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Brighter days ahead!
By Linda Brehaut, International President
Here we are almost through the winter! I feel the energy of spring as we start to “start” things up with renewed purpose. Our in-person rehearsals are happening slowly but surely. Our vision of singing for an audience, be it in the community or at an Area event, is getting brighter. After all, we rehearse to improve but, in the end, we improve so we can entertain and provide our audience members with an experience they will remember. I am ready! Let’s be responsible about it and get back out to share our music!
Town Hall sessions
I want to send a special thank you to Kathy Greason, the chair of our COVID-19 task force and all six Area Directors for their commitment at our recent Town Hall sessions. I commend your ACC teams who had an answer for every question! And to each and every member that attended your Area Town Hall – thank you so much for being part of the solution. I respect that we were not able to meet everyone’s needs, but please know that we did our best to find that place which would allow us to move forward in a safe manner.
IBOD minutes posted
The minutes from the IBOD first Quarter (Q1) meeting will be posted to the website shortly. Along with them, you will see the supporting reports so you will not need to contact the Corporate Office for copies. You know my thoughts on this – informed members are invested members!
Take care my friends. Stay well, stay positive (attitude, I mean!) and stay connected!
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| Quartet Corner: Welcome Top Notch and Undecided |
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Welcome,
Top Notch and Undecided!
By Jessica Jones, Quartet Development Coordinator
Known as Top Shelf Quartet in Sweet Adelines International, Nanette (Bs), Rachel (L), Melanie (T), and Sara (Br) are welcomed as Top Notch in our Harmony, Inc. family. While they formed, prepared, and coached between late 2019 and early 2020 to compete at AC&C, well, we all know what happened to interrupt those plans! Needless to say, this quartet has been together for nearly 2.5 years and have yet to compete. “And, oh boy, do we want to!” they confess. Only one of their members has ever competed on a regional stage, so their dream of placing in the top 5 is their true motivation. And only upwards from there!
 Nanette, Rachel, and Melanie hail from Traverse City, MI, and sing with SAI’s Grand Traverse Show Chorus. Sara lives in Grand Blanc, MI, and sings with SAI’s Fenton Lakes Chorus. They all serve several positions within their respective choruses as President, Membership Coordinator, Choreographer, Director in Training, Marketing, and Music Team. Apparently, they needed more to do in their ‘spare time’, they joke. Since they seek to broaden their horizons and master their barbershop skills, they thought, "Why not try Harmony, Inc.?" An opportunity awaited, and these new Associates just love to sing together!
Top Notch also loves to coach with two-time SAI Queen of Harmony LeAnn Hazlett and hope to learn from our fabulous coaches in Harmony, Inc. They also enjoy Nancy Bergman and Elaine Gain arrangements and work with Kim Newcomb for their learning tracks. Gathering twice a month on weekends, they keep in touch on Facebook chat and are always sharing laughter, chatter, snacks, tea, and tons of hard work. They especially enjoy their dinners at Bob Evans and Dairy Queen desserts!
Spanning four completely different decades, their music preferences come from a variety of genres, and they choose music that fits their personality and abilities. If even one singer doesn’t like it, they scrap it. Top Notch is prepared to compete in their SAI Regional Contest in April and Harmony’s Area 4 contest this June!
Undecided Quartet
Undecided Quartet are 100% certain they love quartet singing! Lead Barb Sampson and tenor Jolie Thompson sing with another new Area 6 quartet, Shore Sounds, in Panama City A Cappella Chorus. Since bass Lisa Morris and baritone Sharon really wanted to get back into quartetting, they joined forces and are giving it a shot. They began singing last fall where they discovered their smooth blend, and it was an easy decision to make it official.
 Only one disagreement so far: their name! Of their lengthy list of tricky-to-pronounce or inappropriate names, they stuck to Undecided. As a close-knit group singing with Panama City A Cappella for nearly a year now, the addition of a weekly quartet rehearsal that rotated among their homes was an easy transition. They enjoy performing around their area, including chorus Christmas gigs, Singing Christmas Cards, and Singing Valentines with Shore Sounds quartet and Shades quartet – the third PCAC quartet! Mic testing for Area 6 AC&C is on deck as well. Undecided Quartet looks forward to competing in the future and valuable judging feedback this year (with a bit less pressure.)
