Category: Included in Newsletter

Harmony College East Is Back In 2022!  We are so excited to be offering this terrific event in person again! Get your calendars out and reserve June 16-19, 2022, for the best District barbershop school ANYWHERE.  Briefly, here are the particulars:

WHAT:  Harmony College East 2022
WHERE: The beautiful campus of McDaniel College, Westminster, MD
WHEN:  Thursday, June 16 through Sunday, June 19, 2022

COURSES:  We are excited to report that, in addition to our standard amazing course offerings, we have added many NEW courses and instructors this year, including (but not limited to):

• Yoga for Singers (Sally Galloway)
• BIPOC Youth Engagement (Julian LeFlore)
• Bring it On!—Better Singing and More Members (Paul Ellinger)
• Barbershop in Our Changing World (Chris Rimple)
• The Singing Actor (Theresa Weatherbee)
• Song Writing (Steve Delehanty and Tom Gentry)

…..and MORE!  All new courses are highlighted on the registration website. And we are thrilled to offer a new track of courses exclusively for music educators! Please feel free to pass this information on to any music teachers you may know for their consideration.

BRING YOUR QUARTET OR YOUR CHORUS FOR COACHING: By coming to Harmony College East as a quartet or chorus, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of intensive coaching by some of the finest coaches in the Barbershop Harmony Society, such as gold medalists Gary Parker, and Brian Beck, and local luminaries such as Joe Cerutti and Rick Taylor, to name just a few. Your quartet or chorus will leave your HCE experience with the tools and skills to continue to grow and improve!

PRIVATE VOCAL INSTRUCTION (PVI):  In addition to our courses and coaching, you will have the opportunity to sign up for for one-on-one vocal instruction with one of our faculty members, who will help you to target your areas of vocal concern and give you strategies on how to improve!

COST:  Tuition has been held at our 2019 level!  Please see the registration site for tuition and housing options.

COVID MITIGATION POLICY: Consistent with the Mid-Atlantic District’s current policy for all in-person events, all registrants must provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two Pfizer/Moderna shots or one J&J shot). All registrants will be provided with a link to upload their proof of vaccination on or about May 15, with a deadline to submit by June 1. McDaniel College’s on-campus protocols currently require masking in instructional areas on campus, with masking “optional” in residence and common areas. We will provide registrants with any updated information regarding these policies should they be revised. We appreciate your cooperation with these protocols in the interest of safety for all participants.

Since your Deans and your District Leadership fully embrace “Everyone in Harmony,” we heartily welcome all barbershoppers to attend HCE!   Please consider passing this great news on to your friends and family members who are members of Harmony, Inc. or Sweet Adelines International! We’d love to have them join us and experience this fun educational event.

REGISTRATION LINK: Please go to www.midatlanticdistrict.com/HCE and follow the links to the registration page. You will receive an email confirmation upon completion of your registration.  

We hope that you, your quartet, and your chorus will consider coming to Harmony College-East this year to take advantage of the best faculty and coaches the Society has to offer!

Submitted by Sheryl Berlin and Bill Colosimo, HCE Deans

This year has been a continuation of our ‘meeting-in-person’ challenges. I have to give a shout-out to our district and society leadership for dealing with the difficult decision. Should we plan and engage in in-person activities yet? Or should we wait? I was faced with this challenge for Leadership Academy, and it turns out that it was better for us this year to be 100% online and virtual again. So, as it happens in our favorite western, when the hero rides out of town there’s always that ‘Last Chance Saloon’. If you missed this year’s Sessions then, well, I’ve got some good news fer ya, pardner:  The sessions are available in our YouTube channel. Due to the online format we are able to have all of the sessions recorded and available for your later use.

Leadership Academy is a great time to come together as chapter leaders to discover the challenges we all face. The interconnections between chapters is still one of the best features of the Academy, regardless if we are virtual or not. Even though we were able to connect in our online sessions, still, there is a lot to be said for sitting down at a breakfast or lunch table with friends from other chapters. I have found that leadership academy affords me a chance to connect with people I do not see at any other time – yes, even district.

