Follow us on TwitterView our videos on YouTube
Like us on FacebookMay 15
, 2014Visit our blog
Past issues: bit.ly/livewirearchive 
 
 

This week in barbershop
Vegas weekend pass on sale Friday!
Win a FREE Vegas hotel room upgrade!
Musical Island Boys garner Pacific award
Vegas means Harmony U?
Dig the handsome new look for music pubs
What does the Best Seat feel like?
Get findable on our new Chapter Map
Tell the world what fun really means
Poll of the week
Chapter filings due
Advertise on the big screens at Las Vegas
Devine departs Foundation
Support FAQ handles common questions
TWO WEEK SALE!
Purchase a weekend pass in Vegas for 99 bucks! 

Some folks have been waiting on the sidelines to commit to attending the convention in Las Vegas. Maybe you were waiting for your job schedule to settle in. Maybe you've been balancing the time and expense, and just couldn't push it over the top.

 

You know you want to be there. You know that the contests will be epic beyond words. You may even suspect that the Saturday Night Spectacular will be even more spectacular than before. (Hint: YES!)

 

Time to get in the game. This is the deal of all deals, but it ends May 31, 2014.

 

From May 15-May 31you can purchase a special weekend pass for just $99, a savings of $31 over standard day pass rates, and of $130 over a full-price, full-week registration.

 

This special package includes the chorus contest on Friday, the Saturday Spectacular, and the quartet finals Saturday night. Put this together with a reasonably priced room at the MGM Grand (some room types still available!), and you've got a great barbershop weekend vacation.

 

We're also pleased to announce these other registration rates, opening in June:

 

Full Price Day Passes  

$65 per day 
On sale 6/1/2014 - 7/5/2014

 

Nevada residents only -- proof of residency required

$20 Nevada Resident Day Pass

On sale 6/1/2014 - 7/5/2014

 

(Add applicable ticketing fees for all orders.)

 

Order now - www.barbershopconvention.com/vegas



Win A Room Upgrade in VEGAS!!

 

Going to Vegas and want a little more space? Longing to live in the lap of luxury? Be sure to check out our current video contest. We're giving away FREE MGM ROOM UPGRADES! All you have to do is make a video about why you're going to the 2014 International Convention in Las Vegas!

So far, we've heard poems, songs, duets, intrachapter smackdowns, and we're only a week into the contest!
  
What are we looking for? We want you to tell us why your chorus or quartet is going to Vegas, and we want to see every one of you. Literally, having every one of your chorus or quartet members in the video would be awesome.

Record during rehearsal, record while you're singing, record at the afterglow, record on a boat. We don't care! Just tell us why you're going!

 

Winners will be selected a variety of ways.  You could expect anything from random draw, to most views on YouTube, to most Facebook likes or shares, and more!
Musical Island Boys named Pacific most promising new artist
 
Although Barbershoppers think that multi-silver medalists Musical Island Boys are a big deal, it's nice to see that a more commercial audience agrees also. The quartet just picked up the Phillip Fuemana Award for Most Promising Artist at the 10th annual Vodafone Pacific Music Awards.

LESS SITTING , MORE SINGING!
Harmony University at Las Vegas

Las Vegas 2014 logo  

Your convention experience can be whatever you choose to make it. Sing all you can, with AHSOW, the Harmony Platoon, at afterglows, or in the great slate of Harmony University classes we've lined up for you. Learn to be a better singer, a better performer, or a better chapter leader.


Tuesday, July 1

  • Woodshedding for the Uninitiated! - Paul Olguin
  • Reading Session - Adam Scott
  • Becoming an Optimal Resonating Instrument for Accuracy! - Debra Lynn
  • Using Social Media for Ensembles - Becca Grimmer
  • Copyright 101 - Janice Bane


Saturday, July 5

  • Reading Session - Adam Scott
  • Never Too Old to Sing Your Best - Steve Scott
  • Comedy Quartet Hour - FRED, Storm Front, Lunch Break
  • Strategies for Success: Voices of Gotham
  • MEGA SING!
  • Successful Stories from Successful Chapters
  • Bridging the Gap - Westminster Chorus
  • Gold Medal Hour Master class - Masterpiece
  • Directors Roundtable Discussion
  • Coaching Under Glass
  • Copyright 101 - Janice Bane
Music publications sport a new look

Coinciding with a new distribution deal with Hal Leonard, the Society's music publishing program has announced a dramatic new look for new titles being released this year. The new sleeve will give the music better shelf appeal in retail locations and online catalogs, and provide better protection against wear and tear. Hats off to Eddie Holt of the headquarters staff for the clean and engaging new look.
What's it like to have the Best Seat in the House? Ask Len. 

You've read before about this great way to see all the action from in front of the front row.

 

Now, find out what the experience was like from Best Seat winner Len Clements, Sr. Or, jump in to the auction yourself at www.bestseat.org

 

A week or so before my 75th birthday and approaching my 56th year as a member of the Oshawa Chapter, I was made aware that my beautiful wife, Carol, had been bidding on the Best Seat In The House Auction for me and won!

Bidding for the Best Seat in the House begins a couple of weeks prior to the District Convention. You can bid on one or all of the Contests, Friday night Quartet Semi-Finals, Chorus Contest or Saturday night Quartet Finals. Within each Contest you can choose between three categories, Singing, Music or Presentation. Her winning bid allowed me to judge at the Friday night Quartet Semi-Finals in the Presentation category. I studied up as much as possible to get a good grasp on this category.

