Vol. 47, Issue 7 Winner, PROBE International Bulletin Contest, 2011 and 2014 News and views from the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society A synopsis of our 2016 Annual Show by Greg Roembke, Chapter President On June 11th, The Road Home passed through the Palladium as Circle City Sound presented its with the daughter of an Algonquin Indian chief in the beautiful valley that gave the name to the annual show to a large and appreciative audience. It was a wonderful evening of music that featured our very own International Quartet Champions song Shenandoah. We stayed on the river for our next song as Steve Instant Classic and the up-and-coming ladies quartet GQ. McPherson announced that it w as time to get All Aboard For Dixieland. This was followed by The Rush quartet lingering by that river as The show musically celebrated returning home, with songs from all over the country. A wellpaced script by Terry Bynum with an assist from they presented Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Duane Henry w ove entertainment and information together that allowed everyone to journey to large cities and small country roads. Leaving the Big Easy, we headed to the west coast as Sonny Griffith explained how the breakout hit for the Mama s and the Papa s came to be. We After an informative welcome from MC Greg Roembke that included information on w hat then sang what continues to be an anthem for those dreaming of the Golden State, California Dreamin. to do should the auditorium flood, it was time for singing! Leading off was Circle City Sound with I Love Being Here With You. Next we demonstrat- This took us to our next quartet, Late Shift, who will be competing in the International Contest in ed our skills with hats and canes while singing that Frank Sinatra signature song New York, New York. This followed the introduction from Jerry Troxel that told how Liza M innelli complained her way out of her recording being used at Yankee Stadium. Taking us across the country, Exit 29 performed the Glen Campbell standard By The Time I Get To Phoenix. Then Larry Anthony told the story of how 150 years ago a French fur trader fell in love Nashville in July. Using an arrangement from our director Theo Hicks, they showed off their vocal skills with a stirring rendition of Seize The Day from the Broadway musical Newsies. Up next was Norm Dew who told of the emotions felt by Buzz Lightyear from the Disney movie Toy Story. Buzz has just learned that he is nothing more than a toy and makes one last desperate attempt to fly, only to come crashing down. The (Continued on page 4)
Page 2 THE BEAT Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody by Stephen Rafe, Oct-Dec 2015 Probemoter Jerry E. Troxel, Editor Member, PROBE (Public Relations Officers and Bulletin Editors) 129 Yorkshire Blvd. E Indianapolis, IN 46229 317 891-1634 jerry@troxels.com This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. However, Nobody did it. The BEAT is published monthly by the Greater Indianapolis, Indiana, Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, a proud member of the Cardinal District. Chapter Leadership 2016 President Greg Roembke Secretary Frank Bynum Treasurer Jerry Troxel VP Chapter Development Steve Erdosy VP Music & Performance Kyle Kitzmiller VP PR & Marketing Larry Anthony VP Program Don Brown Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. The key to a chapter s success is the involvement of the members with each member taking on a job that is appropriate to his skills, his time, and his desire to contribute. Board Members at Large Norman Dew, Steve King, David Sanders Immediate Past President Skipp Kropp Director Theo Hicks Assistant Director David Zimmerman Circle City Sound meets every Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church Indianapolis, Indiana 46219 Guests are always welcome!