Warmest welcome to both Undecided and Top Notch! Stay tuned for even more new quartet announcements in upcoming HI Notes.
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'Informed Members are Invested Members'
By Linda McMaster, Strategic Advisor
Many eyes glaze over when the subject turns to strategic planning, but over the past year members of Harmony, Inc.’s International Board Directors have truly embraced the planning process. COVID-19 has presented many challenges but as they say, every cloud has a silver lining.
As sad as we felt not singing with our Harmony family, our silver lining has been the opportunity to focus on being ready when we are all singing together again.
Better understanding the needs of our members has become a top priority and a belief that enhancing member communication will be key to setting goals that truly reflect the needs and priorities of individuals, chapters and quartets across the organization.
President leads the way
Our International President has led the way with a commitment to open, transparent communication with all members by holding HI Town Halls. Linda believes opinions matters and wants to hear from everyone, wants an opportunity to answer the "tough" questions, and wants the IBOD to always factor member feedback into decision-making and planning for HI’s future. “Informed members are invested members,” is Linda’s mantra.
Another small but significant initiative led by our president has been the sharing of quarterly IBOD meeting agendas, minutes, and supporting documents. Members will now have access to the documents referenced in the minutes without having to contact the Corporate Office.
Members of the IBOD recognize and appreciate the invaluable role of both our music and administrative leaders. In 2021, we committed to sharing harmony-wide messages with Music Directors, Council members, and IBOD Assistants before sharing them across the organization. As simple as this sounds, it has had a great benefit as now our Harmony, Inc. leaders help ensure our messages are clear, help share messages with their respective members, and provide valuable feedback as questions and suggestions arise.
HI Survey Resource Team
Recently, HI has also launched a new HI Survey Resource Team. Team members are working to identify the data needed to make informed, timely decisions and to prioritize planning activities that best meet the needs of existing and new members. Sharing survey results and the rationale for strategic planning goals and activities will be key to our success as we move forward.
As we begin singing together again, renewing friendships and celebrating all things "harmony," know that enhanced communication will remain one of our organization’s top priorities.
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| Harmony Queens, Giving Back |
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Susan Spencer is
a Harmony Queen who cares!
By Jessi Nasto, Association of Harmony Queens
 Susan joined HI in 1992 with The Heart of Indiana Chorus. In 2006, she became a charter member of Harmony Magic, where she is a section leader and Assistant Director.
She became a Harmony Queen in 1999 with Change of Heart. ?
Her term as Area 4 Director began in November 2021, and she's been busy getting to know the Area 4 members - choruses, quartets, and associates - and how she can best serve them.
Outside of Hamony, Inc, Susan works full time for an insurance company as a Learning Project Manager.
When asked, "How do you represent Harmony, Inc.’s mission as Area 4 Director and as a Harmony Queen?" Susan replied, “I try to embody our mission through encouraging everyone to find ways to sing together safely and to share our harmony. By sharing our song, we naturally entice others to join us in song and friendship. Education is how we get to share the best songs we have.”
As we come closer to our time to experience Harmony in person again, Susan says she has learned how special our hobby is. She vows to try to never take our music for granted, and to always appreciate the opportunities when we can sing together (masked or not, six feet apart or not!)
If you see Susan at Area or International, say hello. She can’t wait to sing with you!
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What's up with Contests and Conventions?
Yes, all are welcome
By Kathy Greason, ICJC
With each passing day, the idea of Area contests becomes more and more real to me!
Your ACJCs and I have been in touch as we think about getting together again for the first time in two years. Both regular and pandemic inspired processes are on our minds. Here are a few things that we have considered.
Normal stuff
Contest entry deadlines: Contest entry forms are available on the Harmony, Inc. website. The deadlines for contest entry forms are posted there, and have been included in recent HI Notes. If you want to do the math yourself, the contest entry deadline is 60 days before AC&C. The late-entry cutoff (you can enter, but it costs more and you sing first) is 30 days before AC&C.