 

I arrived early to meet the Chairman and Judges and become familiar with my part in this contest. They had a chair ready for me at the big table, dead centre, looking up at the microphone. They gave me a scoring sheet and treated me with such respect and consideration. My responsibility was to watch and listen, note comments on the score sheet, then assign a number and hand the form to the Chairman.

 

Following the announcement of the quartets who qualified for the Saturday Night Finals, I joined the Judges in their suite for food and drinks. Not being allowed to discuss the position of the finalists, we reviewed the scores of the eliminated groups. My role was to keep all of the information confidential, and while they tallied my scores, none of those were included in the totals.

 

This was the opportunity of a lifetime for me. God bless you Carol! I would heartily recommend this program. It not only gives you the opportunity to see "behind the scenes" but your bid also supports Harmony Foundation (or for Canadians, Sing Canada) to ensure the music that brings such joy to your life will also enrich the lives of others!

Get findable on our new Chapter Map
 
Headquarters is excited to announce that we will be debuting an interactive Google Map for our Chapter Search pages on eBiz. Your chapter's meeting location will be plotted on the map along with meeting times, etc.

Of course, you wouldn't want guests to show up at a meeting site you left three years ago, would you? Now would be a good time to make sure that your chapter's data is correct.


All current Chapter officers have the ability to edit Chapter information in eBiz. Visit ebiz.barbershop.org and navigate to your Chapter's page using the "My Memberships" menu item to make changes. Please note that there are separate fields for Meeting Address and Mailing Address.


We will be launching this map soon, so act now !

Harmonizer banner
You say your chapter is fun? Tell everyone, in The Harmonizer 

 

What puts a smile on your face and keeps you coming back every week? The way you run chapter meetings? How you reach out to your community? Getting together with other chapters?


The July/August issue of The Harmonizer is going to be all about FUN - and we'd love to feature your chapter.


Tell us in 300 words or less by JUNE 10 and we just may publish it in the next issue of The Harmonizer. Even better if you send pictures! Send text (email or Word doc) and pictures (JPEGs - the originals, in the form they left the camera) to [email protected].

POLL OF THE WEEK

Chapter filings due now

 

Chapter Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers, it is VITAL that you take the time to complete your IRS Form 990n, and submit that proof to the Society.

 

All U.S. chapters, districts and subsidiaries (Brigades, etc.) must report to the IRS by May 15th each year.

 

The IRS is now requiring ALL non-profits, regardless of size, to file an annual return. This is done by using one of the following:

  • Form 990-N (electronic filing only-not a paper form) for organizations with gross receipts of $50,000 or less

  • Form 990-EZ for organizations with gross receipts less than $200,000

  • Form 990

Failure to file timely can result in either financial penalties for each day a return is late or loss of non-profit status or both.

 

Loss of non-profit status would cause all receipts to become taxable. Please ensure that the appropriate filing is sent to the IRS by May 15th.

 

990 filing
Watch the video for step-by-step instructions.
 

 

Advertise on the big screens at Las Vegas
Harmony Inc. ad 2013
Greeting? CD to sell? Shout-out? Say it to the world!
 
Want to advertise your show? Want to sell your new CD? Want to market yourself to more than 7,000 rabid barbershop fans??

 

Purchase an ad in the Las Vegas Convention Program or on the Big Screens. Spots are filling up fast so get yours in now! Big Screen ads are guaranteed to run at least once per session (and usually run more often), and program ads will be in the hands of every attendee. The deadline is approaching, so now is the time to get in on this opportunity

 
Sean Devine departs Foundation for new venture

 

It is certainly with mixed emotions that I announce that Sean Devine is stepping away from his role as Director of Development with Harmony Foundation effective May 16, 2014. He will remain in the Harrisburg/Hershey, Pa. area and utilize the considerable professional experiences he has had to embark on a career providing training and development expertise to local businesses and executives.

 

Sean joined the Harmony Foundation staff in July 2008. He was the first of a development team ramp-up that has redefined the organization as one energized by bold, championship efforts. He has represented us in several regions during that time. Sean has worked with characteristic passion to engage hundreds of people in the life-changing experience of singing and to enlist fellow Barbershoppers to support this vision financially. He is a product of our shared story.

 

Probably the only good in this change is that we all know that we will see Sean's face and hear his voice among us for a long time to come. We also know that he will continue to foster a healthy future for the Society together with a vibrant Foundation.

 

Thank you, Sean, for who you are and all you have done and will continue to do for the cause of singing. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, staff colleagues and friends throughout Harmony Foundation, we wish you great success as you begin this new chapter.

 

No active search is being conducted for an immediate replacement for this position. Several options are being considered on how best to continue the growth and success of the Foundation.

 

Clarke Caldwell

President and CEO

Harmony Foundation International

HELP US HELP YOU

Support FAQ handles common questions

 

The Customer Service Center at Harmony Hall offers a single point of contact for all your needs: merchandise orders, membership renewals, music requests, and more. Unsurprisingly, team members find themselves answering many of the same questions repeatedly.

 

Now, you can find many of these same answers for yourself, in the new Customer Service Support FAQ.

 

You'll find answers to questions ranging from "What is the difference between the Society's Published and Unpublished catalogs?" to "Where can I get a Certificate of Insurance?"

 

Self-service saves time and allows staff to help solve more complex problems for members. Check it out: www.barbershop.org/support