COLORADO IDAHO KANSAS MONTANA NEBRASKA NEW MEXICO SOUTH DAKOTA UTAH WYOMING PROUD MEMBERS OF PROBE BARBERSHOP HARMONY SOCIETY PUBLISHED BY THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICTISTRICT ASSOCIATION OF CHAPTERS Classic Collection, 1982 — International Quartet Champions — Storm Front, 2010 Vol. 33, No. 2 www.RMDsing.org March,/April 2011 In loving memory Gary L. Drown March 4, 1940 — Feb. 18, 2011 As I sit here with Dad, I felt inspired to write this when I saw Mike's note. Lessons from Dad Dad has never been afraid to ask anyone to help. It is one of the traits that has made him a very successful salesman all these years. Additionally, it has also made him a great barbershopper. I remember when I was 11 years old and just joined the Sugar Valley Singers in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. It was time for our annual show program to come out, and my Dad told me that I would need to ask a few businesses in town to help with our show program ads. At the time I didn't know it, but Dad was teaching me some- thing…."you never know unless you ask. The worst thing they can say is 'no'." Well I sold about five ads that year, and it was a heck of a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. And I did have a couple of guys tell me 'no,' and just like Dad said, it didn't really hurt at all. You see, the thing I learned from Dad that day was that with groups like our bar- bershop chorus, which are not-for-profit organizations (and like most charitable organizations) you need to have some brave individuals to help them run. Thank you guys. Darin Drown Gary and Darin Drown Chordial Celebration RMD Vision Statement — Enriching lives in the Rocky Mountain District through singing in harmony RMD Vocal Expressions magazine published five times yearly Two issues are printed for all members — Jan/Feb and Aug/Sept issues and three issues are posted online: March/April, May/June, and Nov/Dec Send articles, photos, ads, business cards, news, etc. to editor by posted deadline, please, in ASCII text, jpgs, text only, pdf, or Word documents. Orig- inal copy is preferred. You can also mail CD‟s. Non-member subscription price is $5.00 per year. Member subscription rate is $3.00 (paid for by RMD dues). Unless carrying a byline, all articles are by editor and may or may not reflect the views of the District. VE deadlines Jan/Feb: Dec 20 March/April: Feb 20 May/June/July: April 20 Aug/Sept: July 20 Nov/Dec: Nov. Editor Advertising Rates Per Issue Webmaster Steve Jackson Business Card 1.75 x 3.25 $ 5.00 James Harper 215 Cheyenne St. Lot 18 Center spread Two pages $200.00 303 664-1796 Golden, CO 80403 Full page 7.25 x 9.75 $125.00 [email protected] 720 389-8739 1/2 page 4.75 x 7.25 $ 75.00 [email protected] 1/3 page Ver/Hor 7.25 x 3.50 $ 50.00 1/4 page Ver/Hor 3.50 x 4.75 $ 40.00 BOARD OF DIRECTORS and OPERATIONS TEAM (VP‟S) President Imm. Past President Executive Vice President Secretary Treasurer Lee Taylor Woody Woods Kevin Pape Dick Stark Dave Myers 801 576-9384 719 528-8702 303 775-1054 303 986-3026 160 S. 42nd Street [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Boulder, CO 80303-3357 303 448-9422 [email protected] Chapter Support Chorus Director Contest & Judging VP Events VP Leadership Training Development VP John Coffin Duane Bosveld CARA Coordinator Bob Fox 303 922-3804 303 469-9437 Financial Services Brett Foster 303 980-1870 [email protected] [email protected] Member Services 406 661-1538 [email protected] Dr. Tony Pranaitis [email protected] 303 233-6234 [email protected] Marketing & PR VP Music & Performance VP Youth In Harmony Society Rep. 2011-12 John Elving Dr. Dan Clark Paul Dover Bill Biffle 605 381-9680 308 436-5548 303 520-7466 505 246-9090 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] RMD VOCAL EXPRESSIONS PAGE 3 MARCH/APRIL 2011 District President Index Lee Taylor This issue is dedicated to the [email protected] memory of Gary Drown Lee Taylor 3 Midwinter Performances John Elving, Steve Jackson 4 Dr. Dan Clark, John Coffin 5 Parker Fowler passes When winter's blast makes us question why we live in the Rocky Moun- Denver MountainAires Show Ad tains, the Midwinter convention provides a welcome respite. This year we Saltaires Show Ad escaped to sunny Nevada for a week of great harmony and fellow- Harmony Happenings in the Hills Ad ship. Rocky Mountain District was well represented at the contests in Las Tribute to Gary Drown Vegas. Chordial