Circle City Sou n d Volume 40, Issue 7 From the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the Circle City Sound s mission is to perform with excellence in the barbershop style and encourage singing within the community, because singing enhances life. How Harmony was created... A Review of our 2009 Annual Show by Ty Baker, future member of Circle City Sound The crowd was on their feet through most of the evening as Circle City Sound amazed the audience with hits like One for My Baby and American Trilogy. The audience was shocked to see special appearances by Elvis The King Presley and Liberace. A special appearance by Lunch Break with an opening act of Lucky Charms had the crowd laughing non-stop. The Circle City Sound chorus did a spectacular job at the performance, and we re expecting them back again next year for another fantastic show! The afterglow was just as fantastic with performances by Boiling Point, Lunch Break, Sycamore Road, Smilin' Through, and Timeless, all of which got a standing ovation from the audience that attended. Food was provided, and almost everyone had too many brownies. But it was worth it after all was said and done. All the time and effort put into this really makes it worth it. Thanks to all the people who sang, participated, or even took tickets. Thanks to all who made this so special. And THAT S how harmony was created! Circle City Sound Chorus, under the direction of Garry Texeira Photo by Marti Carroll More photos and commentary by our Annual Show chairman inside this issue
Page 2 Jerry E. Troxel, Editor 129 Yorkshire Blvd. E Indianapolis, IN 46229 317 891-1634 jtroxel@ameritech.net The BEAT is published monthly by the Greater Indianapolis, Indiana, Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, a proud member of the Cardinal District Association of Barbershop Chapters And the Oscar Goes to... The premiere run of American Harmony in Indianapolis is now history. Hopefully, many of you took the opportunity to view this documentary about the ups and downs of Barbershop Quartet competition. Since much of the movie was filmed at the 2006 International in Indianapolis, many of our members ended up with cameo appearances in the film. Did you catch the following?: Kermit Swenson, Bill Campbell, Bill Chisler, Lew Gillespie, Dave Bloomer, Gene Newton, Garry Texeira and Rich Treptow. Also captured on film were Cardinal District members Terry Wence, Aaron Hughes, Ben Geesa and Dave Duncan. Getting slightly more attention was CCS member Kevin Curry, with one line (...whenever you are ready ). The starring role (from a CCS perspective, that is,) went to a younger and smaller Patrick McAlexander, who recited from memory the winners of the quartet championship every year since its inception in 1939. He only forgot one! Many thanks to Randy Freeman, Mark Lindgren and other members of our PR team for spearheading this project for Circle City Sound. Chapter Leadership 2009 President Jerry Troxel VP Chapter Development Steve Cline VP Music & Performance Duane Henry VP PR & Marketing Randy Freeman Secretary Tom Bradley Treasurer Jim Sauder Board Members at Large Jeff Boyd David Fouts Brad McAlexander Immediate Past President Jim Rosenau CARDINAL CHORD COLLEGE July 10-12, 2009 Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana A barbershop education event you ll never forget. Instruction for choruses, quartets and individuals a mini- Harmony University. Guest instructors include 1996 International Quartet Champions Nightlife. Barberpole Cat Learning Program Our Barberpole Cat for the month of July is You Tell Me Your Dream Director Garry Texeira www.harmonyfoundation.org Secure the future of barbershop harmony through your generous gifts to the Founder s Club, President s Council, Ambassadors of Song, and Tribute Gifts.