THE BEAT Page 3 Five Years Ago (2011) The following highlights were written by Becky Cline. Electricity was apparent in the air in anticipation of this year s annual show, A Night of Harmony. This was the first appearance of CCS at the grand Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. crowd of 1,400 patrons was on hand for the gala show. A sold out Circle City Sound opened the evening s performance with several songs. One of the highlights was the audience s reaction of a gasp and applause when the purple and green coat linings were flashed during the swinging door line of the contest up-tune. Two college quartets, competing in the upcoming Kansas City International, finished out the first half of the show: The Chris Bateson Experience, with chapter baritone Dave Zimmerman, and On The Fritz, w ith chapter baritone Theo Hicks. Next up after the intermission were the International qualifiers: CCS chapter quartet Anthem, Heatwave (with CCS Bass Kyle Kitzmiller), and Forefront (with CCS director and tenor Garry Texeira). The final portion of the show was a performance from Kentucky Vocal Union. CCS joined KVU onstage for the final two songs. (Notes taken from The Beat, Vol 42, Issue 7, July 2011, Jerry Troxel, editor). Ten Years Ago (2006) The following highlights from the Indy 2006 International Convention were written by Brad and Ann McAlexander, Indy 2006 Daily Bulletin Editors. Eleven-time champion The Vocal Majority of Dallas, Texas, under the direction of Jim Clancy, edged out The Westminster (California) Chorus by just 17 points. Third place w ent to The Northern Lights (Toronto, Ontario). Fourth place was New Tradition (Northbrook, Illinois), and the last medal was won by Midwest Vocal Express, from Greendale, Wisconsin. Strolling down harmony lane In the quartet contest, Vocal Spectrum (CSD), edged out Max Q (SWD) by six points. A monthly look back at our chapter s history by Lew Gillespie, Chapter Historian Third place went to OC Times (FWD), while Metropolis (FWD) received fourth place honors. The fifth medal went to Flipside (FWD). (Material taken from In-Ky Notes, Vol. 55, No. 3, August 2006, Warren Donaldson, editor). Calendar of Events SUMMER REHEARSAL SCHEDULE CONTINUES Mondays, 7:00 p.m. June 20-August 1 Englewood Christian Church 57 N. Rural St. Indianapolis, Indiana International Convention July 3-10 Bridgestone Arena and Schermerhorn Symphony Center Nashville, Tennessee Cardinal District Harmony Explosion Camp July 13-16 Anderson University Anderson, Indiana Harmony Explosion Camp Saturday Show July 16, 7:00 p.m. Anderson University Lucas Oil Concession Training (in lieu of rehearsal) Monday, July 25, 7:00 p.m. Englewood Christian Church 57 N. Rural St. Indianapolis, Indiana BTP Campout August 19-21 Paynetown State Recreation Area Bloomington, Indiana For detailed information on all chapter performances check your Yahoo! Group emails or go to: www.circlecitysound.org and visit the Members Only section www.harmonyfoundation.org Secure the future of Barbershop harmony through your generous gifts to the Harmony Foundation. Provide additional support to your chapter and district with the Donor s Choice option. The deadline for the September issue of The BEAT is Wednesday, August 31. Send articles to: jerry@troxels.com
Page 4 THE BEAT Show (Continued from page 1) chorus then sang the haunting I Will Go Sailing No More that included some spectacular lighting effects from our Production Manager, Susan Spires. chase CDs from us and our featured performers, Instant Classic and GQ. W e also had information on how to be part of our chapter, and, for those who like to gamble, an opportunity to purchase a chance on one of four themed gift baskets. And then it was time to head back to their seats for Act 2. After some brief announcements including information about our Christmas Show, it was time to bring out our featured quartets. Instant Classic Then it was time to head to Boston as Instant Classic performed a rousing version of that classic yet unofficial Harvard fight song, Fight Fiercely, Harvard. Tenor David Zimmerman cemented his reputation as our biggest nerd with his over the top performance. The introduction of our next song took on an unexpected turn as Steve King announced that we were next heading to West Virginia. It was quickly apparent that there were several members of the audience who called it their home, and the resulting conversation between them and Steve provided some unscripted entertainment. Once everyone was able to stop laughing, it was time to sing Take Me Home, Country Roads, which everyone now knows is a very big deal to the residents of West Virginia! And it got even better when our next MC, Skipp Kropp, announced that, in fact, those audience members from West Virginia were his family. Carrying on, he then provided the story of our last song before intermission, and how it has become a piece of American film history. We signaled that it was time for intermission with our version for Let s All Go To The Lobby. And as Circle City Sound sang our way off stage, a very entertaining and fastpaced first act came to a close. During the break, our customers were able to pur- Instant Classic and Girls Quartet, or GQ, have been performing together for the past several years. Last year, Instant Classic reached the pinnacle of our hobby when they became International Champs. And, based on what we heard from GQ, it shouldn t be too much longer before they, too, reach the top. Opening as an octet, they started with an up-tempo version of Tonight from West Side Story, arranged by Theo Hicks. The two quartets then performed in different formations for the remainder of their segment that went by completely too quickly. Highlights included Instant Classic performing the second installment of the Kohl-Kitzmiller-Iarranged-it-so-I-get-the-solo package with a rousing rendition of Queen s classic Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Kyle Kitzmiller s arrangement of Carry on My Wayward Son from the group Kansas. GQ showed off their versatility by performing a variety of songs including a rendition of How Great Thou Art that had the audience breathlessly hanging on every note until the last chord faded away, and then the audience offered a lengthy standing ovation. Performing as quartets, mixed quartets and as an octet singing various styles of music, both Instant Classic and GQ completely captivated the audience. There was also some humor injected as the groups thanked some people who had arranged some of their songs. First, Instant Classic recognized Patrick McAlexander w ho w as sitting right in the front row. When Scott Kitzmiller was thanked for his role, he responded from the back of the theater nice seat! (Continued on page 5)
