Volume 39 - January 2013 Region 14

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1 Volume 39 - January 2013 Special Welcome Add A Line Region 14 May I introduce you to the new members of Region 14 Harmony River Chorus Song of Atlanta Smokie Mountain Melodies Sweet Georgia Sound

2 Harmonic P CHANGE IS SCARY! BUT SOMETIMES NECESSARY AND WE CAN MAKE THE CHANGE FOR GOOD! As you know by now, Sweet Adelines International is going through a major change of boundaries as well as practices, known as Harmonic Progression. Information about the program is available on the International website as well as through your Region 14 Regional Management Team members & chorus leaders. This issue of the Add-A-Line will focus on the boundary changes in our Region with the dissolution of Region 23 and the transition of four choruses from that region to ours beginning May 1, We will bid loving adieu to Shenandoah Valley Chorus in the next issue. Change, while certain, can be frightening. It can also be exhilarating, liberating, irritating and any number of other descriptors. Change is also what you make it. Attitude is everything! Region 23 can make the argument that theirs is the bigger, more traumatic change because they are losing their region completely, not just moving away from it. A wealth of tradition will have to be maintained through memory & friendships. They will not have those wonderful regional reunions with their sisters in harmony that we all treasure so much. Instead, each of the members of Region 23 have to pull up their socks & gear up their emotions to meet new friends, create new relationships & take that first scary step toward a new sisterhood in an established region. We need to greet them with open arms, empathy & understanding. Making new friends is one of the most fabulous aspects of being a Sweet Adeline, but some of this experience will be bittersweet. SAI s decision to change boundaries & competition structure has been well thought out & researched since Any organization that wants to remain vibrant & current has to be able to change to keep up with events & circumstances in the world around it. Teams at International have been studying different scenarios & have arrived at Harmonic

3 rogression (Or WHAT ARE THEY DOING?) by Julia Olsen, Communications Coordinator Progression for the eventual benefit of the organization as a whole. So, Region 14 & Region 23 will change. We are becoming a new region with the addition of four choruses & the departure of Shenandoah Valley Chorus to Region 19. (Stay tuned - more about SVC in the pre-competition issue!) Your RMT, along with SAI, has been planning for this change for some time. In early 2012 we laid out plans for welcoming the incoming choruses & bidding farewell to SVC over the course of We had a planning session in September, 2012 with International Faculty member Paula Davis to help us continue to prepare for the transition & to define further steps so that we make this progression as smooth & as pain free as possible. One of the main points that we want to consider throughout the process is to be as inclusive as possible. We do not want the incoming choruses to be simply tacked on to Region 14. There is a wealth of talent, ability, music & tradition that can be brought to the table from both regions & it would be a mistake to dismiss the chance to be a better region or to lose an opportunity to rejoice in new harmony by maintaining the old lines. This progression is to a new region for all of us. Some of the steps we determined to take have already occurred. Your choruses participated in a welcoming video compiled & produced by Missy Wurthmann, Team Coordinator & Tom Nawrocki, Director of Southern Harmony Chorus. Our friends in the GA/SC choruses reported back that the video was very well received & appreciated. The RMT extended invitations to pertinent Region 23 RMT members to attend our meetings & we had a wonderful visit from Betsy Long, Region 23 Communications Coordinator. Betsy was instrumental in providing us with insight as to how the transitioning choruses have been dealing with the impending move & dissolution of their region. Sharon LeDuc, Finance Coordinator is our liaison with Shenandoah Valley & has reported that they are dealing with their move to Region 19 very well & have been extended welcome from Region 19 in several ways. Nancy Field, Education Coordinator is our liaison with all of the GA/SC choruses & has been in constant contact with them throughout. Nancy will also communicate constantly with the chorus leadership representatives to ensure that everyone is in the loop. The Add-A-Line has been made available to the GA/SC choruses since early We made sure to cheer on our future sisters as well as our own champions at International Patsy Meiser, Marketing Coordinator arranged a road trip to Song of Atlanta s 2012 show which was met with great enthusiasm from both sides of the border & is planning another for SOA s March 2013 show. Bev Coe- Cotton, Events Coordinator has been busy with her maps & mileage tables to determine the geographic center of the new region, only to find that it really does not change much! Bev & the RMT will continue to search for viable means to help all of our membership attend regional events. In January, our RMT meeting was held in Athens, GA & nearby choruses were invited to attend an open forum to meet with us. We were thrilled to greet representatives from each of the choruses & get to know them a little. Sisters already! The border choruses from Region 14 were encouraged to start making friendships & have been doing just that. Nominations for the RMT were opened to the membership of the GA/SC choruses as well as our existing choruses. A new blended region can only be enhanced by a new blended Regional Management Team. The Regional Faculty will have some new faces as Nancy Field mines the incoming talent to add to the great wealth of talent we have here in 14. We created Women At Play, a group with representatives from all choruses to be our contact point as we get information out & look for membership input. These women from your choruses & CAL are your resource if you have questions for the RMT & to receive details as they occur. Some of the changes that we have decided to implement are reflective of our determination to treat this progression as a change for the better for all of us. We will not be Region 14 with one less chorus & four new choruses. We will be a new region, a blended region & we need a new identity to reflect this change. We need to take the best from both regions & use all of our resources to be the new Region 14. We will all have a hand in creating our new identity on many levels. To help form that new identity, we will have a new name (see the flyer in this issue, on the Yahoo group & in your chorus). We will have opportunities to choose the best regional songs from both regions & incorporate new music into our repertoire. Traditions, activities, ideas - the list of great resources is fortunately long! As we move into 2013, you will see more of your new sisters. We have extended invitations to the GA/SC choruses to attend contest & hope to see many of them there. Meet, greet, hug, sing! You will enjoy meeting them as much as we have. Throughout , we will be sure the incoming choruses are welcome at SMC 2013 & competition What is familiar to us is new to them & we want to be sure all feel welcome. If you have questions or concerns regarding Harmonic Progression, we on the RMT are happy to speak with you. Our contact information is on the website. We are sure that the warmth, love & talent of our sisters in Region 14 will only continue to grow as we travel this path. Let s make this change a change for the better!

