News and Views from the Greater Indianapolis Chapter,   Barbershop Harmony Society THE BEAT Winner, 2011 PROBE International Bulletin Contest

Volume 42, Issue 11  November 2011

Performing with excellence and encouraging singing within the community. Another great fall contest! by Patrick McAlexander

The Cardinal District is most defi- CCS member Ben Geesa competed nitely on the rise. In Kansas City in with his quartet, Three Longs and July we became the ―Devil District,‖ a Short, who once again qualified as Cardinal District representatives for the midwinter seniors‘ quartet took sixth place in all three contests competition in Tucson in January. (6-6-6) – had the high- est placement for a Cardinal quartet The quality of singing Friday night since Michigan Jake won in 2001, was unbelievable. There were a lot Kentucky Vocal Union had the of good quartets in the field, and the highest placement for a CAR chorus since the Thor- cut was higher than it has been in oughbreds placed fifth in 1999, and On the Fritz contin- Cardinal District in recent memory. Patrick ued CAR‘s recent trend of college contest success. What‘s In fact, the cut was right at 66.7% (I McAlexander really cool, however, is that the rise of our district goes can remember three times where my beyond just these groups climbing to the top. old quartet, Timeless, scored lower and still managed to place fifth or Friday night of sixth). Eight fall contest was quartets moved exciting. Fore- on to Saturday front started the night. night off on the right note, hit- Saturday morn- ting the stage ing was the for the mic test chorus contest. basically as soon Circle City as bass Brian Sound, though O’Dell found taking a year backstage! The off from compe- first contestant tition, still mic- was my quartet, tested for the The Ultimate competition and P a c k a g e . did a great job Donned in Nike t with our set -shirts and jeans from KC. I did- and coming in n‘t get to catch off a whopping —2011 Cardinal District Quartet Champions much of the two rehearsals, (L to R): bari Kohl Kitzmiller, bass Kyle Kitzmiller, lead Theo Hicks, chorus contest our young quar- tenor David Zimmerman because of an- tet managed to other engage- not make complete fools of ourselves, not even with our ment, but here are a couple highlights. KVU won, to no- two key changes in ―Heart of My Heart.‖ It was my first body‘s surprise, and they are seeded third going into next time in the quartet contest since 2009, and it was a blast! year‘s International contest in Portland. Also, the Summit And going first was a nice bonus because I got to watch the rest of what turned out to be a terrific contest. (Continued on page 2) Page 2 THE BEAT November 2011

Contest (Continued from page 1) THE BEAT City Chorus from Fort Wayne looks to be on the rise. They have a lot of new, young members who are giving that chorus new energy, and they were the clear second place in the contest. Look for them to continue to rise!

Back to quartets. My quartet didn‘t make the cut, and neither did Three Longs and a Short, but four of the eight quartets in the finals had CCS members. CCS Jerry E. Troxel, Editor chapter quartet Heritage demonstrated more musicality than in previous con- Member, PROBE (Public Relations tests and placed fifth in a tough field. Rip Chord sang very well all weekend, Officers and Bulletin Editors) 129 Yorkshire Blvd. E and they also had new tricks – they added some choreography for the Elvis Indianapolis, IN 46229 song, ―Love Me.‖ They finished fourth and definitely got the audience going. 317 891-1634 [email protected] On a separate, non-CCS-related note, some of the biggest laughs of the week- end came from (bear with me) the Columbus North High School Memorial The BEAT is published monthly by the Kentucky Vocal Union Unofficial Pick-Up . They Greater Indianapolis, Indiana, Chapter brought down the house with excellent deadpan comedy, singing about things of the Barbershop like girls and cyclopses. In the second set, they opened by singing ―The Old Harmony Society, Songs‖ and surprised the crowd by not transitioning into a longer song from it. a proud member of It was a good kind of uncomfortable. Then they sang a parody of the the Cardinal District. ―Barbershop Strut‖ that was about a magical drink that tasted horrible but sup-

