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Life is good!
By Linda Brehaut, International President
Another year is slipping into the history books. This is often a time of celebrating with friends and family – and don’t forget the food! A few years back, my adult kids agreed to forgo the "present" part of Christmas and use this time (and money) to spend together as a family – this year we are heading to Newfoundland to my son’s home! Life is good!
I hope each one of you has a moment (or many moments) before this year ends, to say, “Life is good!"
In the last edition of the HI Note I mentioned the meeting notes from the Delegates and Associates meeting. Both the annual minutes and the minutes from the D&A meeting are now posted on our website. I need to make two small edits to the minutes from the D&A meeting. First edit (and important to all our quarteters!) is that the quartet renewal date is FEBRUARY 1. This date is correct in the Annual Meeting Minutes.
Next, the IBOD has provided an update to the dues process following discussions at the Annual meeting and the Delegates and Associates meeting. New members (Associate, regular, or newly chartered chapters) joining after January 1 will be asked to pay 1/12 dues (rounded up to the next dollar) per month starting in the month they join (no Area dues) plus full dues (including Area Dues) for the following year. The goal is to avoid collecting dues and then asking members for more dues, just a couple of months later! It will also ensure that those members in Areas that have their AC&Cs early in the cycle are in good standing, well ahead of time. The issue of dues for newly chartering chapters will be revisited once our new HarmonySite platform is running, as the programmer is working on updates to allow payments in two currencies and in variable amounts.
I am hoping to schedule a virtual town hall in the New Year to discuss any thoughts or questions you might have – there will be more specific information in the January 5 HI Note.
Be on the watch for a new Assistant position -- yay! All our current assistant positions are filled with amazing volunteers. Thank you for all that you do in the background for this organization – please do not think your work goes unnoticed!
I know that for some people this can be a lonely time of year. Please know you are not alone! Reach out to chat, reach out to attend a movie or go for dinner or even just a coffee. You never know the impact you can have on someone with an action that seems small to you.
My wish for all of you would be that 2023 is a year full of opportunities when you can stop and say, “Life is good!”
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| A Cappella Showcase Lends A Helping Hand |
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A Cappella Showcase helps create a virtual reality production of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and Paul Simon's Feelin' Groovy to brighten the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers.
Bringing the power of singing to people with dementia
By Rosemarie (Rosie) Châles, Chapter PR & Marketing Chair
A Cappella Showcase has performed Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah -- as arranged by our amazing chorus director, Jordan Travis -- at many events and concerts, along with Paul Simon’s Feelin’ Groovy. In early October these two classics acquired a very special meaning as we began our weekly rehearsal by engaging in a project to help a very meaningful organization.
ACS member Margaret Campos presented an idea to the chorus that could potentially help us bring joy and peace to persons with dementia and their family care partners through VRx@Home, a virtual reality (VR) at home intervention.
Her daughter, Jennifer Campos, PhD, is a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Multisensory Integration and Aging. Besides the many impressive positions she holds, Jenny’s research focuses on understanding age-related impairments and how virtual reality and simulation technologies can be helpful. While conducting a study with VRx@Home to explore whether VR experiences can enhance communication between people with dementia and their family care partners, Jenny thought of the power that music and singing enjoyment can have on an aging population and asked her mom if A Cappella Showcase could possibly help.
Since this virtual reality system is head-mounted, it gives persons with dementia the freedom to be transported to alternate realities, such as being on a beach or attending a concert. It may also have the potential to improve interpersonal relationships between persons with dementia and their family care partners.
ACS is dedicated to lending a hand to organizations that genuinely help the world to be a better, safer, and healthier place and therefore, we sang this beautiful package with all our hearts for this wonderful cause.
Please enjoy this performance which was filmed by Dr. Raheleh Saryazdi, Postdoctoral Fellow, KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, who visited the chorus on that particular Tuesday evening. Dr. Raheleh, who is the leader of this highly meaningful project, was thrilled that we accepted to help through the power of song and harmony.
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LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEA FROM HARMONY, INC.!
By Kim Meechan, Director of Philanthropy
It’s that time of year again, with many holidays and special events keeping us busy and shopping for loved ones. Last minute shopping doesn’t have to be stressful when you give a gift that supports Harmony, Inc. No wrapping or shipping required! Click on FOR LOVE OF HARMONY to make a donation in honor of someone near and dear to you. You’ll have the option of choosing where your donation will be directed. One size fits all!
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.
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Condolences from the Membership
Those we cherish will always live on in memory.
- to Nickel City Sound (Area 5) on the recent death of former member Margaret Hallett.
Need to post a condolence notice? Please have the information sent to the Corporate Office to be recorded. Thank you.
Deadlines Approaching
1 FEBRUARY 2023 - Revised (Annual 2022) Quartet registration renewal deadline
15 MARCH 2023 - The first 200 people who pre-register by March 15, 2023 will be guaranteed reserved seating for all contest sessions at IC&C 2023.
The next issue of the HI Note comes to your inbox January 5, What would YOU like to read about in that issue? Share your thoughts with editor@harmonyinc.org by December 28.
See you in a couple weeks!
Copyright © 2023 Harmony, Inc., All rights reserved.
As a member of Harmony, Inc. you are entitled to all communication from Harmony, Inc.
Our mailing address is:
Harmony, Inc.
Corporate Office
9466 Pleasant Level Rd
Mechanicsville, VA 23116
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