|
Page 4 InCider Press August 2009 |
|
On Saturday, August 22nd, we have our retreat at Rock Springs with famed barbershop harmony specialist Jim Bagby as guest clinician! Jim has worked with us before, so we know how he helps us improve in many ways. Above all, we appreciate Jim spending a full day working with us. When we invest our time for an extended work session of several hours, and when Director Ken Lang joins Clinician Jim in working with the Little Apple Chorus and with several of our quartets, I know that every individual Member will gain much from the experience. Having the time to sing throughout a single day contributes much more to acquiring skills than the same time split over several weeks!! (Ask me about the research on this...) A note of caution: Each of us can profit best from this experience by practicing our songs each day or every other day from now until the 22nd. With this practice we will help our vocal apparatus gain the strength and muscle tone to sing a lot during an entire day. And our accuracy of pitch, quality of tone and mastery of words will improve. If we come ready to jump into an entire day of work and fun, it will lift our spirits, too. It's a win-win situation for all of us! Our upcoming performances (contest, holiday concert, Valentines, annual show, etc.) will demonstrate our improved skills. We did a fine job at the recent D-Day performance and the Arts in the Park performance with the city band. But the voice quality and our mastery of songs loses or gains after these performances according to how our skills grow every week (or NOT! - as I experienced poor skills after two weeks of travel with no singing earlier this summer). On the 22nd our guests (wives and others) will get to hear us sing our Central States District Contest numbers in late afternoon. Let's all welcome them and do whatever we can to show how much we appreciate their support. They will join us for a pleasant evening meal at Rock Springs following the day's retreat. See you there! |
|
A day with Jim Bagby at Rock Springs By Loren Alexander |
|
Are we ready for a change? By Dave Fink |
|
A report on Chuck Green’s Work Shop “It won't be the richest, or the largest, or the youngest barbershop chapters, or the best singing, or the smartest, most experienced or most determined who survive and thrive -- it will be those who correctly adapt to the changing context of their time." I wasn't sure how to even start to describe this fast paced, day-long workshop of 138 members, including 13 of our own. I tried to absorb and digest as much as possible during the meeting, but, went into overload at the ten minute mark. This all has to do with the fact that our North American social context has changed. Life has sped up and current generations are looking for the "best value" for their discretionary time. Instead of a fun pastime, men now seek time-efficiency -- opportunities to be creative, learn new skills, be energized by diversity, enjoy variety, be appreciated for their talents, have a voice in transforming society for the better -- all with fun interwoven. It amounts to this-our potential for growth and a future for BHS - the new members-are no longer satisfied by hanging around ringing chords with a bunch of (usually older) other guys. Their free time is limited as never before (either by themselves or others) and they won't join something that's not fun and fulfilling. If we are to survive we must change our way of "doing business". Ambitious - yes, thought provoking - for sure, a challenge - without a doubt, impossible - only if we let it be. Chuck Greene gave us more answers than we had time to ask questions for. I had time on several occasions to pick his brain further. He still had the answers. Are we ready for a change? Are we ready to maintain our numbers or grow? Well, we're gonna hav' ta start doin' stuff different! ♪ |
|
There was a hound dog laying in the yard and an old geezer in overalls was sitting on the porch. "Excuse me, sir, but does your dog bite?" the tourist asked. The old man looked up over his newspaper and replied, "Nope.." As soon as the tourist stepped out of his car, the dog began snarling and growling, and then attacked both his arms and legs. As the tourist flailed around in the dust, he yelled, "I thought you said your dog didn't bite!" The old man muttered, "Ain't my dog." |
|
I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes. · There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. · All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. |
