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 My trip to Indy
By
John Hayden, Director
Tom Harrington loaded up our cars
and headed to Indianapolis on Wednesday afternoon. At the last
minute I had decided to take my 5-year-old, Carter, with us
on the trip. My whole family was going to make the trip, but a
family wedding stepped in the way. I thought this would be a great
chance to introduce Carter to the world of barbershop competition
feet first!! I knew I wouldn't be able to attend every session in
its' entirety, stay at late night sessions, or attend chordatoriums,
but I knew I had many future conventions to take all that in. This
was my seventh international convention.
I've attended
three as a quartet competitor with Sound Legacy and been to four as
a casual observer. The highest my quartet ever placed was 22nd (one
spot out of mike testing for the semi finals.....or as my baritone
called it...." the first name NOT called"!) Competing at
international is an amazing experience, but attending is also a
blast.
It was really great being down there with other
guys from the Hawks, although some of them we didn't see very often
(cough, cough....Dean and Nancy Beckman). When I finally
caught up with Dean he "claimed" he had been in meetings all week. I
think he and Nancy would go into hiding when Tom, Carter and I would
approach. I finally had to say...."hey Dean, I was just kidding
about making you baby-sit so I could attend late night tag
sessions!!!!" After that, we seemed to see them
everywhere.......weird.
The quartets and choruses are truly
amazing and fun to watch. Many choruses are at a far superior level
to the Harmony Hawks, and frankly, some of them would have a hard
time keeping up in the Central States. Having every district
represented makes for some rather average choruses slipping in
there, but I don't suppose that policy will change anytime soon!
Truly, most all of the choruses are super. They really are shining
examples to the rest of us about what a chorus can strive
for.
Even if a chorus chooses a less competitive route,
there are things to be learned from the big boys. I went to a panel
question and answer session with many of the directors from the
country's best choruses. The Masters of Harmony, Westminster
Chorus, Midwest Vocal Express, Ambassador's of Harmony, and the
Alliance Chorus were all represented. The questions that were
asked all basically were answered with similar theme. That theme was
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single thing you do in your organization
needs to promote better singing. Admittedly these choruses are more
of a competition, rehearsal based organization. The answer to the
question about "What other things go on at rehearsal besides
rehearsing?" was one of ...."In our area, there are plenty of
chapters they can go sing with if they are looking for more of a
"chapter meeting" than a rehearsal.
I think perhaps that is
where these choruses are in stark contrast with many of the choruses
in our country. These choruses are competitive in nature. When
people walk in the door to audition, they know exactly what is going
to be expected of them and they are there for that very reason. In
the majority of our society choruses we (collectively) are very
concerned with two main points. First off, membership recruitment
and retention at all expenses and number two making our choruses a
place where everyone can find something to enjoy. With the great
choruses neither one of these are issues. Don't get me wrong, great
choruses DO have to recruit and also need to retain members (or do
more recruiting). But often times, the success of the chorus is what
does most of the recruiting for them.
The second main point also isn't a major
problem because everyone who shows up and joins these choruses
basically want the same thing; to sing with an amazing and
competitive chorus. They can socialize, sing tags and have a beer
later. For their one night out, they want to be transcended and have
an aesthetic experience at rehearsal that they know won't happen if
they stay home. They show up to sing, sing, sing. Let all else fall
to the wayside.
Through this mindset, there is no wavering as to
the mission of the chorus. Everyone knows what the end product is to
yield and everyone knows what has to happen to get there. Something
to think about!
I would like to echo and expand upon a
comment made by Jim Henry that I alluded to in the paragraph
above. I believe in the following theory as a director and as
husband and father.
He stated that perhaps 30 years ago women
made sure the kids were taken care of and men spent many, many
nights away from home during the week for a variety of social and
business reasons. In 2006 men have a greater role to play in our
families. For a guy to leave his family one night a week, first of
all it better be worth it, and second of all, he doesn't want to do
it for purely social reasons. Regardless
Hayden continued on page 5
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