
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
AC&C – Area convention and contest Usually a weekend event.
ACJC- Area Contest and Judging Chair. This person is in charge of the entire Area contest
Afterglow – A party after a barbershop show
Bell Chord – Notes sung on successive beats of the measure (think the start of “Sandman” by The Chordettes)
Chest Voice – A term related to imagery, since it is established that all vocal vibration originates in the larynx. The feeling of vibrations in the chest with low resonance
“Chinese” Seventh – A dominant seventh chord, voiced with the fifth in the bass and the root and seventh in the top two voices
Centered – Your weight is balanced evenly on both feet
Choreography – The planned moves that accompany a song
Crescendo – A gradual increase in volume
Decrescendo – A gradual decrease in volume
Diaphragm – Large, dome-shaped muscle separating the chest and stomach cavities. It is the principal muscle involved in the inhalation process of breathing
Diphthong – A sound composed of two consecutive vowels in a single syllable
Expanded Sound – The effect resulting from voices singing with accurate intonation, uniform word sounds in good quality, proper volume relationships, all producing an effect greater than the sum of the individual voice parts.
Forward Focus – A sensation of producing sound in the facial area, utilizing the throat and mouth for optimal resonance
Forward Press – Shift your weight forward
Good Intonation – Singing in tune
Hang Ten – To position the tips of your toes at the front of the risers
IC&C – International Convention and Contest
ICJC - International Contest and Judging Chair- This person is in charge of IC&C, as well as assisting their ACJC’s.
IEP – Individual Education Plan
Inside Foot – The foot closest to the center of the chorus while on the risers
Inside Smile – A mental imagery concept that aids in lifting the upper lip away from the front teeth. It assists in extending the vocal tract, raising the soft palate and adds animation to the face
Interval – The difference in pitch between two notes
Legato – The flow of tone in a smooth vocal line, with no apparent interruption from articulation
Mask – Mental imagery term to indicate the forward area (bone) of the face
Outside Foot – The foot farthest away from the center of the chorus while on the risers
Overtones – Harmonics that are produced by proper intonation, tuning, and vowel formation
Pedal Tone – A tone that is sustained while other voices move freely over, under, or around it. Pedal tones are most often found in the lowest voice
Pick-up Quartet – Any four singers, not an established quartet, singing a song or tag they all know
Reset – To re-position the body, typically at the beginning of a new phase
Riser Position – Usually you stand towards the front of your riser, with your “inside foot” back a bit. Make sure you have a “Window”
Resonance – A body of air that vibrates. The singer attempts to control the “container” which holds the air, thus affecting quality
Resonators – Any of the parts and cavities of the vocal instrument that reinforce sound coming from the vocal folds. Principal resonators are the throat and mouth, with the supporting vibrations in the upper chest and nasal area
Sing Out – Group of Barbershoppers going outside of their rehearsal room to sing (often a performance)
Scooping – Starting a tone off pitch (usually below pitch) and adjusting to the correct pitch after initiating the sound. (Try to avoid doing this unless directed)
Soft Palate – A muscular extension of the hard palate, made of soft fleshy muscle
Tag – The coda or special ending added to an arrangement of a song
Tempo –The rate of speed of a musical composition
Tiddly – A musical embellishment sung by one of the four parts
Tonal Center – The tonic triad is the center to which all other tones are related. The tonal center establishes a feeling of key. The key feeling or tonal center should remain constant, barring a key change, until the song’s conclusion
Triphthong – A single syllable, consisting of three consecutive vowel sounds
Unison – The combined sound of all voice parts at the same pitch
Vibrato – Pitch oscillation above and below a note
Wall of Sound – Seamless, continuous vocalization
Warm Sound – A pleasant, quality vocal sound. A tone produced with relaxed, open throat with warm air flowing up and out
Window – Space between the people in front of you so you can see the Director
Woodshedding – To improvise your part in a song
Membership Coordinator Elizabeth Meeker is here to offer information and advice to help clarify the myriad of customs, processes, and terminology that mark our Harmony culture. If you have not already done so, Elizabeth recommends reading the New Member Help Document: I’ve just joined Harmony, Incorporated! Now what?! which can be found on the Members Only website. Then send your questions/suggestions to membershipcoordinator@harmonyinc.org and "Dear Liz" will be happy to answer them in a future column.
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| Area Director Election Results |
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By Melissa Hartman, Elections Committee Chair
It is with great pleasure that we announce the results of the election for Areas 1, 3, and 5 Directors, each by acclamation:
Area 1 Director: Yvonne Rafuse
Yvonne has been an educator with various teaching and administrative roles at the local, regional, and provincial levels since 1984. She founded the first not-for-profit autism center in her region and was honored with a provincial award as an “unsung hero”. She retired from public education in 2010 and since has co-founded a company that offers consulting services to children with autism and their families. She is currently a part-time university instructor and has served two terms as president of her chapter. She uses her background in dance and creative skills in visual performance as a visual performance coordinator. She brings both interpersonal and public speaking skills to the position.
Area 3 Director: Sarah Thorne-Miller
Sarah has an educational background in broadcast journalism and a career as a paralegal. She has experience in social media/marketing and planning education classes. She is well organized, detail oriented, and a team player. She has been with the Liberty Belles for more than 8 years and has served as section leader, performance sales coordinator, marketing chair, social media administrator, secretary, and president. She is currently the contest chorus manager and parliamentarian. She has served as the Area 3 Director for over 3 years and has been the education co-coordinator since 2017.