Harmony River Chorus http://www.harmonyriverchorus.org Harmony River Chorus is a small chorus and sings in North Augusta, SC.

both sides of the Savannah River. HRC was formerly known as the Peach State Chorus.

favorites with a sprinkling of patriotic & gospel numbers, comedy featuring quartets made up of chorus members.

HRC s director Stacy Branch joined SAI in 1998 as director of Peach State Chorus and is a Certified Director.

4 Harmony River Chorus Harmony River Chorus is a small chorus and sings in North Augusta, SC. This chorus pulls members from all parts of the Central Savannah River Area, covering parts of Georgia and South Carolina on both sides of the Savannah River. HRC was formerly known as the Peach State Chorus. According to its website, Harmony River specializes in a variety of well known melodies from the 1920s all the way to today s favorites with a sprinkling of patriotic & gospel numbers, comedy featuring quartets made up of chorus members. We ve heard their costumes can be unexpected & fun! HRC s director Stacy Branch joined SAI in 1998 as director of Peach State Chorus and is a Certified Director. She holds Bachelors, Masters & Specialist Degrees in Music Education and is a Master Teacher. In her other-than-sai life, she serves as the Fine Arts Department Head at Lakeside High School in Martinez, GA, teaching guitar, Advanced Placement Music Theory, Chorus and Show Choir.

Smokie Mountain Melodies http://www.smokiemountainmelodies.

a small chorus under the direction of Phyllis Baker.

their communities in northern Georgia, western North Carolina & eastern

The annual show is a variety show and these ladies have a great time planning

Featured is the Adeline Idol contest held for area high school girls, with the

5 Smokie Mountain Melodies The Smokie Mountain Melodies chorus comes to us from Blairsville, GA and is a small chorus under the direction of Phyllis Baker. This group has a great following and entertains many times during a year for their communities in northern Georgia, western North Carolina & eastern Tennessee. The annual show is a variety show and these ladies have a great time planning this event. Judging by their pictures, they have a fabulous time! Featured is the Adeline Idol contest held for area high school girls, with the finalist voted on by the audience. Flash mobs are another favorite activity of this chorus. Smokie Mountain Melodies is already considering a visit to their closest (new) regional sister chorus, Greenville in Harmony.

Song ofatlanta http://www.songofatlanta.com Song of Atlanta is from, wait for it Atlanta, GA.

SOA has been Region 23 Champions 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

In 1970 they merged with another small group, Song of the South, & SOA was born. SOA sings under the direction of Becki Hine.

6 Song ofatlanta Song of Atlanta is from, wait for it Atlanta, GA. This large chorus of more than 100 women is well known throughout SAI for their winning record and high levels of sound, showmanship, and skill. SOA has been Region 23 Champions 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and They won fourth place in the 2011 International Competition and have four International top ten medals. Song of Atlanta chartered in 1957 as a small group named Atlanta Chapter. In 1970 they merged with another small group, Song of the South, & SOA was born. SOA sings under the direction of Becki Hine. Becki is a Master 700 Director as well as a Certified Judge in Showmanship. She also coaches quartets and choruses. Region 14 members who attended Summer Music Camp a couple of years ago had the pleasure of Becki as our faculty (how on earth does she jump up and down in those spike heels?). Song of Atlanta has members in quartets such as Bedazzled, Cashmere, Dream, Effervescent and of course, Martini, who are our 2012 SAI champions. In addition to their annual show and community performances, SOA hosts an annual Diva Day for local young women to learn about the great art of barbershop. Region 14 s RMT is glad to welcome two SOA members to our RMT as we move forward in this transition to a new region. More on that in April at our regional competition!