THE BEAT Page 5 Show Closing out their set, both quartets performed As Long As You re Mine from the mega Broadway musical Wicked that earned them a well -deserved ovation. As the audience settled back into their seats and Circle City Sound returned to the stage, Terry Bynum told the story of two of Indiana s most beloved songs and how important they are to anyone who has ever called Indiana home. On The Banks of The Wabash and Back Home Again in Indiana have been arranged into a medley, which we performed as our salute to the Indiana Bicentennial. (Continued from page 4) The song If There s Anybody Here From Out of Town is the product of those two old road warriors Bing Crosby and Donald O Connor and their travels all over the United States. It at some point was GQ arranged for both men s and ladies quartets, so we took advantage of having GQ with us and presented it in eight-part harmony. seemed like the perfect way to close out our journey on The Road Home. It It was then time to recognize our performers and allow them to hear from our appreciative audience. We also took the time to recognize them for spending the evening with us, and then asked that any barbershoppers in the audience stand and join us in the singing of Keep The Whole World Singing. What a special way to end what was truly a wonderful show. Thank you to everyone who made this a truly special evening for everyone. As we mingled with our family and friends afterwards, the overwhelming feeling was that we had once again delivered an outstanding performance that should have them coming back in the future. As we reach the halfway point of 2016, it seems like a good time to catch our breath as we prepare for the remainder of this year and what lies ahead in the future. And at the same time, it s a great time to make sure that we don t let up in our drive to be excellent in everything that we do. After a very successful annual show, and the built-in break we have with International and Harmony University, it would be easy to want to spend a Monday night or two doing something other than singing. Kids and grandkids are on summer break and families are heading out on vacations. We have a couple of months until our next competition, so what s the harm in missing a rehearsal or two? Well, there is so much going on that missing even one of our rehearsals leaves you at a disadvantage. There are people paying good money to obtain the type of musical education we receive each week for free. The professors of CCS University are some of the best and brightest in our hobby today, and you just can t help but improve by listening to them. We are embarking on a new competition package that will allow us to demonstrate our skills while entertaining both musically and visually. We will be testing ourselves in ways we never have done before, and it will take all of us working together to deliver. We say that we love to perform in front of people, and this will be (Continued on page 6)
Page 6 THE BEAT Road (Continued from page 5) Lucas Oil Stadium our big chance to prove that. It s also time to start one of our most successful fund raising events, Lucas Oil. Yes it s a lot of work, and, yes, that work can be hard at times. But the impact that it has on our ability to earn travel funds can t be overlooked. It we are fortunate to be able to represent the Cardinal District in the 2017 International, it is going to take quite a bit of money to get you there. When you participate in fund raising efforts such as Lucas, you have the chance to add money directly to your travel fund and also help the chapter earn money that can also be used to help you and others cover travel costs. Sure, there are some who can cover the costs of participating in these competitions without assistance from a travel fund. That s great, but try to remember that there are those who need all the help we can give them to join us. We speak of being a brotherhood, so this gives us an opportunity to demonstrate that it s more than just words. At the same time, there will be those who might want to, but are not able. Again, keep those people in mind, sort of a next man up attitude. Then there is the Christmas show that will be here before we know it. If you missed this past Monday, we fought back against the heat by singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Norm is selling ads for the Christmas show program, and before too long George will have tickets for the show ready to sell. We plan on competing in the Fall District contest, and will need to spend some time getting ready for that. We have the Penrod show in September. And there are not many Mondays that go by without us welcoming a guest or two. We have a tentative date for the Christmas Party, and the activities and events will just keep on coming. I completely understand that there are times that you will not be able to be part of our Can t Miss Mondays. For instance, I know that I will be on vacation two Mondays in September. What that means is that I know I need to be at every rehearsal besides those. Things come up you and your family may have health issues at some point over the course of a year. Again, that is completely understandable. I only ask that you focus on being with us every other chance you can. As I said earlier, it doesn t take too much to fall behind. The bottom line is that we are better when you are with us. As we start on the next leg of our journey towards excellence, we will need each other more than ever before, if we want to reach the goals we ve set. I can assure you that it is going to take hard work. I can assure you that you that there will be a time commitment. I can assure you that it will take money on everyone s part to get us where we want to go. And I can assure you that you will have the time of your life. Let s all get back on the road together.
