Our Fall District Convention was attended by ~650 people. We celebrated a new District Champion quartet – First Take – as well as a new District Chorus Champion – Parkside Harmony – and qualified threer choruses – Parkside Harmony, East Coast Sound, and Parkside Melody – to represent M-AD at the International convention in July 2023 in Louisville, KY. The Pine Barons (Cherry Hill) and The Voices of Gotham (Hell’s Kitchen) will likely qualify as wildcards.
2023 Mid-Atlantic District Chorus Champions Parkside Harmony Directed by Sean Devine and Vince Sandroni
Current 3rd place International medalist chorus Alexandria Harmonizers entertained the convention and also gave a “master class” on what it takes to perform at the highest levels. Similarly, our 2020 District Champion quartet Pratt Street Power provided a master class to folks interested in learning all the ins and outs of top quartets.
Years ago the BHS discontinued the Director Certification Program and also discontinued all of the “train the trainers” instruction to provide a cadre for the program. Given that the CDWI was part of the Certification Program, the M-AD has not conducted a CDWI in several years, and as far as I know, we do not intend to offer a CDWI in the foreseeable future.
From Rich Gray:
I would like to see a chorus director workshop happen in the future, but right now unfortunately it’s not an active program. There has been much improvement over the last few years to the directors courses at Harmony College East. That’s the best option for education and training of directors we have right now and I’d highly recommend it for next year. Maybe I’ll try and push a little for some funding to do a workshop next year.
A few months ago I made the fatal mistake of calling Anne Bureau, Director of the North Pennsmen, to tell her how much I enjoyed hearing a commercial of theirs on Philadelphia radio station KYW. Within a few weeks I found myself appointed Director of Marketing for the MidAtlantic District. The ordeal seemed rather painless, but I still don’t know what hit me. Dealing with Anne is like trying to lasso a tornado. You just can’t say no.
Wes Osborn
One positive by-product of this pandemic – and probably the only one I can think of – is that we get to begin anew. A fresh start, with a new team, new publication, and new focus: on you, the members. Past efforts at marketing the District’s efforts have been rather “top-down” – or “here is what the District wants you to know.” We want to adopt a “from you to us” focus: listening the Chapters’ needs and helping provide solutions. We will still run the contests, Harmony College East and other efforts. We realize that we have hundreds of members who do not compete or attend our educational events, but still like to get together and sing, which is sort of the point of it all anyway. We want to get back to that night in Tulsa in 1938 where the guys (and now, gals), gathered for the pure pleasure of making music together.
So this is our first effort in our restructuring. We are going to be very busy over the next few months, redesigning our website, creating blogs so you can get to us directly with your vast praise (and a few complaints, I’m sure), and oth-er hopefully useful innovations. We renamed this newsletter “Overtones” the technical name for “ringing a chord.” It’s the secret pleasure of all barbershop-pers to achieve that magical sound, but it isn’t necessary. It’s a bonus. Just en-joy singing and if you hear that “fifth note,” then enjoy. There’s no charge for the goosebumps.
Wes Osborn Director of Marketing, M-AD Lead: Cherry Hill Pine Barons, Palm Beach County Coastmen, Miamians
