C i r c l e C i ty S o u n d THEBEAT Published monthly by the Greater Indianapolis, Indiana, Chapter of the Cardinal District of the June 2008 Volume 39, Issue 6 Circle City Sound’s mission is to perform with excellence in the barbershop style and encourage singing within the community, because we believe that singing enhances life. Indy Members Sing for Life! by Jerry Troxel, editor of The BEAT On Saturday, May 10, ten Circle City Sound members joined a throng of Barbershoppers worldwide to participate in “Singing for Life,” a combination blood drive and promotional opportunity for the Barbershop Harmony Society. CCS President Jim Rosenau organized the local event, held at the Indiana Blood Center, East. Assembling at 10:00 a.m. on that Saturday morning, dressed in our blood red shirts for the occasion, were (as pictured above right, left to right): Bruce Bellen, Brad McAlexander, Jerry Troxel, Scott Wiederoder, Duane Henry, John McQuistion, Steve Grimes, Ken Carlsen, Patrick McAlexander, and Jim Rosenau. —photos submitted by Jim Rosenau We sang every chorus and polecat song that we knew (thanks, Steve Grimes, our only lead, for carrying the lead part, throughout), and even repeated a few, as we filled the halls of the Blood Center with music for two hours. Some pickup quartets formed on the spot, and kept the entertainment going so the rest of us could get a break (no rest for Steve, though!). One such quartet is shown at left, below: Ken Carlsen, Patrick McAlexander, Steve Grimes, and John McQuistion. The local Singing for Life program was successful, with 50 units of blood donated throughout all the metro offices of the Indiana Blood Center during that 2-hour period. Two of our own members, Ken Carlsen (see photo, above) and Bruce Bellen, donated their blood while we serenaded them. A nonmember, Channing Myers of Indianapolis, enjoyed our music while he gave blood and participated in and won a drawing for tickets to our annual show. As of this writing, the Barbershop Harmony Society is still compiling results from this first-ever Singing for Life event, which involved nearly 200 local chapters. The Society is considering making this an annual event. Page 2 June 2008 THE BEAT Greater Indianapolis Chapter 2008 President Jim Rosenau VP Chapter Development Steve Cline VP Music & Performance Scott Hutchison VP PR & Marketing Randy Freeman VP Program John McQuistion Secretary Tom Bradley Treasurer Jim Sauder Board Members at Large David Bloomer David Fouts Brad McAlexander Immediate Past President Jerry Troxel Director Garry Texeira All You Have, All the Time! Well, the 2008 Circle City Sound annual show is fast approaching, and we are in great shape. That's not to say that we don't still have a lot of work to do. This is the moment where we need to step with all of the dialogue to be learned. That being said, we cannot and will not let the music and singing suffer with those distractions. We will be doing full runthroughs of the show before the Garry Texeira MUSIC DIRECTOR “...we need to step up and prove to each other what we’re made of…” up and prove to each other what we're made of. It's crucial for everyone to be 100% solid on their music so that all we're working on, from now until June 21, is the performance and overall impact for our audience. Also, your attendance is crucial. The only way we can know what we will sound like at the show is if we have everyone there, every week. We miss you when you're gone, sincerely. On this year's show, there is a lot of pressure for a number of you, actual dress rehearsals so that all will be comfortable with the song order and dialogue lead-ins. I believe that this will be an exciting and memorable show for us and our audience. Let's all step up, ask more of ourselves and, give all we have, all the time! Let's sell all the tickets and sing to a full house. Remember that it's your chorus so, make it happen. What we do this year will determine how well we do in years to come; so, give it your all. I know I will!! Chapter meetings The chapter meets every Monday at 7:00 pm at Christ Lutheran Church 345 N. Kitley Ave. Indianapolis Guests are always welcome! Board meetings The CCS Board meets the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm in the chapter president's home. All chapter members are encouraged to attend. Don’t miss these opportunities! CARDINAL CHORD COLLEGE July 11 - 13 Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana HARMONY UNIVERSITY July 27 - August 3 Missouri Western State University St. Joseph, Missouri Discounts and scholarships available! June 2008 Our Annual Show, and Beyond Steve Cline VP CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT “...use this annual show as a tool for attracting singers…” As June approaches, all our focus and energies turn toward our annual show, as well they should. We have tickets to sell, songs to fine tune, and lines to learn. This year’s annual show is shaping up to be one of our best, and we are ahead of schedule compared to years past in being totally prepared to be at our best by show time. It is really easy to forget about looking for prospective singers to add to our ranks during this busy time. All I ask of you is to use this annual show as a tool for attracting singers that you know to our ranks. When making your list of people to contact about tickets, make sure you ask all the singers and past prospects you know to attend, even if it means giving them a ticket. Getting a good singing prospect to attend the show to see us at our best will reap benefits in attracting them to our rehearsal and go a long way in recruiting a new member. I think getting a good singer to join our ranks is well worth the price of a show ticket, don’t you? The show program this year will have a flyer promoting our Open House/Guest Night the Monday following our show, so be sure to invite your prospects to attend this fun filled evening. This is the perfect time of the year to bring in a member as we will be gearing up for our “performance” at the Fall Convention. Thinking ahead to our Open House on Monday June 23, we will need a chapter quartet, so please see me if you can be there for a couple of songs. We will provide the soft drinks but would appreciate all of you bringing a snack (chips, pretzels, meat balls, cheese, cookies, etc.). I would also appreciate as many of you as possible to arrive early to help me greet our guests. And, of course, the most important thing to bring is a singing prospect! Happy Birthday! 06/05 06/26 06/26 07/02 Page 3 THE BEAT Keith Leavell Keith Yoder Larry Dotson Jim Landers 07/03 07/03 07/05 07/07 07/14 07/22 Lew Gillespie Phil Miller Kevin Curry John Krueger Scott Wiederoder Morrie Turner CCS Guest Night / Open House Monday, June 23 Calendar of Events CCS Annual Show “Sock It to Me: When ‘Laugh In’ Meets Barbershop” Warren Performing Arts Center 9500 E. 16th St. Indianapolis Saturday, June 21 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. CCS Afterglow Holy Spirit Gymnasium 7243 E. 10th St. Indianapolis Saturday, June 21 10:00 p.m. CCS Open House Christ Lutheran Church 345 N. Kitley Ave. Indianapolis Monday, June 23 7:00 p.m. Barbershop Society International Convention Nashville, Tennessee July 1 - 6 Tell City Sesquicentenntial Performance Tell City, Indiana Saturday, August 2 For detailed information on all chapter performances check our weekly bulletin, S OUND B YTES or go to: www.circlecitysound.org and visit the Members Only section The newsletter deadline for the August issue of The Beat is July 24. Send articles to: [email protected] Page 4 June 2008 THE BEAT It’s Show Time! Oh my goodness, what a crazy time it is for the chapter and chorus! Show preparation is reaching a fever pitch, and by the end of this month “Sock It To Me” will be among our fondest memories. Every annual show to date has annual show with both musical and comedic credibility. I’m seeing guys doing things musically and in role playing that are quite a stretch for even the youngest at heart. Not only have many of us stepped outside the box, we have Jim Rosenau CHAPTER PRESIDENT “Hold your heads high and take pride in your accomplishments.” been special in its own way, and I am convinced that this year’s performance will prove to be a positively noteworthy addition to the long, long list of great shows. Hold your heads high, gentlemen, and take pride in your accomplishments. We have learned a bunch of new songs, and they are all progressing nicely in both a technical and musical sense. The chorus is sounding G-R-E-A-T, each of the new songs has been carefully woven into the fabric of the show theme, and we are having a blast pulling it all together. If you’re not excited, if you’re not smiling and if you aren’t laughing, you must be somewhere else on Monday nights. Our musical and performance bars have been set pretty high, and we’re achieving and exceeding those expectations. We deserve a collective “pat on the back” because individually and together we have stepped up to the challenges of presenting an actually left the boxes in the dust and kicked them to the curb for the sanitation workers to haul away. Great job, guys! Keep up the intensity, the zaniness and the love of our hobby. It’s a great deal more fulfilling to be part of such an enthusiastic and