THE BEAT Page 7 The Eight Steps to YES! a framework for change As presented by Jerry Troxel at CCS University, June 2016 What can we learn from the above framework for change? Change is not always easy; there may be many steps involved. Each step gets us closer to achievement. The framework is also applicable to our lives outside our chapter to our families, our jobs and our relationships. We need to be patient with others, as they navigate their way up the staircase to success at their own pace. Everyone moves at their own pace up or down the stairway. This is a self-monitoring process, where we assess what step we are currently on and what It s a personal journey no one else can move needs to happen next to bring about progress. us from one step to the next. We as a chapter strive to provide resources, We each have a default step, or starting point, for each new challenge. Our default step may be tools and motivation to help our members move to the next step in all that we do. comfortable to us, but staying on that step gets us no nearer the top. We as a chapter also strive to celebrate each success of our members and of our chapter. This framework is applicable to us in our singing, our leadership within the chapter and our level of engagement with the financial and social aspects of our chapter. Achievement is great, but so is the progress that is made as we move up each step closer to the top and is worthy of celebration as well.
Page 8 THE BEAT Craft Corner Toward a more resonant, quality sound By Jim DeBusman, CCS PVI Coordinator When you have quality voices, whether they are big, medium or small, like we do in the Circle City Sound chorus, and are willing to be coached, very good things can and will happen in the future. Having come from the classical/operatic world first and then to the Barbershop world, I believe when I am the Cantor at my church that I am all things to the sound. As a singer in a Barbershop quartet or chorus, we must always be sensitive to our singing role in what sound works for our section in the Barbershop style. No matter whether Theo or David ask us for a huge or small sound, it must be a well-supported, freely produced, properly focused, quality sound. When it s appropriate in our style, we can even be able to go over the edge for an emotional moment. However, this comment does not excuse over-singing to create more resonance on a regular basis. We individually must sing within our own voices. As we become better singers (and we are), the more resonance and quality energy produced will enable us to add more CCS resonant sound. This discussion is a good one. Why, because a great moment of bigness for emotion is very good. However, we can t do this all the time when we sing huge. Before you say, Jim, come on!, guys, it could happen to us if we don t remember to always sing in good quality no matter what the level of volume. My thoughts on a huge resonant sound vs. oversinging will be forthcoming in the next issue of The Beat. One final thought: Groups that at minimum appear to approach their limits in good quality and/or groups with the widest range of usable vocal tools will score higher than groups that maintain quality without stretching their sound. Our Chapter Quartets Late Shift Instant Classic 2015 International Quartet Champions The Rush 2014 Cardinal District Quartet Champions (L to R): Tim Martin (TE), Andrew Myer (LD), Adam Winans (BS), Bob Kendall (BR) Contact: Andrew Myer, (765) 532-1552 Photo by Ann McAlexander (L to R): Kohl Kitzmiller (BR), Kyle Kitzmiller (BS), Theo Hicks (LD), David Zimmerman (TE) Contact: Theo Hicks, (248) 345-2396 Photo by Shawn York (L to R): Sonny Griffith (BR), Larry Anthony (BS), Don Brown (LD), Steve McCullough (TE) Contact: Larry Anthony, (317) 459-6239 Photo by Miller Photography
THE BEAT Page 9 What is a Man of Note award and how do I get one? Adapted from an article in the Silver Statesmen s e-newsletter, The Nugget, Jan.