A week from today, barbershop’s best groups will be on display in Philadelphia, starting with the College contest on Tuesday, the quartet quarterfinals and semifinals on Wednesday and Thursday, chorus contest on Friday and finals on Saturday. (Buy tickets and get the schedule of events here. Sign up for the webcast here.)
So who’s going to win these contests? Everyone’s always making their predictions online, but rarely do we ever get a chance to take the next step: Take an ENTIRELY MEANINGLESS, UNSCIENTIFIC POLL online. You know you’ve always wanted the chance. That’s what we’re here for. Read the rest of this entry »
We’ll let the VM’s press release speak for itself:
PHILADELPHIA CONTEST TO BE LAST COMPETITION FOR VOCAL MAJORITY DIRECTOR JIM CLANCY
Dallas, TX (May 18, 2010) — After nearly forty years and an unprecedented eleven gold medals in international competition, Director Jim Clancy has decided to make the 2010 Philadelphia performance his last international contest at the helm of the Vocal Majority Chorus®. He will continue as Musical Director and primary arranger, but will leave preparation and execution for future contests to Jeff Oxley and the rest of his music staff.
Formed in 1972, the Vocal Majority Chorus® won its first gold medal in the 1975 International competition in Indianapolis and is now preparing for competition in Philadelphia. When asked about the upcoming contest, Clancy says, “I’m very excited about our preparation for this upcoming international competition. I believe that the Vocal Majority Chorus® is singing better than ever, and I am honored to lead the men into competition one last time before our wonderful family of barbershoppers.”
The Board of Directors of the Vocal Majority asks that any questions and comments regarding this announcement be directed to:
Todd Roberts
President, Vocal Majority Chorus
Email: TR3336@aol.com
Wow. The man absolutely defined what a barbershop chorus could be–heck, what a men’s chorus could be. The man changed thousands of lives, and not just those among VM members and audiences.
What are your best memories of Jim Clancy and the VM? What do you expect for Philly? How should we remember Jim’s historical legacy?
The sun in shining, the nearby Cumberland River crested at 52 feet (12 feet about flood stage) and is receding. No reports of major damage to staff homes, although several staff have been stranded in their neighborhoods and unable to travel. Only a very small puddle in the basement at headquarters — we’re lucky to be on top of a high hill here. Still, we’re at 7th Ave., and the crest of the Cumberland reached as far as 5th Avenue (which is at the bottom of a steep hill).
All the results of 14 inches in two days. Saturday, it was wave after wave of torrential downpour, with eight inches in about 12 hours. The rest came Sunday. Previous two-day record for rain: Just over 6 inches.
I went out on my bike yesterday afternoon with a point and shoot camera. Here are some images from downtown, after all the rain and before the worst of the Cumberland River came last night. Here are some shots, with a little commentary. You can see far more extensive shots of the flooding at The Tennessean.
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Chapters are constantly sending me clips and links from news coverage they get, mostly from their local newspapers, and sometimes in local and even national magazines. (The above is a recent clip from NEA Today, the magazine of the National Education Association. They got our membership numbers off by about 6,000, but we and Al appreciate the plug!)
Here’s the deal: What these chapters are doing is awesome, and it turns out they’re only sending us a fraction of what’s out there. But I have no idea what to do with most of these clips or how to share them. We already put some of the best on the front page and news section of barbershop.org and also in Livewire. Is that enough? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Lorin May | Posted in In the news, Leadership | Posted on August 13, 2009, 10:52 AM
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Paul Wietlisbach will lead the Society’s education and training programs as the new Director of Education. Having discovered barbershop harmony in 1971, Paul is a past member of four Society choruses and six quartets in four districts. Paul brings years of experience as an accomplished professional educator and creator of multimedia training programs.
“Paul’s past experience in the areas of training and education, as well his long history with the Society, makes him the ideal candidate for the new Director of Education position,” said Society CEO Ed Watson. Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve had several questions lately regarding American Harmony and the status of screenings. Below is a detailed description from one of the producers, Allan Webb, that is sure to answer most of the lingering questions out there.
For those that have already registered – thanks for your participation in helping spread barbershop harmony around your community!
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All too often I read with interest either on the Harmonet or in emails sent to me by our members what people think is “wrong with the Society.” Not specifically HQ but all levels from the quartets to the chapters to the districts and so on. I value everyone’s opinion and when it comes to making decisions for the Society all of the input I’ve received over the years help guide me in my decision making. I sometimes wonder, however, are we too focused on what’s wrong that we are more and more forgetting to celebrate the positives? Read the rest of this entry »
As with most non-profits, our Society has always been challenged to do more with less. The challenge is especially urgent this year due to the disappointing level of international convention registrations for Anaheim. The resulting shortfall has put our annual budget over $330,000 in the red, requiring quick action. We have cut many expenses but cannot make up this deficit without taking personnel actions. At the same time, we must continue to serve members and chapters while we work to reverse the 20-year membership decline that is at the root of our economic circumstances.
We are realigning our staff both in response to these economic realities and to better position us for future opportunities. This restructuring is designed to help us leverage one another’s expertise with the limited number of employees demanded by a sound economic model. This streamlining means reducing the number of departments, and therefore department heads. While I’m excited about the efficiencies and opportunities we’ve identified, I’m devastated on behalf of the dedicated employees who have just learned that their positions will be eliminated. Read the rest of this entry »
The awesome, exciting barbershop documentary that we can’t stop talking about–you got a problem with that?–is showing this week at the Nashville Film Festival. Here’s some love from The Tennessean and from Nashville Scene.
Has your chapter signed up to get American Harmony showing in your hometown? Click here to fix that!
The annual Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) recognize the best of recorded a cappella music. CASA just announced the winners. Congratulations to our 2006 champions Vocal Spectrum and 2008 international semifinalist Lunch Break! See y’all in Anaheim! Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re looking for the article, Spin has posted it online here.
