Harmony, Incorporated HI Note: January 2023 Issue #1

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Getting back in the swing
By Linda Brehaut, International President

As I sit here tonight writing my article, I am listening to my family playing a new game they received last week, Escape Room. Life is Good!

Many of our chapters/quartets have taken a break as we head into the New Year. I hope that you have taken some time to do something for you. I admit I am already looking forward to getting back on the risers!

I know that the next few months will have a strong focus on our AC&C contest packages, membership building, and possibly a retreat to refocus all our efforts. I trust that as we get back together we will celebrate good health, great friends, and a gratitude for our music!

Category Training School & a Town Hall meeting
January celebrates our judging community as they attend Category Training School. This is a recertification year, so many of our judges will be in attendance. I would like to send along a huge thank you in advance for your commitment to this incredibly valuable component of our organization. At the same time, I would like to encourage and congratulate our candidates as they move a step closer towards certification.

I am planning to host a town hall on January 22 at 6:30 p.m. ET. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions (and if I do not have the answers, I will get them for you), share concerns, or offer words of encouragement. It is possible that you already feel informed, and that is wonderful! I just want to provide a time for anyone who wants to chat. If you would like to share a question you have ahead of time, so I can be prepared, that would be appreciated.

What is a woman?
Over the past year or so, there has been much feedback and conversation regarding how we might better define the word “women” as used in all Harmony documentation. The revised definition was shared with your chapter president/or her delegate at the delegates meeting, as well as with any associate members who were in attendance. The new definition reads, “Harmony, Inc. defines the word 'women,' as used in all Harmony documentation, as individuals who identify as female, as well as people assigned female at birth who now identify as nonbinary and are comfortable belonging in our community of women.” I hope that everyone will be able to support this wording as we celebrate our intention to be an inclusive women’s organization.

2023 – a new year. An opportunity for growth (both personally and collectively.) A time to strengthen our bonds of friendship and our willingness to share our music with the communities around us.

My hope is that you have a sense of peace, joy, and love that you carry into the new year. Happy New Year to every one of you!

Sing Niagara Rocks The Holidays

Sing Niagara finds the holiday season a chaotic delight

It's the most wonderful time of the year
By Nancy Fung, Chorus Contact

What a fun and exciting holiday performance season Sing Niagara has had!

With Interim Director Linda Hilko at the helm, we have had a flurry of activity rehearsing, organizing, and planning activities through 2023.

To start off the season, Sing Niagara’s Holiday Open House program welcomed enthusiastic new songful members.

Then, to engage the community in music, Sing Niagara returned to presenting a holiday concert, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. We also performed at the Welland City Hall tree lighting, and lifted our voices in song at the community Christmas lunch at Crystal Ridge. It was fun to captivate the whole audience and uplift their spirits for the holiday season.

Walking out the door after the performance, an audience member remarked, “Hallelujah! You nailed it, ladies!”

What do spooky times and a fundraiser in October have in common? Our Sing Niagara Trivia Night! This was a huge, sold-out success, complete with Halloween theme, a performance by the chorus, and smarties for the winners.

In the meantime, our Director Search Committee is still busy seeking a permanent Director for July 2023. We welcome all referrals; the application is available through info@singniagara.com.

Sing Niagara is energized and pumped to be singing our hearts out!

Pictured above
FIRE BURN AND CAULDRON BUBBLE -- Sue Shepherd, Nancy Reed, and Marlene Snook kick off the shenanigans at Sing Niagara's Halloween Trivia Night fund raiser.

HELP WANTED!

Volunteer Coordinator

This new position is an exciting one for Harmony, Inc! Our Volunteer Coordinator will help to ensure that Harmony has the volunteers needed to fulfill our mission and support our Areas, events, programs, strategic initiatives, and the IBOD. The full position description is currently “under construction”; however, we know that the Volunteer Coordinator will have responsibilities that might include the following: recruitment; screening; collaboration with directors and teams to identify needs and match appropriate volunteers; orientation and training; communication: and recognition.

Your enthusiasm and involvement will make a huge impact, in all areas of Harmony, Inc!

The Volunteer Coordinator will report to the Executive VP. For more information, please contact Gaye LaCasce, Exec VP, or click here to apply.

QUARTET RENEWAL DATE REVISED

Quartet Renewal Due February 1, 2023
By Jess Leigh, Quartet Development Coordinator

For a number of reasons, the IBOD approved the date shift for quartet renewal/registration back to February 1 from July 1. Already active through 2023? Great! Register before February 1 and only pay $10 to keep your active status through January 31, 2024.

All new quartets registering for the first time between February 1 and November 30, 2023 will pay the full $20 fee.

Use form HAR-028 Official Quartet Registration/Renewal on the Members Only section of the Harmony, Inc. website.

Questions? Email quartets@harmonyinc.org.

AC&C Dates To Remember

Area contests are right around the corner! Update your calendar with the information shown below for your Area. Entries received after the posted Entry Deadline will incur a $5-per-singer late fee, and contestants registering after this date will sing first in the contest. No entries will be accepted after the late entry cutoff. Please check your Area website for more details about your AC&C.

Area 1
June 1-4, 2023
Entry Deadline: April 3
Late Entry Cutoff: May 3

Area 2
April 20-23, 2023
Entry Deadline: February 20
Late Entry Cutoff: March 22

Area 3
May 5-7, 2023
Entry Deadline: March 6
Late Entry Cutoff: April 5

Area 4
June 8-11, 2023
Entry Deadline: April 10
Late Entry Cutoff: May 10

Area 5
May 26-28, 2023
Entry Deadline: March 27
Late Entry Cutoff: April 26

Area 6
April 13-16, 2023
Entry Deadline: February 13
Late Entry Cutoff: March 15

As a reminder, all contestants who perform in Harmony, Inc. contests must be members in good standing, which means that all Harmony, Inc. Corporate, Area, and Chapter dues must be current as of April 1, 2023. In addition, quartets must also be appropriately registered and in good standing to enter any contest. If you have questions about your membership or quartet registration status, please contact Kelly in the Corporate Office.

Contest entry forms are available online using the links below.
Official Area Chorus Contest Entry Form
Official Area Quartet Contest Entry Form

For The Love Of Harmony

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 Tori Amendola (A Cappella Showcase, Area 5) on the passing of her mother.
to Myranda Amendola (A Cappella Showcase, Area 5) on the passing of her grandmother.
to Susanne Hasulo (A Cappella Showcase, Area 5) on the passing of her mother.
to Sherry McCarroll (A Cappella Showcase, Area 5) on the passing of her husband.
to Chris Mudge (A Cappella Showcase, Area 5) on the passing of her mother.
to Diane Nicholson (A Cappella Showcase, Area 5) on the passing of her father.
to Dianne Wagstaff (A Cappella Showcase, Area 5) on the passing of her husband.

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 20, What would YOU like to read about in that issue? Share your thoughts with editor@harmonyinc.org by January 13.

See you in a couple weeks!

Copyright

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