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Adam Reimnitz, RMD DRCJ
Hello men and women of the RMD!
Our fall competition in Cheyenne is only about 1 month away and it’s gearing up to be a wonderful weekend! Not only do we already have 15 quartets and 5 choruses registered for competition through Barberscore, we are planning on having several guest groups to help us celebrate the addition of female and mixed barbershop harmony! It’s not too late to get your groups registered at barberscore.com. Check out https://www.barberscore.com/tutorials for help.
Our new schedule will allow for even more fun, socializing, and tag singing plus a more “relaxed” show of champions in a ballroom setting that will be a blast for all; you won’t want to miss it!
Friday
2pm – mic/light test in ballroom.
3pm- quartet walk-ons (details to come)
4:45pm- judges meeting in Judges lounge/dinner
6pm- Quartet Semifinals begin
9:30-9:45pm- evals in judges rooms (this should have judges finished by 11:30-11:45)
Saturday
10am-chorus contest
12:30pm- lunch break
1:15-1:30pm- evals begin in breakout rooms
3:30pm- evals finish/break before finals
4:30pm- Quartet Finals begin
6:30- announcements
7:15-7:30 evals begin
8:30 – casual show of champions in ballroom. Quartets can participate as they finish evals.
News from BHS Contest & Judging:
For this upcoming International preliminary quartet contest cycle, quartets will automatically qualify if they achieve a 78% or higher score, or if they are the highest scoring quartet in their District’s International preliminary contest. Additional quartets (scoring less than 78%) will also be invited in May 2020 to reach the minimum target of 40 BHS quartets and 50 total quartets if needed.
DETAILS HERE: https://www.barbershop.org/contest-rules-update-for-la2020
As always, contact me with any questions or concerns with our upcoming competition in Cheyenne!
In Harmony,
Adam Reimnitz
RMD DRCJ
rmd.drcj@gmail.com[/vc_column_text][minti_divider style=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row top_padding=”BarbershopperOfTheYear” row_id=”Campbell”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
Jim Campbell, RMD Events
Do you have your reservations for the Rocky Mountain District Fall Convention yet? If not, times a’wastin!
We’ll meet at the Little America Hotel and Conference Center in Cheyenne, September 27-28 2019. It will be a weekend full of singing, tags, more singing, competitions, more singing, and the selection of District Champion quartets and choruses.
As usual, there will be competitions for the District Championship for Men’s Quartets and Choruses. And at this years Convention, for the very first time, the Rocky Mountain District will also host competitions for Mixed Harmony Quartets and Mixed Harmony Choruses. These groups, composed of both men and women, will compete for the title of RMD Champion in each classification. Judging will be done by the same panel that judges the Men’s Quartets and Choruses, and will use the same judging criteria.
In addition, in further support of Everyone in Harmony, any Women’s Quartets or Choruses who would like to appear onstage for score and evaluation during the contest sessions are welcome. We already have a Women’s Chorus planning to attend, and are expecting some Mixed Harmony Quartets as well.
All competing groups (Men and Mixed Harmony Quartets and Choruses) must be registered members of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and be composed of BHS members.
Registration is available on Barberscore for Quartets and Choruses in both Men’s and Mixed Harmony classifications. See the RMD website, RMDSing.org, for registration information. The RMD website also contains the link for hotel reservations.
Registration for all Convention attendees is open now. See RMDSing.org for details. Your All-Access pass will cover:
- Quartet Semifinals and Finals Competition
- Chorus Competition
- Show of Champions
- The Everglow Afterglow(!!)
Early Bird Registration (now through Sep 15)
- $100 — Adult RMD Members and Competitors
- $30 — All Students (25 and under), whether competing or not
- $50 — Friends and Family
These prices will go up after September 15, so get your registrations in early!
Note that all competitors must have a full Convention registration,
The host Chapters for the 2019 Fall Convention are the Denver MountainAires and the Colorado Chord Company. Many thanks to both groups for stepping up to make this Convention and Contest the best ever! Mark your calendars, make your plans, and join us in Cheyenne for a great Barbershop Weekend![/vc_column_text][minti_divider style=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_id=”Miner”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
Gene Miner, RMD Membership
What Are You Trying To Sell?