multitalented group of guys. I must confess that being cast in the Ruth Buzzi role has, for me, been a wild ride. One hasn’t lived until he has experienced the strange gazes and inquiries from co-workers after describing how he had spent his Sunday afternoon trying on dresses. The looks I got when my wife and I entered a local business and looked at wigs, hair pieces, stockings, hair nets and other “accessories” cannot be put into words, but there’s an image I won’t soon forget. It’s all fun, gentlemen, and it’s all good! Thanks in advance for the memories. What we have as a group of guys with a common interest is also indescribable. Trite as it sounds, we need to share this adventure with others. For me, barbershopping provides an opportunity to be involved in something so remote from anything else I do in life, that it makes it extra special. When singing and being involved with our chapter and chorus, a lot of other headaches just go away, if even just temporarily. What a great respite from the work-a-day, worry-a-day world! There is no reason I can come up with why I wouldn’t want to share that with friends and acquaintances. Our annual show is another means of tickling the interest of more men who might benefit from an association with our organization. Keep in mind that the Monday following the show (Monday, June 23) is an important guest night. You may feel pretty fried after the shows and the afterglow, but don’t blow off Monday night. That will be a warm and fuzzy night for reminiscing about the show, and for uniting to bring more men into our group. Let’s make it a HUGE success! June is a great month for us, and this year it should be as awesome as ever. Do your part, be flexible, continue to learn and help project our positive image into our community. Thanks for being who you are and for sharing yourselves with the group. Have a super month and remember to live and sing in harmony. There will be no July 2008 issue of The BEAT. Look for the next issue of this newsletter in August (deadline July 24) June 2008 THE BEAT Page 5 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Are you wondering what’s next for CCS? Is there life after the annual show? You’re probably thinking, oh yeah, back in the same old rut—summer doldrums, followed by fall contest, then the holiday season with the same old arrangements of the same old Christmas tunes, then Singing Valentines… (yawn). WRONG! Have you talked to Garry and our chapter leaders about what’s next? You really should. How about an exciting fall convention, preceded by even more musical growth, including a productive and FUN retreat with gold medal coaching? How about an even more exciting Christmas program with NEW holiday songs, that we’ll start working on while the temperature is still in the 90’s. And there’s work on next year’s annual show that will start before the leaves fall. CCS, it’s going to be busy—and FUN!! Hang on! Page 6 THE BEAT June 2008 A Stroll Down Memory Lane By Lew Gillespie, Editor Inside the Pride, 1991-1995 25 Years Ago The Pride of Indy appeared on the Louisville chapter’s annual show on June 18, 1983. Jim Sauder, Don Bobo, and I drove to Louisville. We arrived at 3:00 p.m. for the rehearsal between the two chapters and then dinner was provided to all Pride of Indy members. The show started at 8:00 p.m. with both chapters singing, “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Back Home Again In Indiana.” Indy’s portion of the show included the following songs: “I’ve Got The Time,” “Gee But I Hate To Go Home Alone,” “If The Lord Be Willing,” “I’m Alone Because I Love You,” “Lida Rose,” “River Boat Days,” and “An American Trilogy.” Several Indy chapter quartets appeared on the show, and when the afterglow ended at 1:30 a.m. the three of us motored back to Indy and dropped Sauder at his home at 5:00 a.m. It was a long day, but certainly worth a fabulous weekend of inter-chapter participation in barbershop singing. During the month of June 1983, the Pride was having an extra rehearsal on Wednesday night at Cathedral High School on East 56th Street, where the regular Monday chapter meetings were held. The extra rehearsals were in preparation for the International contest in Seattle, Washington, July 3 - 10, 1983, where the Pride would be competing. On June 27, 1983, a big “Seattle Sendoff” was held in the Cathedral High School Auditorium. The Cardinal District International Quartet representatives, Interstate Rivals from Louisville, Kentucky, and Circle City Sound, from Indianapolis, were included on this show. Many people from the Cardinal District attended. Attendance at rehearsals in June, 1983, averaged 90 men