posedly would help their singing. In the end, they took a drink of it, and the

horrible taste apparently deemed them incapable of hitting the last chord, so Chapter Leadership 2011 they exited the stage. They were hilarious (although some of the judges didn‘t President seem to get it) and brought a great flavor to the contest. They finished seventh. Gary Garitson Now for the medalists. In third place was REPLAY, a new quartet with 3 CCS VP Chapter Development Jerry Troxel members. They showed up with a great raw sound and separated themselves from the rest of the field despite being new. Expect them to continue to climb. VP Music & Performance Duane Henry It was clear, even before the competition started, that the battle for the District Championship would be between two quartets: The Daddy-Ohs! (2011 Cardi- VP PR & Marketing nal District International Representative) and Instant Classic (2009 and 2010 John Robinson Cardinal District International Collegiate Representative), a quartet with 3 CCS VP Operations members. Certainly these two quartets are difficult to compare. They have two Larry Anthony very different demographics and styles. The Daddy-Ohs! are all 35 and older, while Instant Classic are all 25 and younger. Their styles reflect this. The Secretary Daddy-Ohs! sing old-fashioned songs about old-fashioned subjects – they sang a Tom Bradley song about the county fair and even sang an ode to barbershop quartets. In- Treasurer stant Classic, meanwhile, sings younger, hipper songs like ―Sweet Lorraine‖ and Paul Gabriel ―Honey (Open That Door).‖ The Daddy-Ohs! deliver more consistency, while Instant Classic delivers more raw power. Board Members at Large Scott Beverley, All weekend, these two quartets entertained the audience at a very high level. Jeff Boyd, David Fouts In the end, the raw power won out, and Instant Classic was crowned the cham- Immediate Past President pion, with The Daddy-Ohs! not far behind. For the first time since 2001, the Jerry Troxel Cardinal District had two quartets in a fall contest scoring above 76.0% (the qualifying score for International in the spring contest). Also, it‘s pretty cool that Director CCS has three new district champions! Garry Texeira

Assistant Director All in all, it was a great weekend of competition, and there are a lot of things to Andrew Myer be excited about in terms of quality barbershop coming from the Cardinal Dis- trict. I can‘t wait to see how this will continue to progress! Circle City Sound meets every Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church Secure the future of barbershop harmony through 345 N. Kitley Ave. your generous gifts to the Founder’s Club, President’s Indianapolis, Indiana 46219 Council, Ambassadors of Song, and Tribute Gifts. www.harmonyfoundation.org November 2011 THE BEAT Page 3

Strolling down memory lane

A monthly look back at our chapter’s history Calendar by Lew Gillespie, Chapter Historian of Events Ten Years Ago (2001) Thirty Years Ago (1981)

Circle City Sound Pre- Plans were an- The Pride of Indy chorus (now Cir- sents: What the Dickens nounced for the cle City Sound) won the 1981 fall Rehearsal: Monday, Nov. 21, 2001 BOTY district chorus contest in Terre Haute, 6:45 p.m. Banquet to be Indiana, and would represent the dis- Show: Sunday, November 27, held on Jan. 11, trict at the 1982 International Conven- 3:00 p.m. 2002, at the tion in Pittsburgh, Pa. With 59 men Ransburg Auditorium Indiana Histori- on the risers, our chorus scored 51