The Society has made many new progressive changes in an attempt to save our style of music. With these changes come as many new challenges to recruit new members. There are a few factors you need to consider in your recruiting process that include the what, where, why, who and how approach.
What are selling? You must know the culture of your chapter and chorus if you expect to convince anyone it is something they desire to have in their life. Questions that need to be answered determining your culture:
- Are you an anybody-can-join hobby chorus trying to provide a place for the true novice to enjoy singing?
- Do you spend four hours on the risers perfecting each note and chord to reach that eight-one percent to qualify for International?
- Do you sing every week?
- Do you have a meeting of variety or just a chorus rehearsal?
- Do you perform often within your community?
- Can you afford to support your district and the society?
- Does your director have buy in to your culture?
- Is an audition required or just voice placement?
- Do you support “Everyone In Harmony”?
There are several others to consider as you sit down with your board and decide your culture and mission but if you don’t know what you are selling, it will be difficult to find singers to join your chapter.
Where are you recruiting? Other chapters are off limits. Those members know where you are and where they want to sing. Don’t try and pull members from other chapters. Call outs from your shows have proven to be unsuccessful and comment cards rarely get filled out by your audience. Check into supercharging your chapter and the personal one on one conversation provided. The best way to sell a product is the personal touch with a welcoming attitude at all times. Don’t change your attitude after you get a member on board. Continual internal sales are as important as your initial efforts.
Why do you want new members? The obvious answer is to increase the size of your chorus and improve your singing. Are you just trying to add another Man of Note to your credit or are you a singer bringer. Seek out those you have heard sing or know have a musical background. Sharing your unique style of music with those who have not heard it is great why for recruitment. I am surprised every time I hear someone say they have never heard of Barbershop.
Who do you want to recruit? If you support “Everyone In Harmony”, the ladies will be on your radar as well as the men. Look to other choruses or choirs that are not BHS affiliates for those looking to sing a different genre or add to the diversity of their abilities. Look for your replacement. I’m not suggesting you quit. Look to younger singers to replace you when you decide it’s time to move on or you have reached physical limitations preventing you from singing. You ca recruit non singing persons to administrate, market, run sound and lighting, build props or other support activities.
How will you recruit? As previously mentioned, the personal approach is preferred. There is music after high school and college. These are the prime age groups for new members. Seek out the class historians and look for former choir or A Capella members from a class or classes in the age group you seek. Have a class reunion night at your chapter. Always carry chapter business cards. Make sure your contact information is on the back of the card. Pass the cards out every chance you get. Ask for potential member’s business cards. Now you have their contact information as well. Call and offer to pick them up for an introductory meeting night. Provide a riser buddy and a guest book. Teach them a posting tag to let them feel their part of a ringing chord progression. Make them feel special and respected for the talents they can provide.
I don’t claim to be an expert at membership but I have observed a few things in 48 years of Society membership. I was lucky. My Father chartered my chapter the same year I was born and I joined as soon as I completed military service. Unfortunately, my father died at an early age and I never got to sing with him. My mother was a champion and encouraged me to join. She never missed a show.
Good luck in your efforts to grow your chapters. May your culture fill your needs. Share your talents, be welcoming and always seek education and improvement.
Gene Miner RMD Member Services
gminer7th@gmail.com[/vc_column_text][minti_divider style=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_id=”Andromidas”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Mark Andromidas, Wasatch Front Chapter, 2019 SLC International Convention Chair
The combined Salt Lake City-area chapters were honored to co-host the 2019 international BHS convention. It was a monumental effort by so many people. Planning for the convention began two years prior, in July of 2017, when I was selected to be the convention chairman. Over the following two years, a leadership organization was put in place, convention events were finalized, and volunteer needs were assessed. These needs included hosting quartets, choruses, and judges; sourcing, transporting, and setting up risers; marketing; manning the registration booths, information desk, and convention office; coordinating volunteer needs for non-core events; handling event-day logistics of attendee and competitor flow; and quite a few other tasks. Beginning about three months prior to the convention, the volunteer needs, including about 1,000 unique job shifts, were published. Filling these shifts was, to say the least, a daunting task!