since new chapter director, Lyle Pettigrew, had been hired in March 1983. The money-making project for the chapter, which began in December, 1982, was selling cheese. Bob Bridges, chapter Secretary, was the “Big Cheese” of the chapter, since his garage was the warehouse for all of the cheese supplies (articles taken from Speed-Notes, June, 1983, Chuck McKinsey, Editor). More Ways You Can Take Part in Your Chapter a regular feature of The BEAT from “100 Ways You Can Take Part in Your Chapter” collected from the Harmonet by Kim Benner, Singing Buckeyes, Columbus Ohio ♦ Offer to help the newsletter/bulletin editor with whatever you can do. ♦ Write an article for your newsletter/bulletin. ♦ Review a barbershop show or album for your newsletter/bulletin. ♦ Volunteer to work with an experienced member to learn a new chapter administration skill. ♦ Start a chapter quartet. ♦ Encourage the formation of chapter quartets. ♦ Offer to help an officer. ♦ Take a non-meeting night to help another baritone (lead, tenor, or bass) learn his part. ♦ Don't come to rehearsal with a contagious sore throat or anything else you could spread around. ♦ Be on the risers 5 minutes early and be eager to start. ♦ Offer to help any standing committee in which you are interested. ♦ Videotape the chorus in rehearsal. June 2008 THE BEAT Page 7 History of the Greater Indianapolis Chapter and Circle City Sound from our chapter website Overview In 1944, forty-five men gathered in the Claypool Hotel, at the corner of Washington and Illinois Streets in downtown Indianapolis, to organize the first barbershop harmony chapter in Indianapolis. Another chapter was formed in Broad Ripple in 1948, and the two chapters merged in 1955 to form the Greater Indianapolis Chapter. In 1958, the chapter adopted “Speed Capital Chorus” as the chorus name, changing it to “Pride of Indy” in 1978, and to “Circle City Sound” in 2003. years. Our chorus has represented the Cardinal District in the International chorus competition eight times. Our best finish was sixth place, in San Francisco in 1976. We also competed in the Buckeye Invitational Chorus Contest in 1989 (its inaugural year) and again in 2002. In the 1989 contest, we won the contest in the Overall Score and Contest Score categories. Quartets comprised of members from the Greater Indianapolis chapter have competed many times since appearing for the first time on the international stage in 1973. The best finish in the regular quartet competition was by Wild Cards, earning 20th place in 1978. Downstate Express won the Seniors gold in 2004. Performances Since 1967, the chapter has produced an annual show, with most being held at Clowes Memorial Hall on the Butler University campus. The chorus has performed with the Indianapolis, Muncie and Bloomington Symphony Orchestras, as part of the Walt Disney production at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1987 Pan Am Games, at the 500 Festival Mayor’s Breakfast, and at the 500 Festival Memorial Service. The chorus has also performed with the Four Freshmen, the Louisville Thoroughbreds, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, Capital City Chorus (Sweet Adelines), Gem City Chorus (Sweet Adelines), and the Heart of Indiana Chorus (Harmony, Inc). The chorus has performed regularly at several local venues, including: Artsgarden (Circle Centre Mall), Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center (University of Indianapolis), Warren Performing Arts Center, and the Indiana History Center. We have also performed at the Indiana State Capitol, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Market Square Arena, RCA Dome, Conseco Fieldhouse and the Indiana State Fair. Our chorus and quartets have entertained at the USS Indianapolis Survivors’ Reunion, the Covered Bridge Festival, the Mayoral Inauguration, Carmelfest, and Christmas on the Circle. Competition History The Greater Indianapolis Chapter has been very active in chorus and quartet competitions at the district (Indiana/Kentucky) and international levels over the There are two more connections to quartet gold in the history of our chapter. Huck Sinclair won a gold medal singing baritone with the 1943 champions Four Harmonizers while living in the Illinois district; he later moved to Indianapolis and was a member of the Indianapolis chapter for many years, until his death in 1994 at age 92. Garry Texeira won quartet gold in 2004 singing tenor with Gotcha!, while living in the Far Western District. Garry recently moved to the Indianapolis area and is now leading our chapter as our Chorus Director. Community Involvement The Greater Indianapolis Chapter is very active