1. art and entertainment
2. music
3. singing

Barbershop Harmony
Society
nee
Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America
OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, CHAPTER
10,000 LAKES DIVISION – LAND O’LAKES DISTRICT:
APRIL 2007 – VOL. 63– NO. 4
CARL PEARSON: REMEMBERED
Jim Richards recalls the highpoints of a lasting friendship.
This is not exactly Shakespeare, but we might
anything, his highest praise was to say, “You’re
appropriately say, “Sleep Well, ‘Super Guy’” to our
precious!”
recently-departed Commodore brother, Carl Pearson.
Carl also was very fond of food – whether preparing it
Over the years this author has
on an outdoor grill, or consuming
had the joy of singing baritone in
it. Once during our early quartet
three different quartets with Carl
days at Carboni’s Pizza on St.
who held down the Tenor spot.
Paul’s east side Ron Anderson
One quartet, Men Of A-Chord,
(Lead) and Norm DeCarlo
lasted three years and made it to
(Bass) shared one pizza sitting
International competition twice.
across from one another at one
One quartet, Northern
table while Carl and I shared
Statesmen, lasted three months
another at an adjoining table. I
and survived one district contest.
simply could not eat pizza fast
And one quartet, The
enough to keep up with Carl!
Amalgamates, lasted just three
weeks but managed to make it to
In an unfortunate accident earlier
the LOL District Finals. Some
in life Carl managed to lose a
wags might have observed that
couple of fingers that made it
as a twosome we were going
difficult to give a “high five” to
nowhere fast. Nevertheless, it
someone to recognize a job well
was a great run and we always
done.
But now, as we say
had a fine time singing together.
farewell to our brother as he
We could always count on Carl’s
embarks on a new life, I can hear
infectious enthusiasm to carry
him enthusiastically say, “Gimme
the day whether performing on
three! And we can reply, “Go
stage or rehearsing for future
for it, Super Guy!”
performances. His Commodore
Editor’s Note: In Paragraph 2
membership has spanned the
above, Jim alludes to Carl’s
better part of 45 years.
prodigious loquacity. At the
CARL D. PEARSON
In addition to singing, Carl was an
funeral service on March 17, the
1931-2007
enthusiastic fisherman, bicycler, and
presiding minister whimsically referred to
talker. He always remembered my birthday. (I have
Carl’s charter membership in a newly organized
trouble remembering my own.) When one excelled at
support group called “On and on-Anon”.
CHORD-INATOR
Minneapolis, Minn. Chapter
Land O’Lakes District, SPEBSQSA
Meetings every Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Jewish Community Center
4330 South Cedar Lake Road
St. Louis Park, Minn.
Chapter Officers
President……………..Curt Brekke 952-474-4380
Immed. Past-Pres..Terry McClellan 763-780-3484
Marketing/PR V P...Peter Jarnberg 651/765-9580
V P Music & Perform...Carl Pinard 612-927-9363
V P Chapter Devel .….Dan Slattery 763-755-2926
Program V P …..………..Dan Cole 612-376-0779
Secretary……….…....Steve Daniel 612-927-0510
Treasurer …………...John Carlotto 952-925-0886
Board Members
Vince Formosa…………………….763-416-7729
Ken Glover…….…………………..763-441-1292
Joe Houser………………………...612-308-4486
Dick Plaisted…...…………………763-574-9319
Bill TeVogt …..…….……………..763-533-3417
Loren Wuttke……………………...952-934-1380
Appointed Staff
Chorus Director ……………………..Paul Wigley
Assistant Chorus Director…….…..Gary Jacobson
Assistant Chorus Director …… …...Doug Miller
Assistant Chorus Director…...…......Dave Speidel
Tenor Section Leader ……………Dan Krekelberg
Assistant-Jeff Vander Plaats
Lead Section Leaders ……..……...Gary Jacobson
Assistant-Tom Griffiths
Bari Section Leaders ……………….Dave Speidel
Assistant-Pete Villwock
Bass Section Leaders………………..Jim Richards
Assistant-Dave Casperson
2007 Show Chairman……...…….…...Carl Pinard
Afterglow Chairman…………….Travis Wuttke
A-Commodears President ………..…Diana Pinard
Assistant Haberdasher………..……Dan Williams
BOTY Party Chairman………..…Dan Krekelberg
Chord-Inator Staff
Editor ……………….…..……Dr. Hardin Olson
Chief Columnist………… ………..Dale Lynch
Columnist………………….……..Jim Erickson
Graphic Artist……………………..Glenn Retter
Heart Fund …………...……………..Dan Slattery
Historian ……………………..…Dr. Bob Dykstra
Learning Tapes and CDs...…………….Dan Smith
Librarian …………………………. . Carl Pearson
Marketing …………………...………..Joe Houser
Name Tags …………………………Dick Plaisted
Pay-As-You-Sing ………………...…..Bill Kinkel
Performance Mgr. …………….…...….Bill Kinkel
Polecat Chairman…………….….Dave Casperson
Presentation Chairman ………………..Dan True
Public Relations ………………….…..Mark Sathe
Quartet Promotion …………...…Dave Casperson
Roster ……………….……….…Dr. Jim Richards
Service Chairman …………...……….Jack Beaver
Sergeant at Arms ………...…… .Loren Berthilson
Sunshine ………………… …………..Bill Ashley
Swipe Editor ………………………....Bill TeVogt
Uniforms (Dress)……..……......Brooks Bergerson
Uniforms (Casual) ……………..……..Joe Houser
Bulletin Editor
Dr. Hardin Olson
306 13th . Ave. N.