-Mar. 2016 The issue of increasing membership has been around for a number of years. The Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) sees it as a major function of each member of the Society, District and Chapter. So, years ago, BHS devised a plan to recognize those current members who, on their own initiative, recruit a new member. That recognition takes the form of the presentation of a Man of Note pin. The first pin has a numeral 1 on it. Each additional recruit by that member increases the number that appears on his next pin. Below is a list of the 38 current active members of Circle City Sound w ho have received at least one Man of Note pin. This list represents only 51 percent of the 75 active members on the CCS chapter roster. Don t you agree that this list should include every member of the chorus? One cannot set out to earn Jerry Orloff, of Santa Cruz, California, receiving one of his more than 200 Man of Note Awards that he earned in his Barbershop career, prior to his passing in 2013. (Photo courtesy of the Aptos Times). the BOTY award or Hall of Fame induction, but each of us can set a goal of earning one Man of Note pin (or more) each year. Who knows, maybe you will be the next Jerry Orloff and earn 200+ pins! MEN OF NOTE Jim DeBusman 33 Steve Cline 14 Jim Sauder 11 Duane Henry 8 Skipp Kropp 7 Don Brown 5 Jim Rosenau 5 Kyle Kitzmiller 4 Larry Klein 4 Larry Anthony 3 Dwight Nash 3 Kevin Bailer 2 Bill Chisler 2 Dave Fouts 2 Theo Hicks 2 Scott Hutchison 2 Vic Kendall 2 John McQuistion 2 Andrew Myer 2 David Zimmerman 2 Jeff Boyd 1 Scott Bradford 1 David Coleman 1 Steve Erdosy 1 Ben Geesa 1 Lew Gillespie 1 Sonny Griffith 1 George Houk 1 Craig Johnson 1 Bob Kendall 1 Steve King 1 Brad McAlexander 1 Steve McPherson 1 Dan Pritchard 1 Ryan Smith 1 Jeff Spires 1 Jerry Troxel 1 Jim Woodruff 1
Page 10 THE BEAT The Songs We Sing: Sweet Adeline from Wikipedia (You're the Flower of My Heart,) Sweet Adeline is a ballad best known as a Barbershop standard. It was first published in 1903, with lyrics by Richard H. Gerard to music by Harry Armstrong, from a tune he had written in 1896 at the age of 18. According to a 1928 newspaper story, the lyrics were inspired by a girl who worked at the music counter of a New York department store. After failing to find a publisher with the initial title, You're the Flower of My Heart, Sweet Rosalie, the two decided a new title was in order and were inspired by a poster advertising the farewell tour of opera singer Adelina Patti. Under its new title, You re the Flower of My Hear, Sweet Adeline, it became a hit when performed in 1904 by the group The Quaker City Four. Boston and represented Massachusetts in Congress (and was the maternal grandfather of President John F. Kennedy), made Sweet Adeline his theme song in 1909. Over the next four decades, he personally sang it at countless political and social events and on the radio. As an interesting side note on this song, John F. Fitzgerald, w ho served as mayor of 7/3 Lew Gillespie 7/5 Kevin Curry 7/6 Norman Dew 7/8 Jake Burris 7/12 Alec Whitacre 7/14 Patrick Eldridge 7/14 Scott Wiederoder 7/15 Theo Hicks 7/19 Jim DeBusman 7/22 Morrie Turner 7/28 Andrew Myer 8/1 Gerry Roberts 8/3 Jackson Silvey 8/5 Jim Pyle 8/7 Larry Tolle 8/13 Bob Boehmer 8/13 Duane Henry 8/15 Kohl Kitzmiller 8/18 John Weiss 8/28 Patrick Stevens 8/31 Bill Campbell Chapter statistics as of July 1, 2016 Chapter members: 115 Average member age: 54 Average years of service: 18 Number of active chorus members: 75 (65%)
THE BEAT Page 11 CCS Summer Schedule Included below is a list of the classes we have had so far in CCS University. You may find the As has been our pattern for the past several summers, CCS needs to make way for a youth ministry event at our home base of Christ Lutheran Church. outlines for each class in Members Only/ Document Center on our website or in past newsletters. Introduction 2014: Beautiful and Quality Singing, Posture and Breathing 101 Our home-away-from-home will once again be Englewood Christian Church at 57 N. Rural, from June 20 through August 1. Vol. 1 January 2015: The Vocal Athlete Here is the schedule: Monitoring, Breathing and Sharing LIFE Monday, July 4 NO REHEARSAL Vol. 3 April 2015: Singlish, Show Pro- Monday, July 11 Englewood Christian Church Monday, July 18 Englewood Christian Church Monday, July 25 Mandatory Lucas Oil training, in lieu of rehearsal, Englewood Christian Church Monday, August 1 Englewood Christian Church Monday, August 8 Return to Christ Lutheran Church Vol. 2 February 2015: The Art of Self- duction and Management Vol. 4 May 2015: Pitch Awareness, Choreography Development Vol. 5 July/August: The Independent Musician, Singlish Vol. 6 September/October: Authentic and Genuine Performance, Effective Ticket Sales The Lighter Side ACTUAL COUNTRY SONG TITLES Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed Vol. 7 November/December 2015: Pitch, Please! Vol. 8 January 2016: Vol. 9 February 2016: Her Only Bad Habit is Me Vocal Color Palette I Vol. Flushed You from the Toilets of My Heart I Would Kiss You Through The Screen Door, But It'd Strain Our Love Rehearsal Eti- quette, Breath Support 10 March 2016: Resonance, The Resist Nothing, Pitch Awareness 2 Vol. 11 June 2016: Who We Are and What We Do, The 8 Steps to YES!