cal Society in points higher than second place South downtown Indy. Bend-Mishawaka, who had 63 singers. CCS Christmas Party Special guest Third place award went to Lake Monday, December 19, 6:00 p.m. Christ Lutheran Church Lew Gillespie quartet would County; Greenwood was in fourth be Wabash place, and fifth place honors went to Avenue from Terre Haute, Indiana. Western Kentucky. Cardinal District Leader- The 2000 BOTY was Duane Henry. ship Academy (COTS) The first annual chapter Christmas Saturday, January 7, 2012 The Columbus - G r e e n w o o d Show took place on December 19, Holiday Inn, Columbus, Ind. Chordlighters planned to visit the 1981, at the Murat Theatre. This chapter on Jan. 14, 2002. On Novem- venue seats 2000 and tickets were BOTY Banquet and ber 30, 2001, the chorus performed priced at $5.00. The chorus had two Installation of Officers holiday music at the Glendale Mall. paid shows during the month, at the Friday, February 17, 2012 Atkinson Hotel and Westminster 6:00 p.m. Sounds Familiar quartet performed Home. One AFA (auditions for Admis- Fort Harrison State Park at a Veteran‘s Day program on Nov. 2, sion) was held at the Castleton Square 2001, at Hoosier Village in Zionsville. Mall on November 18, 1981. (Ed. Cardinal District Other performers on the program Note: AFA‘s were held at shopping Spring Convention were the Broad Ripple High School centers around the Indy area to get March 23-24, 2012 R.O.T.C. with their color guard, rifle prospective members). Present mem- Holiday Inn, Columbus, Ind. & spinners, and the works. (material ber Steve Cline was elected the Columbus North High School taken from Inside The Pride, Vol. 32, Membership VP for 1982. (articles Issue 11, Nov-Dec 2001, Brad taken from Speed Notes, Vol. 12, No. National Anthem at McAlexander, editor). 4, Fall 1981, Chuck McKinsey, edi- Indiana Pacers Game tor). Monday, April 9, 2012 7:00 p.m. Conseco Fieldhouse

Q: Why does it take baritones so long to drive The Lighter Side to Chicago? For detailed information on all chapter performances check A: Every time they see a sign that says “clean rest rooms,” they stop our weekly bulletin, and do it. SOUND BYTES or go to: Q: You are lost in the desert, dying from thirst. Suddenly two bari- www.circlecitysound.org tones arrive, walking toward you, each with a bottle of water. One and visit the of the baritones is singing a haunting phrase correctly; the other is Members Only section singing nowhere near the correct phrase. Which one of the bari- tones should you address to be sure to be offered a drink? The deadline for the December A: It is better to address the baritone who sings nowhere near the issue of The BEAT is Friday, correct phrase, because the one who sings correctly is a mirage. Nov. 25. Send articles to: [email protected] —As seen in The Voice of Rushmore, Rapid City, S.D. Chapter, John Elving, editor.

Page 4 THE BEAT November 2011

Barbershop pays tribute to legend Jim Miller

When he was a chorus director, he led two different cho- ruses (Louisville‘s Thoroughbreds and Cincinnati's South- Jim Miller passed away peace- fully, surrounded by his family, ern Gateway Chorus) to a total of seven gold medals at on October 27, 2011. International, always bringing the best out of his members.

Whether it was his infectious grin, his twinkling eyes or his ―Just call me Jim‖ attitude, Jim Miller was the epitome of an Jim Miller was a leader. inspirational teacher and leader.

When he was a young prisoner of war during WWII, he led Jim‘s family desires to see an endowed scholarship for di- other POWs in song as they were marched from place to rectors to attend Directors College at Harmony University as place, inspiring them and providing a reason to go on. a fitting tribute to the legacy he has left us all. Members and non-members alike may make donations in Jim Miller‘s When he was a BHS quartet singer, he was a lead who took name to Harmony Foundation's memorial program, Keep a two quartets (The Citations and Derbytowners) to dis- Melody Ringing, to insure that this project is funded. trict championships and on to International rankings, enter- taining thousands in the process. In memory of Jim Miller, it‘s our turn to be leaders in find- ing the next legend of the Society by funding this scholar- When he was a football coach, he developed Howard ship. Contact Harmony Foundation to make a donation to Schnellenberger and Paul Hornung, both of whom were this fund in his name. instrumental in shaping the way the game is played today. —from:

Did you? by Ed Hinkley, Asst. Chorus Director, Sarasota , Fla. Chorus of the Keys