in the community, educating men of all ages in a cappella barbershop singing, and performing at many private and public events. Our chorus and quartets often perform at local parks, churches, nursing homes and hospitals. We work in partnership with Indy Parks, the Indianapolis Public Schools, and are members of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, and the Indianapolis Arts Council. Our chapter has hosted the International Barbershop Convention three times (in 1975, 1997 and 2006). These events have always been highly successful events for the chapter and the Barbershop Harmony Society, bringing upwards of 10,000 visitors to our city and state, as well as 4-part a cappella singing to every street corner in the downtown area at all hours of the day and night. Page 8 June 2008 THE BEAT The Sound Corne r by Brad McAlexander When you begin a conversation about barbershop with Tom Frank, the first thing that will strike you is his enthusiasm and passion for the hobby. Tom first sang with Indy about twenty years ago, but had to take a break because of work and family responsibilities. He is now back adding his musical talent to our lead section, and he is very excited about the direction that Garry Texeira is taking us. Tom Frank Tom grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana. Highlights of his life there were being awarded a perfect score in the state vocal solo contest and spending summers at Culver Military Academy. Most of us wouldn’t think of spending our summers at a military school a highlight, but Tom says it was a great experience for someone labeled as a “bad boy” because it taught him discipline. Tom graduated from Indiana University in 1960 with a degree in Personnel Management, with minors in Psychology, Speech and Theater, and Music (with a focus in choral directing). He also competed with IU’s intercollegiate debate team. If you ask him to tell you about one competition at Wayne State University in Detroit, you’ll get a very vivid story of him verbally dominating “some really smart people.” After graduation, Tom came to Indianapolis as an accountant for General Motors. Not too long after that, though, he took a position with Bank America where he became a national sales manager. Later he left banking to begin what would be a more than 30year career as a pharmaceutical representative, work- ing for several companies by way of company purchases and mergers. As you could imagine, a pharmaceutical rep comes into contact with doctors on a daily basis. One doctor that Tom saw regularly was our own “Doc” Blackburn, who nearly always talked about barbershop with him. These conversations led to Tom joining our chapter and singing on the international stage six times, as well as several annual shows. Tom has used his choral directing skills for over 28 years leading several church choirs. Some might also remember in the early 1990’s when the “Three Toms” (Tom Gentil, Tom Bohannon, and Tom Frank) auditioned for the directorship of our chorus. Tom Frank didn’t get the job, but he did enjoy and learn from the audition winner Tom Gentil. Tom has also used what he’s learned from barbershop in his own directing. One of his proudest directing moments was his four-year run as director of “The Messiah,” a production at Ft. Harrison that included the 74th Army Band (which included chorus member Steve Grimes), the string section of Lawrence North High School, and a very large chorus. Tom and his wife Marty have seven children and 20 grandchildren. Most of these offspring live nearby, so Tom and Marty can attend many of the kids’ activities. Marty also gives several of them piano lessons. Tom credits much of his success in the business world to his off-the-wall and outside-the-box way of thinking. He acknowledges that not every one of his ideas has been a good one, but in brainstorming situations he has found that many good ideas come from really outlandish ones. He thinks this same approach could help recruiting new members and attracting more people to our shows. He enjoys singing for Garry with the chorus now, and looks forward to more guys being on the risers and enjoying this experience with him. —photo by Jared Gollnitz Chapter Board Meeting Summary May 2008 The May Board of Directors meeting was cancelled by President Jim Rosenau. The next scheduled meeting of the board will be Wednesday, June 18. June 2008 Page 9 THE BEAT What is Your Barbershop Fantasy? I’m sitting in my car in the parking lot of the church where I have quartet rehearsal. It is pouring rain so I wait for everyone to arrive. Everyone has arrived but the tenor, when my lead Dustin says, “I don’t