2012 Music Makes a Difference
Music Education Grant Recipients Announced!

The kindergarten music class at Lakeview Design Center paying close attention to music educator Kim Folsom

Franklin Willis directing his choir kids at Oliver Middle School

Congratulations to this year's grant recipients:

• Lakeview Design Center
• Oliver Middle School

Current funding limits us to offering only two grants, but Nashville Singers remains committed to East Literature Magnet School and is exploring a way to lend other assistance.  

East Literature Magnet School desperately needs an electronic keyboard. The classroom needs a new coat of paint and new carpeting. They also need some sound proofing foam paneling installed at one end of their classroom so the choir can actually SING in the largest area of the choir room.   

If you are in a position to help East Literature Magnet School with either funding or materials, please contact Todd Wilson right away.  

Quote of the Week       

Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. - Helen Keller


 

The Suntones Present a Stirring
Final Public Performance   

Photo by Corina Ervin

After a career spanning over five decades, the Suntones presented their final public concert on Saturday night at "A Show of Champions" at Lee University's Conn Center in Cleveland, Tennessee.  

Their 40-minute set included gems like After You've Gone, Hospitality, If You Can't Tell the World She's a Good Little Girl, Emaline, Finian's Rainbow, Watch What Happens, Lollipops and Roses, Old Black Magic, Danny Boy (with guest soloist Bruce Cokeroft) and closed with their signature contest winner Bye Bye Blues. After almost two minutes of thunderous applause they returned to the stage for an encore. They chose the touching love 

Four Voices

song They Didn't Believe Me, and dedicated it to wives Iris Cokeroft, Sue Franklin, Sandy Wilson, and Jennifer Wilson seated on the front row.  The event also included a five minute video highlighting the career of the quartet and a proclamation from the Tennessee

Legislature read to the crowd of 500 attendees by Chad Guyton. 

Quartet champions Four Voices and Vocal Spectrum also wowed the audience in gold medal style. Other performers included the current Silver Medalist College Quartet, The Vigilantes and the Sound of Tennessee chorus.

Vocal Spectrum

The cast party included performances by Four Voices, Vocal Spectrum, The Vigilantes, and a surprise set by Nashville Singers.   

Advisory Board Member Profile

Craig Adams currently serves as Creative Director for LifeWay Worship in Nashville, TN. With more than 25years of experience as a 5-time Dove Award-winning producer and arranger, Craig's sphere of influence within the Christian music industry has become far-reaching. He is a professional member of the National Music Publishers Association and Gospel Music Association.

A published producer, songwriter, arranger, orchestrator and musician, Adams' work has contributed to the success and ministry of such notable names as Sandi Patty, Steve Green, Sonic Flood, FFH, Margaret Becker, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Christ Church Choir, David M. Edwards, Maranatha Music, The Imperials, The Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet, Miss Patty Cake, Word Records, Kingsway Music, Fervent Records, Autumn Records, Indelible Media Group, Brentwood Records, Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Discovery House Music, Pacific Grove Productions, Lari Goss, Greg Nelson, Phillip Keveren, Discovery House Music, David T. Clydesdale, Camp Kirkland, Dennis and Nan Allen, Russell Mauldin, Geron Davis, Phillip Keveren, and countless others. Craig has also been commissioned to contribute literary content for noteworthy publications, Worship Leader Magazine, Let's Worship Magazine and Broadman and Holman's Worship Bible. He has also served on the adjunct faculty of the Music Business degree program at Trevecca Nazarene University.

Having served over 25 years in church music ministry and worship leadership, Craig has a fiery passion for creating resources for worship ministry resource for the Church. It is this role in local church ministry that fueled his efforts as Creative Director for Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing for nearly six years and continues to motivate him in his current role at LifeWay.

Craig resides in Franklin, TN with his wife, Deanna, and 2 children, Madeline and Hayden. Living nearby is Craig's father- veteran publisher, song/hymn writer, Steve Adams. Craig enjoys travel, tennis, church softball and backyard grill-outs with his family and church friends on a regular basis.

Video of the Week       

Nick McKaig performs the Star Wars Main Title Theme (Vocal Cover)

Two Sets of Fathers & Sons Making Music       

(L to R) Todd Wilson, Harlan Wilson, Gene Cokeroft, and Bruce Cokeroft

Venue Search Committee Continues Search -   Suggestions Welcomed

Nashville Singers President/Board Chair Sloan Yarborough formed this committee several weeks ago to locate an ideal venue for our 2012 Season of Harmony Concert. Several option have been suggested but we are now expanding our search to include recommendations from subscribers to our weekly newsletter.

Desired attributes:

• Available on November 16th for a dress rehearsal and the 17th for the concert.
• Appropriate size (400-600 seats)
• Adequate stage (18' wide, 12-15' deep)  
• Curtain
• Back-lit scrim
• One or more big screens for use with LCD projector 
• Adequate parking
• Multiple dressing rooms
• Reasonable rental cost ($500-$750 turnkey)  
• Included lighting and sound 
• Central location
• Friendly staff
• Adequate lobby area for box office and merchandising
• Controlled traffic flow (Not too many entrances or exits)

If you know of a venue that meets a majority of the attributes described above, please contact Sloan Yarborough right away. We desire to finalize our venue by May 31, 2012. 

This Day in Music      

 

May 21, 1977 - Stevie Wonder started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with his tribute to Duke Ellington, 'Sir Duke', his sixth US No.1, it made No.2 in the UK.