Page 3 A Stroll Down Memory Lane by Lew Gillespie, editor of Inside the Pride, 1991-1995 Five Years Ago The following events appeared on the chapter calendar: International Convention, June 27-July 4, Louisville; chorus performance at the Indiana Historical Society, July 4; chorus performance at the Carmel Gazebo, July 5; Cardinal Chord College, July 16-18, at Marion, Indiana; Harmony College, Director s College, August 1-8, St. Joseph, Missouri. Dustin Hall, VP Membership, wrote in his monthly column thanking the following people for their help with the afterglow after the annual show: Steve Cline who set up the drinks table and tended bar; Rich Treptow for being the emcee; Jerry Troxel, John McQuiston, Dave Bloomer and the Women s Auxiliary for all of their help in setting up sound, tables, etc. Hall went on to explain the numbers of chapter members participating in the annual show had declined this year. One of the reasons was due to the taping program, where a member must qualify on tape all of the show songs. Some members disqualified themselves because they did not want to sing on a tape recorder. The main purpose of the taping program is not to disqualify anyone but is used as a learning tool for the member to get up to speed on the songs. Hall concludes that, we are all performers... servants whose duty is to entertain our audience. Our joy comes from that fact, and it only makes sense that the better we are able to entertain, the better we will feel. (Material found in The Beat, July 2004, Vol. 35, Issue 7, R. Duane Henry, Editor). Ten Years Ago The chapter received sad news when long time chapter member, Dick Moyer, passed away after losing a ninemonth battle Chapter Historian Lew Gillespie with cancer. Dick Harvey, tenor in Moyer s quartet, The Sharpshooters, stated that, Dick had a great sense of humor and was the quartet treasurer and record keeper for the group. In the 13 years in which Dick was singing bass, the quartet traveled more than 200,000 miles and sang our signature squirrel song 647 times. Terry Silke, baritone in the quartet, summed it up this way, I know I can speak for Dick when I say The Sharpshooters meant a great deal to him. Dick was always ready and off the music in one week. You couldn t ask for anyone to be more dedicated than he was. Upcoming chapter events were: August 24, a family picnic to be held at the Indianapolis Indians baseball game at Victory Field where the chorus would sing The Star Spangled Banner before the game; September 3, Hyatt Regency, 90 th Infantry Division Reunion; September 16, Indiana Convention Center, Indiana Credit Union League; October 1-3, Cardinal District Fall Convention in Columbus, Indiana; and November 21, a chorus night with spouses/ girlfriends at the Boggstown Inn and Cabaret. (material taken from Inside The Pride, July, 1999, Vol. 30, Issue 7, Brad McAlexander, Editor). Calendar of Events Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention Anaheim, California June 28 July 5 Harmony Explosion Camp Indiana Wesleyan University Marion, Indiana July 8-10 Cardinal Chord College Indiana Wesleyan University Marion, Indiana July 10-12 Harmony University Missouri Western State University St. Joseph, Missouri July 26 August 2 Cardinal District Fall Convention and Contests Columbus, Indiana October 2-4 Circle City Sounds of the Season Ransburg Auditorium University of Indianapolis November 29, 3:00 pm Artsgarden Holiday Show Circle Centre Mall December 6, 3:30 pm For detailed information on all chapter performances check our weekly bulletin, SOUND BYTES or go to: www.circlecitysound.org and visit the Members Only section The newsletter deadline for the August issue of The Beat is July 23. Send articles to: jtroxel@ameritech.net
Page 4 Thanks from our Show Chairman Our Las Vegas show is now history. What a thrill to sing with such a great-sounding chorus! I've heard nothing but good comments about this year s show, and I want to thank all those who contributed. I'll start with one of the first items that of creating the flyer, done by Dave Fouts. George Houk and his team do the next bulwark by sending out the flyers to our patron list and handling ticket sales. Program ads and promotion of tickets were handled by Randy Freeman, Mark Lindgren and Steve King. Mark and Steve have not been with the chorus a year and have already pitched in to help. Terry Silke 2009 ANNUAL SHOW CHAIRMAN I ve heard nothing but good comments about this year s show Patrick McAlexander for picking up the piano bit (Liberace), when Scott Hutchison bailed out because he cut off part of his middle finger my gosh, Scott, you've got nine others! Thanks also to Brad McAlexander for writing our excellent script. Getting closer to show time, a couple of guys answered the call for adding a bit of color to our show. A big thanks to Jimmy Hinkle for his craftsmanship in building the Wheel of Fortune, the four aces, and the dice certainly a nice touch for a Vegas-themed show. Larry Tolle put together a wonderful slide show to accompany the American Trilogy and put the final touches on it the day before the show. Duane Henry has made a habit of spending his Memorial Day putting the program together. One of these years, you've got to find another activity for that weekend! John McQuistion and Dave Bloomer are annual contributors to the sound design. Steve Cline and Dustin Hall again handled the afterglow, with bartending assistance provided by Becky Cline, Kevin Cline, and Scott and Christy Hutchison. And who can forget the incredible performance by Phil Griggs as Elvis the first time I heard him at rehearsal, I thought it was a tape of the real Elvis! And thanks to Things some of you might not know: Rick ( I got left out of the program ) Mangas and I had a good time interacting with the audience at intermission to pick contestants for the Wheel. One of those selected was Craig Devine, who sang with the Indianapolis chorus more than 10 years ago. He was completely blown away by the sound our chorus and would love to come back, but just doesn't have the voice anymore. And the last week before our show, the ladies, led by Becky Cline, decorated the lobby in a Vegas style, served refreshments before the show and at intermission, and raffled off baskets of goodies. The McAlexanders want this raffle thing to continue every year, as I think Ann won three of the eight given away! Thanks to all of you men for getting costumed for our show, but mostly I want to commend you for the excellent singing it's never sounded