Sweet Georgia Sweet Georgia Sound is a small chorus from Soundhttp://www.sweetgeorgiasound.org Macon GA.

SGS director is Wanda Burquest who has been an SAI member since 1996. Wanda is a former classroom teacher who has spent several years in homeschooling.

Wanda also is a dual member with Song of Atlanta. She also finds time to sing tenor with SGS registered quartet, Southern Style.

7 Sweet Georgia Sweet Georgia Sound is a small chorus from Soundhttp:// Macon GA. The chorus original name was Wings of Harmony (just as beautiful a name as their current name!). SGS director is Wanda Burquest who has been an SAI member since Wanda is a former classroom teacher who has spent several years in homeschooling. In addition to SGS, she serves as the director of the Middle GA Homeschool Chorus located in her home town of Warner Robins. Wanda also is a dual member with Song of Atlanta. She also finds time to sing tenor with SGS registered quartet, Southern Style. One of the things about SGS that the RMT was intrigued to learn was that this chorus is famous for one of their fund raisers. The members run a booth at a local festival providing music and several flavors of homemade ice cream. Evidently, one never knows just what flavors will show up (members make what they like!), but they have long lines every year for this cool treat.

Blue Ridge Region 14 February 8-9 - Quartet Workshop, at Raleigh, NC., Holiday Inn Raleigh North, 2805 Highwoods Blvd.

8 Blue Ridge Region 14 February Quartet Workshop, at Raleigh, NC., Holiday Inn Raleigh North, 2805 Highwoods Blvd. Faculty: Judy Poszgay April Region 14 Quartet and Chorus Competitions, Winston-Salem, NC M.C. Benton Convention and Civic Center, All information and forms are available to download from Region 14 website All Events Tickets (all competitors must purchase AET) - $50 Deadline to purchase Feb 8 Single Event Tickets Quartet competition - $20 Chorus competition - $20 Show of Champions - $20 Hotels: Marriott Winston-Salem, 425 North Cherry St., Winston-Salem Embassy Suites Hotel, 460 North Cherry St., Winston-Salem Feb Quartet Entry Deadline (Feb. 26, late entry deadline) Feb Chorus Entry Deadline - (Feb. 27, late entry deadline) Official Judging Panel: Valerie Taylor, Sound Linda Masterson, Music Jan Gervais, Expression, Chair Sue Beck, Showmanship Marilyn Cox, Panel Secretary Proposed Schedule April 12, 10 a.m. Quartet and Chorus Directors Briefing 3 p.m. Quartet competition April 13, noon, Chorus competition 8 p.m., Show of Champions June Summer Music Camp, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC Faculty: Four Bettys, 2008 International Champion Quartet Regional Management Team for Communications Coordinator Julia Olsen, Skyline Harmony olsensreva@comcast.net Directors Coordinator Cindy Minter, Golden Triad cmintergo@yahoo.com Education Coordinator Nancy Field, Greenville in Harmony nancy.field@aol.com Events Coordinator Beverly Coe-Cotton, Queen Charlotte cotbcoe@yahoo.com Finance Coordinator Sharon LeDuc, Song O Sky skledu@prodigy.net Marketing Coordinator Patsy Meiser, Foothills Harmony patsymeiser@att.net Membership Coordinator Deb Runyon, Southern Harmony drunyon1@sc.rr.com Associate Betty Zattiero, Magic of Harmony Team Coordinator Missy Wurthmann, Southern Harmony wurthmannm@aol.com Add-A-Line Communications Coordinator Julia Olsen olsenreva@comcast.net Editor: Mary Ann H. Johnson jnayram@vt.edu Distribution: Joyce Darnell singgram@aol.com Webmaster Deb Runyon drunyon1@sc.rr.com Advertising: Buy ad space to promote your show, sell costumes, risers or other items Deadline for the next issue of the Add-a- Line is March 1. Send your information to Mary Ann Johnson at jnayram@vt.edu

Competition and Convention

Competition and Convention Heartbeat Sweet Adelines International s Region 14 Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and part of Tennessee By Jackie Bottash Chair of the Regional Convention Just like clockwork, and in