Each year is another chance to look over the session materials, update it for another year, and perhaps add or change sessions to freshen up the experience. I believe we have a core set of material, but then there is a need for updated information. Much of our material is derived from Society-level documentation, and some is original from the faculty members. The core is somewhat static.  So how do we incorporate new material without re-writing the entire docket each year? I’d make a strong case that we should curate and maintain the core of material so it can be used by experienced leaders and new leaders alike but then, I think we have a chance to ADD quite a bit of content in the way of expanded content posted in the YouTube channel.

If you are a chapter leader I’d ask that you consider two things: 

1. Please engage in reviewing this year’s Leadership Academy content in the YouTube channel (link below) & subscribe
2. Consider offering your thoughts for additional content or features which would be helpful to you and your chapter. OK, I lied… Three…
3. Consider contributing yourself potentially as faculty, or perhaps as a participant in future leadership initiatives and session.

MAD Chapter Leadership Training YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZxF1KQ83gJkV9SoiXhPs7g

Don’t forget to subscribe so you can be notified when additional videos are available.

Please feel welcomed to share your viewpoint / opinion / ideas with me.  I’m more than willing to listen and take part.

In Harmony,

Rob France
M-AD VP Chapter Support Leadership Training
215-582-1579
franceroo@gmail.com

Your Harmony College East Team (co-deans Sheryl Berlin and Bill Colosimo) are pleased to announce that HCE 2022 will take place in-person at McDaniel College from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 19, 2022!  We are thrilled to be able to see all of you and offer you a plethora of classes from which to choose!

Registration for this annual event (which will be open to any fully vaccinated barbershopper) will go live in early March on the Mid-Atlantic District website.  Further details will be sent via email as registration approaches.

If you have any questions, please email us at hce.midatlantic@gmail.com, and we’ll be happy to get back to you with answers!  We are looking forward to seeing you and singing with you again!

Submitted by: Sheryl Berlin and Bill Colosimo
Co-Deans of HCE

We have been busily preparing to hold two conventions:

• the combined Central and Southern Divisions (which includes Prelims) in Wilmington, DE (Doubletree Downtown) March 24, 25 and
• the Northern Division combined with Prelims (Nazareth Middle School, Nazareth, PA) April 8, 9. 

Registration for both our conventions will stay open for the former until February 25 and for the latter until March 8.

We can’t wait to see everybody! And you’ll all be glad to know that we’ve had 24 quartets and 12 choruses register for the Central/Southern division convention!

Click the links to see housing information for Central, Southern, Northern.

At the Central/Southern convention, we’ll have:

• the MAD Seniors Quartet Championship,
• Division Championships for each of the divisions for both choruses and quartets,
• qualification for the fall District contest for both choruses and quartets,
• quartet qualification for the summer International Convention in Charlotte, and
• Seniors qualification to 2023’s Midwinter.
• And if that were not enough, we’ll also have awards for most improved choruses in each division as well as the plateau winners for each division.

Contact me if you have questions.

Submitted by: Ig Jakovac
VP Contest and Judging

Our first recipient:

Anne Bureau has served as Director of the North Pennsmen Chorus since 2005.  From 2006 to 2019, Anne led the chapter to six Division first place Championships, three second place and two third place titles. Anne is also the musical director and founder of a Harmony, Inc. chapter and has combined the talents of the choruses at multiple concerts, modeling the spirit of Everyone in Harmony.

Our honoree has coached multiple quartets as they prepared for all levels of contests and has coached local high school ensembles at several large high schools including Souderton and North Penn in the greater Philadelphia area.

Anne became the first certified female director in the BHS and has been a strong supporter of MAD youth ensembles, having coached at the Harmony College East (HCE) Youth Camp, and has also given classes and coached adult groups at HCE. She has supported youth adjudications by participating on numerous judging panels. She has sung in two M-AD mixed quartets, Silky Mix who placed 2^nd in 2015 and Serendipity who were the M-AD Mixed Harmony Quartet Champions.  She is currently Director-at-Large on the M-AD Board of Directors.