Hopkins, MN 55343
E – mail: <[email protected]>
(952) 930-9443
Page 2
APRIL 2007
Curt Comments
On Yewer Behalf
By Curt Brekke, President
By Dan Cole, Program VP
As you may have heard, it has
been decided to
move
our
rehearsal venue,
as of April 3,
from the JCC to
the House of
Prayer Lutheran
Church
in
Richfield at least
Curt Brekke
through August
2007 and perhaps much longer.
We have arranged for enough
storage space for the risers, the
seats, and music files and that’s
about it.
It’s
The basement and back room at
the JCC contain a lot of
possessions and memorabilia
which have accumulated over the
years. This becomes a difficult
issue because, of course, one
man’s refuse is another man’s
treasure. The discussion at the
board meeting reflected a general
feeling that we did not want to pay
to rent space to store these
possessions. The consensus
seemed to be that we would
allocate a certain amount of time
for individual members to take and
remove Items they want to
personally keep. The remainder
would be discarded. It was
suggested that some of the plaques
and trophies could be
photographed before being
disposed of.
We are very interested in hearing
your comments, as well as the
comments of others, on this issue
prior to taking any action.
a
beautiful morning in
d o w n t o w n
Minneapolis, the
sky is blue and
the sun is shining
and bicyclers are
riding down the
Nicollet
mall.
Honey (aka the
Cat Lady, aka
Dan Cole
Flossie) and I are
in the office and she is at the big
computer designing something,
while I have been relegated to the
laptop. We’ve already drained a
pot of coffee and I have run
through the words and music to
Huckleberry Finn, Birth of the
Blues, Slippery Sam and Down
Yonder. I woke up earlier and
while still lying in bed went
through Show Boat and Home in
Old Missouri. The first page of Old
Man River also ran through my
mind (couldn’t remember
anymore). One more week and I’ll
be off the paper. I’m a little
Go to Cole, Page 9, Col. 1
Commodore
Spotlight
Gil
Maple...
is that amiable, smiley-faced
Commodore who anchors the front
row and refuses to let a little thing
like a stroke interfere with his
barbershopping pleasures.
His cheery greetings, virtually
always accompanied by a little
joke or a one-liner, will turn up the
corners of even the most illhumored mouth.
Gil, a semi-retired minister, is a
dedicated Commodore and an
inspiration for all of us. We can all
be proud to count him as a friend
and brother.
CHORD-INATOR
ARE WE ON
RIGHT TRACK?
Page 3
THE
By Bob Griffith, Baritone
These are exciting times for the
Commodores. I
can visualize that
steamboat
just
about to round the
bend, and I can
also visualize the
8-10,000 audience
members
being
awed
by
our
performance in
Bob Griffith
Denver. I do have
a few concerns, however.
At latest count I see us debuting
nine new songs at our annual
show. Many of these numbers are
quite challenging both from a
musical standpoint and from an
overabundance of complicated
verbiage. Combine with that some
lengthy choreography, and we
have a real challenge. I am sure
we can prevail, but at what cost?
I count no less than five extra
rehearsals in March alone. I
suspect April could be quite busy
as well. It is always fun to debut a
lot of new music like this, but it
can be very distressful for us as
well as our directors if the music is
just barely off the paper. This
distress will often show in our
faces, which results in a less
polished show. What can we do?
For now the only solution is to
learn the music on our own, well in
advance, so that rehearsals can be
used strictly for polishing,
performing, and musicality. In the
f uture, however , I woul d
recommend that we limit the
APRIL 2007
number of new songs that we debut
at any given performance. For each
performance throughout the year, I
would recommend we strive to
debut at least two new, but no more
than four, songs.
We also should not worry about
having to repeat some numbers at
our annual shows. We may think
our audience will grow tired of
them, but remember they only hear
them a few times as opposed to the
many times we do during chapter
meetings. Also if we set a goal to
improve each repeated number each
time we perform it, it will not seem
old to our audience. If we consider
these suggestions I feel we will
have more fun performing and our
audiences will be more appreciative
of our efforts.
Editor’s Note: A viable repertoire?
