Quartet Contest See ’Em
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July/August 2005 VOLUME LXV NUMBER 4 30 “KEEP THE WHOLE WORLD SINGING” NEVER RANG TRUER. Realtime, our first multinational quartet, proudly sings our barbershop anthem wearing medals presented by retiring champs GOTCHA! (behind). Features 30 The best we’ve ever heard 22 Photo gallery: College Contest The venue: superb. The singing: best ever. The fun PORTRAITURE BY JIM MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY for all singers: first-rate. The 2005 convention in Salt Lake City was unforgettable. 50 We’re off to Indy! BY LORIN MAY Race to the Gold in America’s heartland. 14 Photo gallery: Quartet Contest See ’em. Call ’em. Book ’em. 55 History meets harmony PORTRAITURE BY JIM MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY Sacramento offers a great midwinter vacation, plus loads of singing opportunities. 16 Photo gallery: Chorus Contest PORTRAITURE BY JIM MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY Departments 2 11 THE PRESIDENT’S PAGE HARMONY HOW-TO The future doesn’t “just happen!” Great ways to prepare your voice and mind for singing 3 55 MEET THE NEW LEADER STAY TUNED Ed Watson takes the job Anthems rung; Finns sung; 4 How far to quartet rehearsal? FROM THE TOP 58 Straight talk from Ed Watson CHAPTER ETERNAL 7 Commemorating passed brothers, leaders and friends LETTERS 59 Logo madness MEMBER SERVICE DIRECTORY 8 Where to find answers TEMPO 60 You could be Director of Music; Convention schedule THE TAG adds choruses; You Can Sing Too roaring along Sing one with the new guy July/August 2005 • The HARMONIZER 1 THE PRESIDENT’S PAGE Rob Hopkins, Society President • rghopkins@earthlink.net Planning for success in your chapter s hard as the Society staff, Society leaders, and dis- tive, which also comes from the chapter. St. Joe has trict leaders work to support our membership, it’s begun to get recognition among the “serious” vocal- clear that a successful and thriving Society must be ists in the surrounding area, and it has involved made up of successful and thriving chapters. There- outside groups in chapter concerts. Those vocalists Afore, what’s happening at the chapter level is most have now reciprocated. important. The 80-member Pinehurst, N.C. chapter sets a How is your chapter doing? high standard when it comes to community service I’d bet we’d probably say we could think of some and support. The mission of the chapter is “to en- things our chapter does well and some things we gage in and promote barbershop-style harmony wish we would do better. The obvious question is: through enjoyment of singing and fellowship to our what is each of us doing to help ensure the good members, providing pleasure to our audiences and things continue to go well and the things that need benefits to our various charities.” The Golf Capital help are addressed? What are you doing to have Chorus, mini-choruses, octets, and quartets raised more fun at every chapter meeting? Does your chap- more than $20,000 for charity this past year! They ter have a plan to achieve success? did it by selling out their annual show, selling more You may need to have your chapter members first than 200 ads in the show program, earning almost determine what success would look like. If you’ve $2,000 with the Singing Valentines program, and decided upon a mission statement and have a plan generating more than $800 from a singing garage for what you want your chapter to become, then sale. Donations were given to many organizations, These success would be achieving the goals you establish. including a children’s center, Habitat for Humanity, chapters Chapters vary a lot in their goals, so what defines the county literacy council, and the drama group in success in one chapter may differ substantially from two high schools. This year the chorus plans a con- show that another. Whatever the specific goals, members cert to raise funds for a playground at a local el- want to feel they have a rewarding experience—one ementary school. Not surprisingly, the local com- success that has value for them. munities have bestowed honors on the chapter, It may well be that your chapter can be inspired with one community declaring November 1-6 as doesn’t by the successes enjoyed by other Society chapters. Barbershop Harmony Week and November 6 as I asked district presidents to recommend particu- Golf Capital Chorus Day! “just larly successful chapters, and I received quite a few The Far Western District “Chapter of the Year” impressive success stories. It’s a pleasure to share a for 2004 is the Placerville, Calif., chapter, which happen.” few of them with you. has adopted a mission statement to “enjoy singing The Permian Basin, Texas chapter as the South- in the barbershop style and spread the joy of singing western District’s “Outstanding Small Chapter for throughout El Dorado