Anne is a certified Harmony, Inc. Music Judge and has been called upon by the Society multiple times to judge at both Divisional and District Contests across the Society. Her quartet, Spectrum, won the Harmony Inc. International contest in 1993 with Anne on baritone. She has sung bass, lead, tenor, and baritone in top 10 HI quartets over the last 3 decades. She is a member of the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association (MBHA), and has served as a panelist at MBHA-sponsored workshops and panel discussions.

She can sing all treble voice parts and has been providing high quality vocal learning tracks to barbershop singers in all organizations since 2008.

Our next recipient:

Joe Cerutti has successfully served as the director of the Alexandria Harmonizers chorus for 15+ years, embracing the legacy identity of the chorus and Chapter, while driving change and growth as a regionally recognized community arts organization.  Joe has led the Harmonizers to

multiple M-AD Championships and nine International appearances including four top five medals.

Under Joe’s leadership, the Harmonizers have performed in major professional collaborations with the Music Center at Strathmore, as well as the Kennedy Center.

Joe is among the most sought-after coaches in M-AD.   He has coached dozens of quartets and choruses before and during the pandemic. 

Joe has been a regular faculty member at Harmony College East many years.

As Director of Outreach for the Barbershop Harmony Society, Joe has led the continued successes and growth of the BHS Youth Chorus Festival at Midwinter conventions, providing hundreds of youth a positive and fun exposure to barbershop harmony and lifelong singing.  He has worked tirelessly to build and strengthen relationships with other choral organizations around the world.  

Joe has served on the Faculty of Harmony University (and Virtual Harmony University) for more than a decade and he delivered the keynote address in 2016, one of only a few dozen barbershoppers to have delivered this address in the history of Harmony University.

Joe has served as a Music Judge as part of the C&J program for more than a decade.

Joe is also a prolific coach internationally.  He has travelled around the world to coach in Great Britain, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

IT IS AN HONOR AND a privilege to recognize Anne Bureau and Joe Cerutti as new members of the MAD Hall of Honor.

_________________________

The Mid-Atlantic Hall of Honor (HoH) recognizes persons who have contributed significantly to the well-being and growth of barbershop harmony in general and have fostered growth among chapters, quartets and choruses, divisions, districts and internationally in the BHS. Each recipient is chosen from nominations sent in by Mid-Atlantic members and must meet certain criteria to be considered.

A committee of MAD HoH members reviews all nominees and meets to determine which (if any) of the nominees merit inclusion in the Hall of Honor.

Each recipient will have their name inscribed on the MAD Hall of Honor plaques and will receive a sterling silver engraved plate which reads:

“Mid-Atlantic District Barbershop Harmony society proudly designates (name 0f individual) as a member of the MAD HOH in recognition of exceptional contributions to the MAD and for encouragement of Barbershop Harmony. “

In additional they will receive a name badge signifying their membership in the MAD HOH.

submitted by Jay Butterfield, D.Ed.

The Mid-Atlantic District Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is much more than a nominating committee, although that is an important part – maybe the most important part – of what we do. But that’s just one of the many functions this committee performs.

A nominating committee is one of the most fundamental board committees because the District Board performs the most essential duties of the District. Board members work together to set policy and to direct the overall operations of the District. The board bears the responsibility for providing essential oversight and strategic planning, with the necessary due diligence. Putting forward qualified, committed and passionate nominees is critical to the health and future of the District.

The LDC appreciates the positive vote of the House of Delegates to approve the following 2022 slate of District officers and Board members we proposed.

President                                 Brian Schreiner (re-elected)
Executive Vice President         Steve Kirsch        (re-elected)
Immediate Past President       Bob Eckman       (non-elected position)
Secretary                                 David Kelly, Jr.    (appointed in 2021, newly elected)
Treasurer                                Dave Welter       (re-elected)
Members at-large                   Sheryl Berlin       (newly elected)
                                                Anne Bureau      (re-elected)
                                                Jay Butterfield    (re-elected)
                                                Rafi Hasib           (newly elected)

What else does the LDC do?