Our combined Salt Lake City-area chapters, along with many people from throughout the Rocky Mountain District and the BHS, and with significant help from the hosting services missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, came together to fill almost every job shift. All significant needs were met and there was not one shift where we needed to call on any BHS resources to cover volunteer needs. Everything flowed as smoothly as it was designed. At the closing conference, Dusty Schleier, Director of Meetings and Conventions for the BHS, had just one question: “How did you close the gap in volunteer needs leading up to the convention?” I responded that persistent, frequent, kind communication paid off and the great people of the SLC area and extended RMD/BHS responded to the call. The BHS was truly impressed with how we all came together and helped the convention run so smoothly for all those involved, both attendee and competitor.
As convention chairman, I extend my personal thanks to the executive team, the various functional coordinators, and every volunteer from near and far. I’m so proud of all who helped and sacrificed their own time, resources, and viewing of the convention to make the 2019 SLC international convention a great success!
Harmoniously,
Mark Andromidas
2019 BHS SLC Convention Chairman[/vc_column_text][minti_divider style=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_id=”Winans”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
Vince Winans, RMD Music & Performance
Hello everyone, my name is Vince Winans and I have had the honor to be named Music and Performance VP for RMD! I have been in the BHS for over 48 years and competed in 5 different districts. I hope to bring this experience to my new position.
One of my main duties is Rocky Mountain Harmony College for 2020. I have exciting news. We already have dates for this event. They are April 24 & 25. Jim Campbell has gotten a fantastic rate of $89.00 per night at the Beautiful Hilton Gardens on Harmony lane in Fort Collins. We are planing a great learning experience and we are going to add fun back in. Rates this year will be lower than last but at this time we are still working on details.
Please mark you calender’s now for RMHC!
Flyers will be at the Convention with more information on the great event.[/vc_column_text][minti_divider style=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_id=”Duerdon”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Gregory Duerdon, Utah Valley Chapter
Skyline Chorus introduces new Director
Carl Dastrup is the new director of Utah Valley/Skyline Barbershop Chorus. Stevie Dugdale, the former Chorus Director, moved to Kansas City, Missouri, after graduating from BYU with a Master’s Degree (in Music), and after four years as the director at the Skyline chapter.
Carl Dastrup
Dastrup has over 50 years in Barbershop, being exposed to it by his father as a youngster of 7 or 8 years of age. He was a member of a successful barbershop quartet (Stylist) and a past member of Skyline about 25 years ago (back in the 90’s). Since then he has undertaken a huge project as director of a 200-300 member oratorio choir for an annual Easter oratorio in Saratoga Springs, which also includes a large orchestra; as well as being director of the 2002 Olympic choir, working with school music programs, along with other performances and shows along the way.
He has experience in and consulted with Opera singers, Western singers, Pop music, other styles of performance and multi-media musical performances (such as the Easter Oratorio, which is a multi-media performance, with costumes, lighting, video and lots of ‘Fun’ as well as just a little terrific music, too!) and more. The breath of his experience and talent is breath-taking, working with school music programs, community based musical performances, as well as individual coaching aside from his own talent and ability.
In just the first couple of weeks back with Skyline he has opened new vistas of musical possibilities and has already started to improve the musical performance of the small chorus. “Everybody wants to do well” (as they perform), he stated. “The ‘sound’ (from Skyline) has changed in just a couple of weeks. Now the challenge is to get it to be consistent!” He already speaks like a director!
Dastrup said it will be kind of ‘scary’ learning new ways and techniques, but he enjoys starting with the best and “working to be better,” to continue to ‘make progress’ musically . . . isn’t that the real challenge for all of us? He wants the desire for ‘progress’ to become infectious in the chorus.
His goal is for Skyline performances to ‘captivate the audience’ with each performance. This will bring people to Barbershop saying, to themselves, “I want to be part of that!” He wants everyone to have a deeper involvement in and enjoyment of music.[/vc_column_text][minti_divider style=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]