better! Oh, and by the way, there's one more person to thank our director Garry Texeira, who probably has a little to do with the excellent singing. Ya think? And now, Thanks TO Our Show Chairman What do Robin Hood, Ruth Buzzi and the Rat Pack have in common, besides the initial letter R? The answer is simple: Terry Silke. Terry has been the chairman and mastermind of our past three annual shows, parading us first through Sherwood Forest (with the help of some dew ), then through the Laugh-In joke wall, and most recently through the Flamingo Lounge. It was all for the sake of fun, and our audiences benefitted greatly from some very creative and entertaining shows, that neither they nor we will soon forget. Without Terry, we would have never seen Jim Rosenau (Ruth Buzzi) beat the brains out of Ken Carlsen (the dirty old man), or hear Kermit Swenson say Let s have one for the bushes? or witness Elvis Presley reborn in our own Phil Griggs. Terry, you set out to provide entertaining shows at a highly creative level, and you succeeded admirably. On behalf of the chapter, I express our sincere gratitude for your contribution to our success through your leadership of our annual shows. Jerry Troxel, chapter president
Page 5 Annual Show 2009 Photos by Marti Carroll and Pam Troxel MC MC PT MC PT
Page 6 Gang Sing, With Quality! By Dave Gunther, editor Whittier Choralaires "SHOWCASE" Every week before chapter meeting, during the break, and after the meeting, a wonderful thing happens. Men get together and sing just for the fun of it. They aren t singing under the guidance of the director or because they are part of a program. They are singing for the joy of it. This type of singing often starts with a foursome and grows to include others gathered around. It is often called gang-singing. It s a form of self-indulgence that demonstrates our love for barbershop music. For all its merits, gang-singing does have some drawbacks. The vocal quality most often used when we gang-sing is what I call our default vocal quality. That means that is the norm, what is most often practiced, the way we do it out of habit. Default singing is the singing you do when you are in the shower, in the car or walking down the street, with your friends on chapter night. It is the singing you do when you are not thinking about vocal quality. Have you ever considered the vocal quality you use when you sing just for the fun of it? Try tape recording yourself sometime and listen in. You may be surprised to find that the notes are not very accurate, the vowel sounds are off, and the intervals may be slipsliding around. But then, this is just for fun. When you get on the risers, you won't sing that way. Right? What happens when we stand in front of people to sing? Do we remember all the right vocal techniques that our director has been working so hard to teach us, or do we revert to our default singing quality? When a real challenge comes upon us, we typically revert to what we have practiced most, because that is what is most deeply engraved in our minds. So how do we change our default vocal quality? To form a habit takes practice, but often we do not realize we are forming a habit. One day we wake up and say, I didn't realize I've been doing that! Whether we realize it or not, we need to take steps to practice good vocal techniques. Is this hard? No. It wasn't hard to practice bad habits, so practicing good habits can't be any harder. It just requires us to think before we sing. There are a number of things we can practice: intonation, vowel shapes and sounds, and using our faces while we sing. Lets start with intonation. Most of us have a pitchpipe. Take yours with you in the car. When you are driving to work or around town, or, especially on a trip, pull out the pipe and blow a pitch. Sing a major scale based on the pitch you blew. When you get to the top of the scale, blow the pitch again. Did you stay in the key? If not, do the exercise again. Repeat it as often as necessary until you end up on the right pitch. When you have that mastered, start from the top of the scale and come down. This is a little harder, but certainly not impossible. Remember to aim for the top of the pitch as you sing each note. Soon, you will find that you are staying in key with the pitchpipe. Do this exercise often. It will help you to develop the habit of singing in tune. You may even find that sometimes you end up on the high side of the pitch. That's great! Vowel shapes and sounds require some visual assistance. A mirror is the perfect tool, and mirrors come in all shapes and sizes. Use the big mirror in the bathroom if you want privacy. Use a small hand-held mirror if you are away from home, or place a small suction-cup mirror above your steering wheel in the car that you can glance at it while driving. You laugh, but that little mirror is exactly what I use to learn how to shape my vowels correctly. Hundreds of times you have seen our director demonstrate the vowel shapes he wants us to make. Now, just practice them in front of the mirror three times a week. You will be amazed how quickly you begin to form those shapes correctly. Watch your face. While you are working on the vowel shapes, you may find that if you raise your cheeks the vowel shapes are easier to do. It's no trick. It's just good vocal technique and it isn't hard, either. We all know that we can't smile broadly and sing good vowel shapes at the same time. What we can do is keep the cheeks raised. Just raising your cheeks gives your face a pleasant appearance even if you are not really smiling. Again, it's not a trick, just a habit. Use that mirror to practice smiling with your cheeks raised, mouth open in a EH vowel shape. Hold it for about 15 seconds, then relax. Do this exercise for about 5 minutes. Sure, your cheeks are going to feel sore after the first few times. But then, they aren't used to this kind of workout yet. After a while, it will become natural, and they will go to that raised position without complaining every time you sing. Earl Moon used to say that no barbershopper ever sang a wrong note on purpose. He sang it the way he thought he was supposed to. Earl also said that practice does not make perfect: it makes permanent. If we practice the correct things, they will become permanent, second nature, our default vocal quality. Then, when we gangsing, we will be doing it with quality. If we gang-sing with quality, we can't help but sing with quality when it really counts, on the show or in front of the judges.