Did you call a friend and offer to pick him up and take at the last singout? him to chapter meeting? Did you hold out your hand and smile at the guys com- Did you offer to sit in the role of buddy for a new vis- ing in the door? tor? Did you sing all the notes and words in the new Did you spend some extra time working on the new song....correctly? music so that your contribution at rehearsal will help speed up the learning process? Did you help set up the risers for rehearsing the new choreography? Did you practice your stage face in front of the mirror? Did you find it hard getting to sleep after the great Did you offer to help make learning CDs for all the guys rehearsal? who don't read music? How many of these things are on your checklist? Did you set an example in your section by keeping con- versation to a minimum? —Taken from the Harmonet, June 19, 1999 and used by permission. Did you compliment the new man on his performance

November 2011 THE BEAT Page 5

No foolin’ – we need everyone there Monday!

I‘ve heard stories of authors who sat in front of their type- writers or word processors for hours-on-end trying to get Gary Garitson rid of ―writers‘ block.‖ I have to be honest, that‘s the way CHAPTER PRESIDENT this article feels. Searching for the right subject and the right combination of words has been a struggle for me this month. “...cumulatively, there are far too The truth is… I‘m depressed. Not with life or home or the many „open spots‟ on the risers...” family, but with the chorus! Attendance has been generally poor since International. Despite our urging, we haven‘t been able to turn it around. I know several guys have had legitimate reasons for not being at chapter meetings lately. spots‖ on the risers. Our singing quality has declined. The Here are some examples that I am aware of; I‘m sure there Christmas Show is just a couple of weeks away. Ticket are more: sales are going very slowly. Overall enthusiasm is drop- ping. And, I repeat, I‘m depressed! Randy Freeman has been dealing with Val‘s serious illness, and now her passing forward. Our heartfelt Well, this isn‘t about me … despite what you may think I sympathy is extended to Randy and family during this might be thinking! This is about US! We have to get back time of loss. to doing the things that have made us so successful over the past two years. We need every member to be at chap- Health issues have taken their toll on members: Dan ter meeting every possible week. It is imperative that extra Pritchard had heart bypass surgery (but wasn‘t it effort be made in that regard between now and the Christ- great to see him singing with us just three weeks after mas Show on November 27! I respectfully request that surgery?). Dave Coleman has a vocal cord issue, and every guy call one of his ―riser buddies‖ who missed re- can‘t sing until it‘s healed. Bob Whitacre is experi- hearsal, and encourage him to be there next time. If some- encing hearing problems. one gets two or three calls, well, he‘ll know he‘s been missed! Steve McPherson, Andrew Myer, John Robinson, Harold Mathews, and others have frequent work We just finished the ―Ready, Set, Sing‖ program. While issues that kept them away from the meetings. Theo there is no obligation for participants to join the chapter, we Hicks and Dave Zimmerman accepted teaching posi- were hopeful this experience might be the impetus for tions in Ft. Wayne, keeping them from participating as some of them to consider it. I can‘t say we‘ve ―put our best much as they might like. (My thanks to both, though, foot forward‖ over the past few weeks. for their stellar efforts in the ―Ready, Set, Sing‖ pro- gram.) As I communicated via e-mail earlier, the District cancelled the November 19 CDWI due to issues with instructor avail- ability. I‘m sorry for all the on-again-off-again dialogue. Steve Albert and Ben Geesa sing with other chapters For now, this is not on our schedule. beside ours, and occasionally have to concentrate their efforts with their other chapter. As Ben noted, ―It‘s We were unable to find dates for our recording sessions tough when you‘re the only tenor in the chorus and we during the remainder of 2011. Several potential dates have have a performance scheduled!‖ been proposed in early 2012. If you haven‘t done so al- ready, please go to the chapter web site and indicate when Family commitments come before chapter needs: Ben you could be available, so we can finalize the actual session Sigwarth was recently married. Dustin Hall is trying dates and book them with the studio. This is a critical pro- to balance family and work obligations. ject for the chapter. It is a huge investment in time and money. We can only do this if we have a substantial por- Patrick McAlexander has been participating in a tion of the regular chorus members participating. We will stage production at school which has kept him from not put out a ―shoddy‖ recording! being a regular attendee. I extend my apology to all for such a ―downer‖ article. I Sometimes, it‘s just a vacation that takes us away – at really am excited about the opportunities before us: the least I know that was true for Scott Hutchison, Jerry Christmas show, recording the CD, getting a new contest Troxel, and me recently! package, and the upcoming release of two new repertoire songs. We can be more efficient and effective if more of us Sure, this is all understandable. Individually, it‘s no big are at chapter meetings each week. I look forward to see- deal. Cumulatively, however, there are far too many ―open ing you next Monday!