Celebration 12-13 Our Senior Quartet representatives, After School (with our own Bill Biffle 13th Annual High School Quartet Contest 14-15 from Albuquerque), entertained the audience with well-performed, tradition- Woody Woods 15 al barbershop melodies. They were very well received, and they reminded Dick Stark 16-18 us why we love this hobby. Silverton Festival 19 The Youth Chorus contest featured 19 competitors this year, and RMD RMD BOTY‟s 21 fielded three fine choruses and some excellent performances. Mid Winter coverage 30-31 PROBE 36 Mountain West Voices, representing Brigham Young University, delivered Calendar 37 a great show package and really put Utah on the map. This chorus is ably directed by Joel Gillespie (Reprise and The Ele- ments) 52eighty, directed by Darin Drown, chose to sing without evaluation. Their excellent performance would have been way up in the competition for sure. The 505, from Albuquerque, had the onerous chore of singing first. This would be risky for some groups, but under the direction of Farris Collins, The 505 blew the doors off the auditorium and placed third overall. One of their songs posted the highest single presentation score in the entire con- test. They can also claim the most raucus cheering section in the Society! Of course the Saturday night show always features the top five quartets from the previous International contest. That means, if anyone on the plan- et had yet to see and hear our own Storm Front, they got their chance in Vegas. This fine quartet has lost none of their edge from Philadelphia, and they also conducted a Q&A master class to share their thoughts on winning the gold and on quartetting in general. Page index of chapter digest Estes a success Grand Chorale 20 The air was thin, but the harmony was abundant at this year's Rocky Montrose 22-23 Mountain Harmony College. Students chose from a full curriculum of clas- Rexburg/Colby 24 ses and participated in the Everyman Chorus under the able direction of Mt. Rushmore 25-26 Jim Bagby. Though they were stuck in Chicago for most Saturday, Vocal Russ Halvorson Spectrum arrived for the show and afterglow and made up for Albuquerque 27 lost time! McPhly graciously assumed Vocal Spectrum's coaching duties Denver Mile High/Sterling 28 and came through with flying colors. If you're one the holdouts who has yet Pikes Peak/Pocatello/Bernalillo County 29 to attend RMHC, why not round up your quartet for next year's Grand County 31 school. Block out the first weekend of February for this special harmony Longmont 32-33 retreat. Pueblo 33 Losing old friends Cheyenne 34 Grand Junction 35 One of the bittersweet tasks of being a barbershopper, as it is in any family, is saying goodbye to our brothers who pass on. My chorus sings the Joe Liles arrangement of The Lord's Prayer only at funerals, and I'm sad to report that we are a little too familiar with this beautiful hymn. Salt Lake City said farewell to Charlie Wilson, a 43 year barbershopper and true stalwart in our chapter and in our hearts. Charlie's music lives on with his daughter, a Sweet Adeline with the Mountain Jubilee chorus. RMD recently lost Gary Drown (currently a Central States guy, but original- When was the last time ly one of us as well, hailing from Scottsbluff, Nebraska). A consummate quartet man and MC, Gary brought excellence and fun wherever he you invited a friend to join went. His talented progeny will carry his banner forward. you at a chapter meeting? RMD VOCAL EXPRESSIONS PAGE 4 MARCH/APRIL 2011 PROBE RMD Marketing & PR VP District Liason District Liason John Elving Steve Jackson As a communicator, I feel for- Could YOUR Marketing VP tunate to be part of a vital, dynam- ic group like PROBE. I would like Use Some Help? to invite all Rocky Mountain Dis- trict chapter editors, all chapter webmasters, and all Marketing There are times when, as marketing and public relations peo- & Public Relations VPs to join a growing BHS organization. ple, we look at how best to let people know what is happen- There is method to my madness. It‟s NOT all about the con- ing in our chapter and/or with our chorus. Is it better to look tests, it‟s NOT all about growing our membership coffers. You to the tried and true, or try the new and unknown? In today‘s need PROBE! We have an experienced staff of editors, web- world there are so many choices that it‘s hard to decide what masters, and PR and marketing guys ready to share with you the to do.