Page 7 The Hardware We Will Win Is Not the Real Prize! Well, here we are reflecting back on another great annual show, and what a show it was! I couldn t wait to get to rehearsal the Monday night after the show to hear all the positive feedback. Wasn t it a thrill to witness the audience response after our final show Saturday night? We didn t even have to have the American flag coming down as a backdrop to get a standing ovation. Not only were we all moved by the audience response, but I think we moved a lot of people. That Monday night following the show attracted four guests who had attended the show. One gentleman brought his son and made the comment to all of us that what we do and how we do it is what he wanted his son to be mentored by. Wow!! That is what it is all about. The son and the other two young men also commented that this is where they wanted to practice their love of Steve Cline VP CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT...all the gold medals are nothing compared with bringing a young person into this wonderful hobby music!! I believe we were all moved by their comments. Garry mentioned that all the gold medals and trophies that one wins along the way are nothing compared with bringing a young person into this wonderful hobby and impacting his life in a positive manner through our music and mentoring fellowship. What young person do you know who you can bring to rehearsal on Monday night? Think about it, and make it happen. You will be glad you did! June Guests and New Members Circle City Sound enjoyed sharing the risers with seven guests in the month of June: Edric Mitchell, Steven Harris (guest of Bill Chisler), Greg Emmanuel (guest of Daniel Grant), Tyler Kniess (guest of Bill Chisler), Steve Kass, Bob Kendall, and Dave Hawkins (guest of Phil Griggs and Bob Whitacre). Also, Harold Mathews has been approved by the board for dual membership with Circle City Sound and the Seymour chapter. Welcome! July Birthdays 7/2 Jim Landers 7/7 John Krueger 7/3 Lew Gillespie 7/14 Scott Wiederoder 7/3 Phil Miller 7/22 Morrie Turner 7/5 Kevin Curry 7/28 Andrew Myer Membership Statistics Chapter members as of June 1, 2009: 91 Average member age: 58.5 Average years of service: 18.3 Number of active members: 58 (64%) How do you get two baritones to sing in perfect unison? Shoot one. What's the difference between a baritone and an onion? No one cries when you chop up a baritone. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get away from the baritone section rehearsal. What do you call a baritone with half a brain? Gifted. What's the difference between a lawn mower and a baritone? You can tune the lawn mower. How do you make a chain saw sound like a baritone? Add vibrato.
Page 8 The Sound Corner by Brad McAlexander Steve King is one of the many new singers who have joined our ranks in the past several months. Although new to us, he isn t new to barbershop, because he had been a member of C o l u m b u s - G r e e n w o o d s Chordlighters before deciding to join our new and improved lead section. Although he was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, (the birthplace of our Society), Steve grew up in Shelbyville, where he played the tenor and alto saxes in the school band. Like many of us, his love and talent for music was fostered at home, as his mother played the organ and piano, as well as the saxophone. During his first two years at Purdue University, he continued his music career, but he put music on hold for the last two years while he finished his bachelor s degree in Agricultural Engineering. After graduation, Steve worked for Ralston Purina in Louisville, Kentucky, and Clinton, Iowa. He returned to Indiana after five years to take a position with Central Soya in Indianapolis. Less than two years later, though, he began working for Indiana Fan, a fabrication company that produces custom sheet metal, as well as cooling and exhaust systems, as a sales engineer; thirtytwo years later, Steve is still with Indiana Fan. About 11 years ago, Steve attended a Chordlighters show, and was surprised when he saw someone he knew on stage. This led to a conversation and an invitation to a rehearsal. Like many of our own experiences, Steve was hooked and his barbershop career began. That barbershop career started with Steve as a baritone with the Chordlighters, but he soon switched to lead, and he has sung that part ever since. When he decided to come to our chorus, he almost immediately became a major voice in the section. His five years of quartet experience and his own natural confidence have quickly made him an integral part of our lead section. Outside of singing, Steve has enjoyed some other interesting hobbies over the years. There was a time when he and his family were avid snow skiers. Then Steve channeled his love of aviation by flying radiocontrolled model planes. Most recently, however, he has focused on working on two antique cars, a 1937 Buick and a 1971 Beetle convertible. As a matter of fact, if you see a 1930s era vehicle on the road, it s