Page 6 THE BEAT November 2011 That’s the ticket, by George!

While he‘s known to most of us as the ―Ticket Guy,‖ George Houk has been an active member at the chapter, district and International level for almost 36 years. The Sound Corner

George‗s prior musical experience was limited to singing in by Greg Roembke the school choir. He also was a member of a Baptist Church choir for awhile. George says that when he went to school ―100 years ago,‖ there weren‘t a lot of musical op- portunities. George says that there have been many quartets over the years he has enjoyed. However his two favorites date back Prior to joining the Indianapolis to his early years in the Society—Grandma’s Boys and the chapter, his only previous Bar- Blue Grass Student Union. And he has certainly has had bershop experience was hearing a lot to choose from, since he has attended every Interna- the Muncie chorus a couple of tional convention since 1976, except for the one in 1977. times. Then in 1975, his ex-wife And last year, he began attending the Midwinter Convention was asked to sign a few songs as well. Just think of the great performances and the for the Daybreak Express changes he has seen in those 35 years. quartet. With that came some complimentary tickets to the The 1976 International convention in San Francisco remains chapter‘s annual Clowes Hall one of his favorite events, even though he says that the show. George says he was very actual competition was ―a blur.‖ He also says that the George Houk impressed with what he heard times that the chorus has competed at the International and saw and later that year be- level have been and continue to be exciting as the chorus came a member. grows musically every time. He is grateful for the friend- ships that he has made through the years and the support George has served as a chapter board member a few times he has received from fellow members, during good times but found his true niche in 1976 when he became our and bad. Ticket Manager. While the venues have changed over the years, as well as the show themes, George has handled George retired as a teacher from the Indiana School for the thousands and thousands of tickets during those years. He Deaf where he worked for 40 years. He now loves to travel somehow always has just what everyone is looking for, no and recently spent 2½ weeks exploring Alaska. He says matter what the request. And the good news is that that he has a suitcase packed and can be ready to travel on George really enjoys this role. short notice.

Additionally, over his Barbershop career he has served as In his 36 years with the chapter, George says that there Choreography Manager, Makeup Chairman, Area Counselor have been highs and lows, along with good and bad times. for the district, Logopedics Chairman, District Leadership However he is excited about the chapter at this time, and is Board Member and co-chair of Volunteer Services for the appreciative of the efforts from the Music Team, along with BHS 2006 Indianapolis International Convention. As you the chapter members. George says that to be part of this can see, there are not many areas of our hobby where chapter is ―an honor.‖ George hasn‘t been involved. In recognition of his efforts, George was named the Barbershopper of the Year for the George, we feel that same way about you. Cardinal District in 1979 and Greater Indianapolis Chapter BOTY in 1988. Mike’s Carwash fundraiser underway

Circle City Sound is once again selling carwash tickets as a fundraiser for the chapter. See Jeff Boyd to sign out tickets. The promotion will run throughout the month of November. At the end of the month, all ticket revenue and unsold tickets must be turned in to Jeff. Don‘t forget that 40% of your sales goes directly to your travel fund for our next International competition.