think Jerry could come this week. Did he give you the key?” “No, he didn’t give it to me. Do you have it, Harold?” “No, but I think Jerry is in Florida this week.” I call to make sure. Jerry confirms he is just leaving Orlando with the church key in his pocket. OK, I’ll see if someone is home at the parsonage. No answer. “OK guys, pile in my car. We will have to go find a place to rehearse.” A mile down the street I scan the signs at the intersection and see a big “Red Carpet Inn” sign. All right, let’s try there. As we pull in, the place looks empty. Is it still open? There’s only a car carrier truck and a couple of cars in the big parking lot. As we pull up to the front doors Harold reads the sign on the front doors, “FANTA SUITES.” I say, “What’s that? Oooh! Never mind.” Dustin says, “I don’t think we want to go in there. Maybe we should look somewhere else.” After a little discussion and joking around, we decide we’re here, so it won’t hurt to ask. After all, the entire place is empty, so they certainly have rooms available, and maybe they even rent by the hour. So I go in and find a customer at the counter looking through the pictures of all the rooms with different themes. I grab a brochure to occupy my time. After waiting several minutes, the customer decides on the “Pink Cadillac” room. The lady at the counter then The “Pink Cadillac Room” —photo from FantaSuites website John McQuistion Baritone, SMILIN’ THROUGH “... most of our barbershop fantasies have more to do with what gold medalist quartet we would like to ring chords with…” comes over to me and asks me what I need. I said, “I have a really strange request.” The Pink Cadillac guy turns to listen, and the lady takes a step back. I explain our situation and ask if they have a conference room or something we could rehearse in. (Then I thought to myself, oh right, rent a conference room at the Fantasy Suites for your next business meeting!) She confirms they have no conference rooms, but “I guess you could use the breakfast nook off the lobby. If I get complaints from customers you will have to leave.” I say, “Fair enough,” and thank her. I go out to get the guys and give them the brochure so they can pick a room while I park the car. “I’m just kidding guys; we got the breakfast nook!” We have a great rehearsal with lots of duets and then running through songs as a trio. We even give Jerry and Pam a call to let them know where we ended up, knowing it would provide them quite a bit of entertainment. On our way out, the two counter ladies say they enjoyed listening, and it made their night go faster. If this should happen again, I think I will ask if they have a Barbershop Room, or maybe the Pink Cadillac room. It would certainly fit the lyrics of “A Wink and a Smile.” Of course most of our barbershop fantasies usually have more to do with what gold medalist quartet we would like to ring chords with, or for what people or in what places we would like to perform. Smilin’ Through has been very fortunate in finding churches to rehearse in over the years, and on this night a hotel to let us practice what we love doing—making music and ringing chords. Page 10 THE BEAT Circle City Sound featured in Indianapolis Monthly June 2008 Annual Show Schedule Well, sort of. Indianapolis Monthly magazine recently published its City Guide (pictured at right). This supplement Mon. June 16: Rehearsal at Christ Lutheran Church, 7:00 p.m. to their monthly magazine, circulation 48,000, highlights the wide variety of things to see and do in the Circle City. Tue. June 17: Tech rehearsal at Warren Performing Arts Center, 7:00 p.m. If you looked through this issue closely, like Pam Troxel did, you should have discovered a “surprise” on page 70. On that page, with their list of the various performance venues throughout Indianapolis, they feature a half-page interior shot of the Artsgarden in Circle Centre Mall. And who happens to be on stage performing in this particular picture? None other than Circle City Sound, performing a Christmas show under the direction of Bryan Hughes. Fri. June 20: Dress rehearsal at Warren Performing Arts Center, 7:00 p.m. Although we are not specifically mentioned in the article or the photo caption, we are glad to be featured in the guide to our fine city in such a serendipitous way. Sat. June 21: Afterglow at Holy Spirit gymnasium, 10:00 p.m. Circle City Sound T HE B EAT EAT www.circlecitysound.org Jerry E. Troxel, Editor 129 Yorkshire Blvd. E Indianapolis, IN 46229 [email protected] 317 891-1634 Sat. June 21: Performances at Warren Performing Arts Center, 2:30 pm and 7:30 p.m.
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