probably Steve behind the wheel, because he drives it around quite a bit. Steve will tell you that our 2009 annual show was a great experience, and for him it justified his decision to join our chapter after so many years with Columbus- Greenwood. Along with the 2006 International Convention, just being a part of our chorus is one of his barbershop highlights! NEWS OF OUR MEMBERS Dawson James Texeira was born to Garry and Ashley Texe ira o n Wednesday, June 3. He weighed 7 lbs 12 ounces. Congratulations to the new parents! Daniel Grant tried out for American Idol in their Chicago auditions. Alas, it wasn t meant to be. Maybe next year? Andrew Myer was honored as the CCS Barbershopper of the Month for May 2009, for enthusiastically stepping in to direct our Artsgarden performance. Congratulations to Gene and Marcea Schwilke on the latest addition to their family. Madoc Arthur Schwilke was born Monday, June 8, weighing 6 lbs. 4 oz. Oscar and Jasper are excited to welcome their new brother. Randy Freeman, Larry Klein and Jerry Troxel were featured in an article on indystar.com, giving their reactions to the movie American Harmony, and giving the readers some insights into the Barbershop quartet competition scene.
Page 9 Why is it that as we grow older we sometimes become resistant to change? You would think that we would somehow recognize that life is a series of one change after another. Due to the fact that we constantly have to change, you d think that it would get easier and we would come to expect and even accept change. No, it just gets harder to deal with, and we resist it, and some even resent it. They say things like we ve never done it like that before or can t we just leave things the way they are? Things, they are a-changin' The truth of the matter is that things are going to change whether we want them to or not. Well then, why bother trying to preserve this style of music you ask? That s a valid question. I m not going to try to answer it here today. I m just going to say, change is inevitable. Just get used to it! Sometimes change can be a very good thing. Take the changes that have happened to Circle City Sound over the past year or so. It s not that things were bad or that we were not having any fun or that we were not on the right track. I ve been an active member of the chorus for awhile now, and I would have dropped out if the chorus had been all that bad. We are just having a different kind of fun today. I m getting goose bumps a lot more often while we are singing. I love hearing the kind of comments that were made at our last rehearsal. I agree with Garry that every performance should be as important as our participation at District. The sound that we are making right now is something that I can get really excited about selling to the public. Randy Freeman VP PR & MARKETING I m just going to say, change is inevitable.. As your marketing team begins to gel and work together over the next few months, you can expect some more change. We want to increase our visibility in Indianapolis. If we are able to effect the change that we are hoping to, we will be asking you to sign up for more and more sing outs. Get ready to say Yes a lot! Make sure that you are keeping your new chorus shirt cleaned and ready to go for the next sing out. Keep your tuxes in good shape and ready to wear at a moment s notice. Tell your wife that you want to do all you can for the chapter, but don t put your marriage at risk. Just do your best to be at as many sing outs as possible. Change your socks, change your underwear, and change your deodorant, but most importantly change your thinking. Start thinking bigger and let yourself become comfortable thinking about the changes that still lie ahead. Winners search for challenges. security. Losers search for THE SONGS WE SING: You Tell Me Your Dream Our Barberpole Cat of the Month, You Tell Me Your Dream, was written in 1899, with music by Charles Daniels, and lyrics by Seymour Rice and Albert Brown. This song, often called I Had a Dream, Dear, is still a close-harmony favorite after over 100 years. Very little is known about the writers, except that Daniels came from Leavenworth, Kansas, but they were probably vaudeville performers and most certainly composed music for other performers as well. Charles Daniels composed most of his songs under the pseudonym Neil Moret, and these include Mickey, Moonlight and Roses, Chloe and many others. It is interesting to note that this tremendously popular song was written by three composers who never again collaborated on another song equal to its success. Source: Heritage of Harmony Songbook, edited by Burt Szabo, p. 212.
Page 10 Live, from the Flamingo Lounge - photos by Talitha Hilderbrand Smilin Through Lunch Break Timeless Circl e Cit y S ou n d www.circlecitysound.org Jerry E. Troxel, Editor 129 Yorkshire Blvd. E Indianapolis, IN 46229 WANTED: Men who love to sing! Circle City Sound meets every Monday at 7:00 pm at Christ Lutheran Church 345 N. Kitley Ave. Indianapolis, Indiana 46219 Guests are always welcome!