November 2011 THE BEAT Page 7 Circle City Sound’s Fall Party 2011 Photos submitted by Larry Tolle and Jerry Troxel

Page 8 THE BEAT November 2011

Greater Indianapolis Chapter Board Meeting Summary October 2011

The Greater Indianapolis Chapter Board of Directors met on Monday October 17, 2011 in regular session. Eight of the Tom Bradley ten board members were present. The meeting was held at Christ Lutheran Church. The following is a brief sum- CHAPTER SECRETARY mary of the business transacted at that meeting.

Secretary The minutes of the August 24, 2011 and Sep- tember 21, 2011 meetings were accepted as written. Chapter officers for 2012 were elected in a membership The next meeting of the CCS Board will be 7:00 p.m. meeting on October 10, 2011 (see below). Monday, November 14 at Christ Lutheran Church.

All chapter members are welcome to attend. Treasurer The chapter‘s checking account contained a balance of $21,441.51 at the end of September. The board received the balance sheet, the restricted funds report, the profit & loss year-to-date comparison and the YTD financial dance records for rehearsals and performances are now summary for September. available on the chapter‘s website.

Music and Performance Two new songs (―Don‘t You Operations The proposed date for hosting the CDWI Just Hate It When They Make You Sing Along?‖ and event has been changed from October 22 to November 19. ―Scarborough Fair‖) will be introduced in mid-November. The recording project has been deferred to the beginning Standing Committees of 2012 due to scheduling problems. Christmas Show: A portion of the advertising budget will PR and Marketing A performance of the national an- be spent on mailings. them at a Pacers game is confirmed for April 9, 2012. A video of the Annual Show was mastered to DVD and has Old Business None. been received for use as a PR asset. The board established a fund for future capital needs. New Business The Barbershopper of the Month for Sep- tember is Don Brown for securing our participation in the Chapter Development The Ready Set Sing program is Patriots‘ Day celebration at the Indianapolis International underway with a total of 16 participants. Members‘ atten- Airport.

2012 Chapter Officers November

President Secretary Birthdays Gary Garitson Tom Bradley

VP Chapter Development Treasurer Steve Cline Paul Gabriel

VP Music & Performance Board Members at Large Skipp Kropp David Fouts Scott Wiederoder VP PR & Marketing Scott Beverley Larry Anthony Immediate Past President 11/5 Kurt Vogel VP Operations Jerry Troxel Jeff Boyd 11/6 Jerry Troxel 11/8 Bob Kendall 11/10 Ryan Rosenau 11/20 Jim Beehler Reminder: Every Monday is a Guest Night! 11/21 Gene Newcombe 11/23 Jim Patterson November 2011 THE BEAT Page 9

THE BEAT

www.circlecitysound.org

Jerry E. Troxel, Editor 129 Yorkshire Blvd. E Indianapolis, IN 46229

WANTED: Men who love to sing! Circle City Sound meets every Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church 345 N. Kitley Ave. Indianapolis, Indiana 46219

Guests are always welcome!

Patrick McAlexander creates, directs and stars in an original musical article by Jerry Troxel, photos submitted by Patrick McAlexander

Circle City Sound member Patrick McAlexander took center stage at Guerin Catholic High School the week of October 31 in their student-written-and-produced musical, ―Gray Area.‖ Patrick and fellow student Jack Sullivan came up with the concept and script and worked with John MacDonald (all Guerin seniors) to create a 2-act musical containing 16 songs and accompanying score. Patrick also did the musical direc- tion and ap- peared as the male lead in the play. His sister Maggie helped From the production: Barry King (Patrick) design the cho- surveys the battlefield reography and appeared in the cast, as well, being featured in a ballet number. It was an excellent, thought-provoking production, as many CCS members who Show creators: Patrick McAlexander, John attended can attest. We‘re so proud of you, Patrick and Maggie! MacDonald, Jack Sullivan