County.” The 37 members of 2004.” Membership grew from 19 to 22, including the chapter like to make a difference in the lives of six new members. Two chapter quartets completed ordinary people, and especially young vocalists. The 70 singing valentines after appearing on television chapter’s annual shows feature paid performances by and radio to promote the program. The chorus per- local high school choruses. The chapter has quar- formed in public many times during the year. Four tets visit local schools, ideally twice a year just be- chapter members attended the SWD music educa- fore one of the two chapter shows. In the past eight tion school (Harmony Ranch) and the five chapter years the Placerville chapter has introduced barber- officers on the executive team all participated in shop harmony to about 10,000 young people in its COTS. The chapter has a new musical director as small county of about 150,000! When chapter of January, and the chorus intends to compete in its members visit a high school, they just ask “how can division contest. we help?” and they offer money and performing In 2002 the St. Joseph, Missouri chapter ended venues. The chapter has a standing offer to finance the year with 53 members. Chapter leaders sat any young person who needs help to travel to a per- down to work out a plan that would enable the formance. chapter to grow exponentially. They developed a These chapter stories are all different. Or are simple membership plan and involved the chorus in they? Actually they have some similarities: success working toward the established goals. The chapter was a result of developing a plan and working a ended 2003 with 70 members and 2004 with 101! plan. Success didn’t just happen. There’s a lesson They are competing in Salt Lake City, as is the for all of us. ■ Central States District college quartet representa- 2 The HARMONIZER • July/August 2005 MEET YOUR NEW LEAD...ER Ed “Doc” Watson, Executive Director/CEO • ewatson@barbershop.org Watson takes top post, comes out singing Ed Watson, a career Navy captain “That’s how I will approach new with 33 years’ experience as a challenges as the executive director. Barbershopper, has accepted the posi- Powered by the enthusiastic esprit de tion of Executive Director and Chief corps of our tremendous volunteer Executive Officer of the Barbershop organization and staff, and guided by Harmony Society. our Board of Directors, I want to take “Ed brings us an impressive back- the Barbershop Harmony Society to ground in managing staff and Navy new heights of membership, syner- Reserve volunteers, logistics, and an gism with like organizations, perfor- operations budget,” said Society Presi- mance excellence, and unrivalled dent Rob Hopkins. “Ed has excep- fun.” tional problem-solving skills and a Upbeat and enthusiastic, Watson is proven ability to enroll diverse people an avid Barbershopper of long experi- as effective members of teams. ence. He has moved twenty times in Lead, leader, Throughout his distinguished Navy the past thirty years but never inter- leadingest: career, he has demonstrated particular rupted his Society membership. His Ed “Doc” Watson strengths as an effective communica- quartet credits include Gold RushRush, became the new tor, project manager, and mobilizer. On LocationLocation, Spare Parts and The Executive Director We’re fortunate that our national ex- Quackenbush Quartet. As a chorus of the Society ecutive search process has brought us singer, he has appeared on the inter- in July 2005. such a fine leader and Barbershopper.” national stage with the San Diego An F-14 aviator with carrier expe- Sun Harbor Chorus with whom he rience, Watson rose through the com- served as music vice president and mand ranks to serve as Executive Of- wrote numerous shows and contest ficer of the Navy Air Reserve/Santa packages. He has carried those same Clara, Chief of Staff of the Navy Air roles with his current chapter, the Reserve Force, New Orleans, and Norfolk Commodore ChorusChorus. Active Commanding Officer of Navy Air Re- in community theater, he has played serve Norfolk. In 2002, his command Professor Harold Hill in The Music was selected in an annual competition Man, and directed productions of as the single best Navy Air Reserve in Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing the country. He recently served as Technicolor Dream Coat. Operational Support Officer for the Watson is retiring from a successful Navy Air Force US Atlantic Fleet, military career with his wife, Cathy, coordinating all Reserve support of by his side. Two of his five children, the aviation community of the Atlan- Gillian and Amanda, are grown and tic Fleet for the Commander, super- living in North Carolina; two, vising 16 Reserve units, three major Catharine and Randall, will be in col- staffs and 13 augment units for lege, and his youngest daughter, nuclear aircraft carriers.