Area 5 Director: Sandy McCreary
Sandy is the current Area 5 Director. She is a great listener and problem solver. Her focus as director is to increase membership and ensure individual members have the best experience possible within the organization. She encourages youth members to share their experiences in Harmony, Inc. with friends and associates to increase membership. She is working to bring financial equity to Canadian members to allow more to participate in the international contests.
Each will be assuming a two-year term as Area Director and International Board of Director member immediately following our International Convention. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Yvonne, Sarah, and Sandy, and to thank them for their willingness to serve their Areas and Harmony, Inc. in this important way. It is indeed a great honor to serve on the International Board of an organization such as ours. The work will be both challenging and rewarding but is appreciated by all Harmony, Inc. members.
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IBOD ELECTIONS ARE COMING
By Melissa Hartman, Elections Committee Chair
The elections for four (4) Board Directors will begin soon.
On May 31, all eligible members will receive an email from the Corporate Office with the resumes of all candidates. Only Chapter and Associate Members in good standing as of May 15 are eligible to vote. And on June 1, you will receive an email from the Corporate Office containing your ballot.
If you do not receive the June 1 email, please check your Spam folder or search for an email from SurveyMonkey before contacting the International Parliamentarian.
Don’t have email, don’t worry. Resumes and ballots will be mailed to you.
If you do not receive the mailed ballot, contact the Corporate Office as soon as possible or call (855) 750-3341.
All voting must be completed by June 15.
MEET THE NOMINEES
From June 1 – June 15 you have the opportunity to see Nominee Chats conducted with the candidates running for election.
The Nominee Chat videos will be found soon on the Harmony, Inc. website in the members-only section.
Be an informed voter. Watch the videos and choose the best person for the position.
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Julie Schwingbeck
By Kim Meechan, Philanthropy Committee Chair
Have you ever reflected on the circumstances that brought you to Harmony, Inc.? You may notice that our organization came into your life just when you needed it most. Harmony, Inc. supported us, and continues to support us, with friendship, caring, and music, through good times and through bad. In turn, our members support Harmony, Inc. when we need them most. We are grateful for the many generous members who donate, in various ways, throughout the year.
Today we are highlighting Julie Schwingbeck, our Harmony, Inc. Area 2 Director.
How did you discover Harmony, Inc.?
I was working for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and that company had a group of employees, called the “DECarolers”, who rehearsed Christmas carols during lunchtime one or two days a week from October - December. They visited numerous DEC facilities throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire during lunchtime for two weeks before Christmas. Harmony, Inc. members Diane Lorian (now Patterson), Jean Patterson, and Debi Stoll worked for DEC and were hoping to start a new Harmony, Inc. chapter. They were able to get a hold of the DECarolers e-mail distribution and promoted Harmony, Inc. to us. Soon, a number of DEC engineers and project managers were attending chorus rehearsal at the DEC facility in Stow, Massachusetts. They then shifted rehearsals to the Hudson, MA facility. This is where I worked and when I joined them. When we chartered as Women of Note, the majority of the chapter members were actually DEC employees!
What stands out for you as your most memorable moment while you have been a member of Harmony, Inc.?
One of my favorite things was combining our show theme, Surely, You Joust, with the Area 2 Convention Theme, The Harmony Faire, when Women of Note was hosting (in 1993!). We were able to use castle turrets which we had built for both the convention and the show. The contest presenters actually presented from a window in the turret. At the Saturday night banquet, Jacquie Jensen was the MC and made use of many of the medieval costume headwear pieces we had, leading up to a schtick with a Rapunzel wig that had us in stitches.
You and the Schwingbeck Family Fund have been very generous to Harmony, Inc. over the years. What impact do you hope to see as a result of your donations?
I would really love to see the world know of Harmony, Inc.'s existence. We have so much to offer to bring singing, friendship, and empowerment to women coast-to-coast! I would also love to have us reach out to the next generation of singers so that Harmony, Inc. will continue to thrive long after I'm gone.
Do you have any words of encouragement for our members who are trying to decide how best to support Harmony, Inc. financially?
I encourage members to investigate a donor-directed charitable fund. You donate to the charitable fund and you can direct your payment to the charity of your choice. You can deduct your donation on your taxes the same as if you are donating directly to a charity. You get an even bigger benefit when you donate stock. The full market value of the stock is deductible as a charitable donation, but you do not have to pay the capital gains taxes you would incur if you sold the stock to donate the money. The fund my husband and I donate to is Fidelity Charitable -The Giving Fund. There is no minimum donation and they will issue grants as small as $50.
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Seeking New Chapter Development Coordinator
By Taralee Lashway, Director of Membership
Are you interested in serving Harmony in the important role of New Chapter Development Coordinator? This individual is the first point of contact for budding choruses. The New Chapter Development Coordinator walks prospective chapters through the steps to becoming chartered chapters of Harmony, Inc. – a very exciting and fulfilling role indeed! In this role, you will have the support of the outgoing New Chapter Development Coordinator, Bev Jackson, and an entire Membership team. Detailed information about this position is located in the corporate manual. If you are interested or would like some more information, please email Taralee Lashway, or complete form HAR-001 .
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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.
?
Tom Gentry
Area 6 in honor of the fabulous AC&C Judging Panel
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| Condolences From The Membership |
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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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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 June 5. 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 28.
See you again, soon!
Copyright © 2024 Harmony, Inc., All rights reserved.
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