LiveWire 3-7-13: Society publishes ground-breaking book on directing, "Visions of Excellence"; also read about Toronto, Long Beach, Harmony U and more!

Music City Chorus, Nashville, TN - 7th Place in 2012

March 7, 2013

LiveWire Covers the Latest Activities

of the Barbershop Harmony Society

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In This Issue

Society Releases First-ever Book: Visions of Excellence

Toronto-Bound? Passport Day in USA March 9

Director Scholarships at HU

Long Beach Midwinter Convention

Grammy Awards to Give Music Educator Honors

Chicago Regional Harmony Sweeptstakes

Barbershop Recordings Nominated for Awards

North Carolina Harmony Brigade Scholarships

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Visions of Excellence:

First-ever published book

from the Barbershop

Harmony Society

We are happy to introduce to you a very special, newly-released resource, just completed by the Society's Chorus Director Development Committee, entitled Visions of Excellence. This 171-page book describes how 25 of the Society's most successful directors led their choruses to excellence -- and it can help anyone learn how to be a more effective, dynamic director. Forget pep talks and warm fuzzies - this book is brimming with PRACTICAL details.

Learn more about the book, listen to interviews by top Society directors, and even watch a video of the great Jim Miller, click HERE. And, if you feel so inclined, help us spread the word about this fantastic resource to directors even outside barbershop.

Three years in the making, it is a book that directors will refer to over and over. Purchase your own copy and/or or a copy for someone else -- for only $19.99 HERE.

Passport Day in the

U.S.A. This Weekend -

Saturday, March 9

Celebrate our 75th Anniversary! Catch up with friends! Meet new tagging buddies! Enjoy all the contests! Check out Toronto and the surrounding area! So many reasons to attend the 75th Annual International Barbershop Harmony Convention, June 30 - July 7.

Take advantage of Passport Day in the U.S.A. Click HERE.

Another crazy reason to go to Toronto:

Enjoy beaver tail - it tastes like chicken!

PLUS:

It's our 75th Anniversary Celebration and there's lots of cool stuff in store - historic displays and more!
Ringmasters, Lemon Squeezy, Chiefs of Staff performances
Quartet, Collegiate and Chorus Competitions: You never know what's going to happen onstage, especially in the chorus contest!
Harmony Jamboree: Thursday, July 4. Click HERE for tickets!

PASSPORT INFORMATION:

Here are some additional links to help you: Minors...Enhanced Driver's Licenses (Michigan, New York, Vermont)

American Airlines -- 5% discount on air fares. Use code 3263DR.

Check out more about Toronto HERE. Register HERE now!

Make room reservations HERE or call 1-877-882-1469

(Monday - Friday, 10 am to 8 pm Eastern)

Spotlight on 2013

Harmony University Faculty

(Note: Registration Fee Increases March 15)

Brent Graham, Interpretation & Quartet Coach:

A Society member since 1978, a certified international interpretation and music judge, a Master Director with multiple district medals and a Sweet Adelines Int'l top ten finish,

and a three-time international quartet finalist.

Read more about Brent HERE.

SCHOLARSHIPS!

NOW IS THE TIME to get your applications in for a Director's College Scholarship! if you have NEVER received a Harmony Foundation sponsored scholarship, or haven't received one since 2007, you are eligible! Applications are due by April 1. Click HERE for all the details you need. Please read and submit carefully! We have a limited number of scholarships this year, so HURRY!

CHORUSES: Save big! Bring TWELVE or more members from your chorus, and get a $560 per-attendee group rate on the most intense and effective barbershop education available anywhere on the planet! This curriculum caters to the needs of the chorus, with the option of receiving coaching all day or classes and coaching each day.

INDIVIDUALS: If you have attended Harmony University one or more the past five years, bring another member who has NOT attended in the past five years, and we'll knock $100 off your registration. Deadline to register for this special is June 30. (Note: the "brought" will identify the "bringer").

Click HERE for more information and to register.

Long Beach Midwinter

Registration Now Open

Because of the huge interest created by the very successful 6th Annual International Barbershop Youth Festival in Orlando, we've opened registration early for Long Beach, California, scheduled for January 28 - Feb. 1, 2014. Learn more and register HERE.

The Grammy Awards New Category:

Music Educator Award

For every performer who makes it to the GRAMMY stage, there was a teacher who played a critical role in getting them there. And really, that's true for all of us who are making music today. Who was the teacher that inspired you? Perhaps helped you get over your stage fright? Maybe a teacher that helped your children or grandchildren? Maybe it's your own chorus director!

It's time to say thank you to ALL of those teachers who put in all of those hours to make sure that all of us love music today! And who better to do that than the people who bring you the GRAMMY Awards?

This is open to teachers in either public or private schools (not private coaches). If you would like to thank your special teacher, or you ARE a teacher (don't be shy), please click HERE for more information and to find out about eligibility. And, once your nomination has been made, please be sure to send it to Society Headquarters HERE so we can recognize that wonderful person as well!

Good luck! And thanks to the Grammy Awards for recognizing teachers!

Chicago Regional

Harmony Sweepstakes

March 9, 2013

Our own Rooftop Rhythm, Champions of the 2012 Chicago Regional Harmony Sweepstakes, will host this year's contest in which or own quartet, Vocality will compete, Saturday March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL. If you're in the area, go cheer them on!

See more details and purchase tickets HERE.

The Contemporary a Cappella Society

of America (CASA) Announces Nominees

For CARA Recording Awards

CASA has announced the following Contemporary a Cappella Recording Awards nominations in the barbershop categories:

Best Barbershop Album

Birds Gotta Fly by Showcase

Colorado My Home by Sound of the Rockies

Nice & Easy by Masterpiece Quartet

Best Barbershop Song

"Ebb Tide" on Higher by Tim Waurick

"If I Had My Way" on Birds Gotta Fly by Showcase

"Save the Bones for Henry Jones" on Love Bein' Here by Average Joes

"Stormy Weather" on Nice & Easy by Masterpiece Quartet

For more information click HERE.

Good luck to all! We are proud of you!

North Carolina

Harmony Brigade

Scholarships Offered

The North Carolina Harmony Brigade is offering ten full scholarships to qualified men ages 18 to 28 for its eXtreme Quartetting Convention in Pinehurst, NC in January, 2014. This experience is for highly motivated, competent vocalists who have music and vocal training and/or qualified performance experience. Application deadline is June 30, 2013; references are required. You'll enjoy a resort weekend of wall-to-wall singing, and receive full learning materials in advance. To read more and apply please click HERE.