Starting in January of every year, the LDC meets on a regular basis throughout the year to do these things:

• Begin to accumulate names, references and background information on potential nominees to the District Board of Directors;
• Plan a method of self-assessment for the current members of the District Board;
• Identify missing skill sets on the current Board, and strive to identify potential nominees with those skills;
• Strive to incorporate the vision of Everyone in Harmony by identifying candidates from varying genders, ethnicities, backgrounds and constituencies to deepen the Board’s appreciation for under-represented groups;
• Prepare and present a slate of officers and board members-at-large for consideration by the House of Delegates at each Fall Convention;

by John Santora, 2021-2022 chair

The M-AD budget for 2022 was approved at the recent District House of Delegates meeting.  It includes a moratorium on dues for 2022.  So, there will be no District dues included in your membership invoice that is due in 2022.

The discussion of this topic included consideration of the fact that we have been unable to provide the services that you deserve and are accustomed to during the pandemic (such as conventions and in-person education), and the fact that with events cancelled for 2021 we will finish the year with a funding surplus that is greater than the expected annual dues collection.  The Board determined that it is appropriate to waive District dues for all members of the Mid-Atlantic District for the next dues cycle.

For those so inclined, if you still want to contribute to the cause, you can make a tax deductible donation to the M-AD by clicking the ‘Donate’ button on the District website (or mail a check to the Treasurer).

submitted by David Welter

Greetings!

I was so looking forward to being with you at our Fall Convention. How disappointing to have to cancel again. We had 13 choruses and 24 quartets registered when we had to close the registration process. Thank you so much – if nothing else we had a dry run for how to register your quartet or chorus via the new Member Center Barberscore system. While there were a few hiccups, most of you successfully navigated the new contest entry system. This will serve us all well in the spring.

Our current plan is to hold Division, Seniors and International Quartet Preliminary conventions this spring. These will qualify participants for later contests as follows:

• The Division contests will qualify quartets and choruses to appear at the Fall District convention
• The International Preliminary Quartet contest will qualify quartets to compete in Charlotte next summer.
• Choruses who have not yet qualified for Charlotte can qualify in one of the spring conventions (more information on this as soon as BHS provides guidance).
• Finally, Seniors can qualify to compete at the 2023 Mid-Winter at any of our Division contests and can compete for Seniors District Champions at a designated Division convention (TBD).

Hope to see you in the Spring!
Ig Jakovac
DVP C&J

The last two years have proven to be a challenge for our chapters in many ways. There has been so much change and new information flying around daily, forcing our leadership to constantly adjust course and find new ways to keep members engaged and working towards SOMETHING! Perhaps no one understands this struggle more than the men and women who stand (or sit on Zoom) in front of us each week and lead us in what is hopefully a productive, meaningful rehearsal each week… our Directors.

Our talented M-AD Directors spent countless hours planning and seeking out new ideas for keeping the choruses moving forward during “the Zoom era” and, just when they found some light at the end of the tunnel and things began to get back to normal, they had the rug pulled out from under them all over again. Fortunately, they were able to lean on each other a bit with “Directors Round Table” discussions, a tradition started a few years ago when directors met on Sunday morning at a convention and shared ideas, discussed important topics, and sought input from their peers. During the “lockdown” MAD chorus directors met periodically via Zoom to do the same, and it proved to be truly valuable each time we met. Assistant Directors were always welcome and even Music VP’s and Presidents from time to time. No matter the title or position of the attendees, the result has been the same: great feedback, ideas, and encouragement from a group of people who are all in the same boat.

As we move into the next chapter of the pandemic, we’ll continue to hold our Directors Round Table meetings from time to time. If you’re a Director or Assistant Director who would like to participate but haven’t received the previous invitations, please send your name, chapter, and position to Rich Gray, at richgray27@gmail.com and I’ll be sure you’re included going forward.

I’ll look forward to seeing you all in the spring (fingers crossed) where we can all get back on stage to share some great performances with each other.

Rich Gray
VP Chorus Director Development