Song registration forms: Song registration forms are due two weeks before the contest weekend. Remember, if you haven’t narrowed the choice down to a two-song package, you can always enter information for the songs that remain on your possibilities list – you just need to be sure that the ones you end up singing were on the list.
Pandemic stuff
Getting the word out: The Area Directors, Convention Managers, and ACJCs are doing everything they can to ensure that everyone is aware of AC&C COVID safety protocols, including the safety baseline set out in the policy adopted by the IBOD, and any further requirements that may be specific to your Area. If you have any questions, just ask!
Qualification for IC&C: As you know, in normal years, a trip to the IC&C contest stage requires participation in your Area contest and a qualifying score. This year, the only requirement is participation in your Area contest. Participating means appearing on stage with a two-song package. If you sing your package as a contestant, you will have participated. If you sing your package as a mic tester, you will have participated. And, interestingly, if your chorus sings your package with fewer than twelve members on stage, you will have participated. That’s right. The contest rules permit choruses with fewer than 12 members to appear on stage – the rules simply make the chorus ineligible for ranking and awards. As AC&C participants, your “undersized” chorus may proceed to IC&C. Logistical note: if you expect that you will not be able to field a full chorus team, you can assist the COJ who is assigned to your contest weekend by notifying her as soon as you know.
Last-minute positive COVID test: If a member of your chorus or quartet tests positive in the five days leading up to the start of the contest, please, please follow proper isolation guidelines. Let’s be safe first. But also, please contact the ICJC or the ACJC as soon as the test results are in so we can try to work on participation options that don’t involve putting a person who tested positive on stage!
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Area Contest Entry Forms & Deadlines
Area 6 AC&C
March 31-April 3, 2022
Contest Entry Deadline February 1, 2022
Late Entry Cut-off Date March 2, 2022
Area 2 AC&C
April 21-24, 2022
Contest Entry Deadline February 21, 2022
Late Entry Cut-off Date March 23, 2022
Area 3 AC&C
April 29-May 1, 2022
Contest Entry Deadline February 28, 2022
Late Entry Cut-off Date March 30, 2022
Area 5 AC&C
May 27-29, 2022
Contest Entry Deadline March 28, 2022
Late Entry Cut-off Date April 27, 2022
Area 1 AC&C
June 2-5, 2022
Contest Entry Deadline April 4, 2022
Late Entry Cut-off Date May 4, 2022
Area 4 AC&C
June 10-12, 2022
Contest Entry Deadline April 11, 2022
Late Entry Cut-off Date May 11, 2022
As a reminder, all contestants who will 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, 2022 in order to participate in contests.
All quartets must be registered with the Quartet Development Coordinator prior to registering for contest. Visit https://www.harmonyinc.org/har-028-official-quartet-registration-form/ to complete the quartet registration process.
Area Contest Entry forms are available now for both Chapters and Quartets on the Members Only section of the website or by following the links below. You may complete the contest registration process and pay online, or you may submit your form using the online system and mail payment to the Corporate Office by the posted deadline.
Chorus Entry Form: https://www.harmonyinc.org/har-063-official-area-chorus-contest-entry-form/
Quartet Entry Form: https://www.harmonyinc.org/har-061-official-area-quartet-contest-entry-form/
Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association quartets are also invited to attend Area Conventions and sing for score and evaluation on a space-available basis. Check the MBHA website for particulars.
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Condolences from the Membership
- to Classic Blend (Area 5) on the death of long-time member, Gail Urquhart, on January 25, 2022.
- to Lygia Figueiredo (ScotianAires, Area 1) on the death of her brother, Luis daVitoria Lobo.
- to Northern Blend Chorus on the death of Jean M. Augliano on February 8, 2022. Jean was a Northern Blend Chorus Charter Member and Northern Blend Chorus Honorary Lifetime Member.
Deadlines approaching!
APRIL 15: Agenda items for 2022 IBOD Mid-Year Meeting due.
MAY 1: Applications/nominations for International Board of Directors due.
Copyright © 2022 Harmony, Inc., All rights reserved.
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