Chord Candy
by Jim Richards
This month’s Chord Candy is a tag to a classic ballad of 1904 that is favorite a woodshed song, “Meet Me In
Dreamland.” The song was written for opening day of Coney Island’s Dreamland Park by Leo
Friedman (music) and Beth Slater Wilson (lyrics). The park was the brainchild of a crooked
businessman, William H. Reynolds. He had many connections in the Tammany politics of New
York. Reynolds was the poster boy for crooked politics and seemed to have his fingers in most
every pie. Reynold's underhanded activities were brought to Coney Island and that Dreamland was
built so fast that many islanders felt the park grew over many of the area's fire hydrants, ensuring
the park free city water for its short life. Dreamland was destroyed by a fire that started at two in the
morning of May 27, 1911 while workers worked in Dreamland's Hell Gate attraction, preparing it
Dr. Jim Richards for opening day only a few hours away. Though Dreamland’s life was a short seven years,
“Goodbye My Coney Island Baby” and “Meet Me In Dreamland” have survived for a century to be
enjoyed by barbershoppers everywhere. So enjoy this tag. It sings easily and has a lot of great chords.
CHORD-INATOR
Page 4
APRIL 2007
WELCOME ABOARD !
David Ayers and his wife, Linda,
live in Hopkins. He was born,
raised,
and
educated
in
California,
attending Cal Poly
in Pomona and
doing his graduate
work at Stanford.
He is a retired
registered vascular
David Ayers
technologist.
David has a diverse music and
theater background having played
the recorder and trombone, sung in
church choirs, and been involved
in all aspects of community theater
while in California. He has even
had some symphony experience
out west.
Steve Grady, his wife, Jodie, and
two children
are residents of
Chanhassen. Born
in Grand Rapids,
M i c hi gan,
he
migrated with his
family to Illinois
where he finished
high school and
went on to the
Uni versit y
of
Steve Grady
Illinois. He first
earned a BS degree in electrical
engineering before going on to
earn a master’s degree in electrical
engineering/business.
The harmony and sound of
barbershop have
always been
attractions for David and he has
always enjoyed the amity and
friendships
that the hobby
provides.
Barbershop has been on his plate
ever since he began quartetting in
high school. Since then he has
been, spanning 30 years, a member
of five choruses and has competed
in International with two of them,
Denver Mile High and San Jose
Garden City. David sings lead or
tenor and is an experienced SP and
quartet coach.
David will join the lead section.
Is his a front-row face or not?
More Bear Facts
In the fall of 2004, a female bear
fell asleep on the Pettis property
virtually out in the open. Usually a
bear will find a den in which to
hibernate but will not enter it
unless it has begun to snow to
cover its scent. When the weather
turned cold enough this particular
female (called a sow) went to sleep
right on the ground.
By Russ Pettis
On Friday, March 2, for the third
straight year, a
NASA research
team consisting
of 40 to 50
technicians,
veterinarians
and
others
descended
on
Russ Pettis
our farm east of
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to retest the
bears hibernating on our property.
This project was conceived to
determine why bears can sleep
through a whole winter without
losing strength. The answer to this
question could well help our
astronauts eliminate the problems
caused by weightlessness on a
future manned mission to Mars.
In January of 2005 while still
asleep (Mother Nature’s
anesthesia) she bore five cubs all
of which weighed less than a
pound. The mother didn’t wake up
until March forcing the cubs to
fend for themselves in the interim.
The first testing was done that
March when the cubs were about
five pounds.
In the fall of 2005 the sow led her
brood into a fine den made of old
Jim Lee needs no introduction to
our LO’L subscribers but for those
who don’t know
him, he is the
Immediate LO’L
Past President and
currently
a
member of the
Internat’l board.
He and his wife,
Linda, live in
North Oaks. Jim is a retired CPA
and in addition to barbershopping
counts golf, ham radio and fishing
as his interests. Jim and Linda sing
together in the mixed ensemble
Friends.
Jim Lee
Jim, a lead singer, is, and will
remain, a loyal member of the St.
Paul chapter but couldn’t resist the
opportunity to go to Denver with a
chorus of 140 plus men literally
from all over the country; joining
members from Montana, Florida,
Arizona and, of course, from Iowa.
Welcome, Jim,
temporarily.
albeit
only
tree stumps. The second NASA
study done on the tranquilized
bears in March of 2006 found the
weight of the cubs to be up to 130
pounds and the sow 260. At that
time, collars fitted with special
locating-transmitters, were placed
on the bears. The sow’s transmitter
worked well but the cubs
apparently all had defective units
so their whereabouts could not be
determined. (However, one male
cub was later hit and killed by a
car and a female shot by a hunter.)
This past fall, the sow hibernated
in the open just 20 yards from a
county road and again produced
five cubs all an average of three
pounds heavier than the previous
group. The sow weighed 285 and
will probably be up to 375 by fall.
Go to Bears, Page 5, Col. 2
CHORD-INATOR
Carl Smith lives with his wife,
Carol, in Hopkins.
A native of St. Paul,
Carl graduated from
St. Paul Academy
and went to St.
Mary’s University
for a baccalaureate
Carl Smith
and a
master’s
degree in education.
He taught high school biology for
20 years. Since then he has had a
hand
in
various
restaurant
businesses and now works with
ABRA Auto and Glass.
Carl has played the flute and some
piano and was a member of the St.
Paul North Star Chorus for 15
years until a move and a growing
family made it difficult to get to
chapter meetings. His recent move
to St. Louis Park has made it quite
convenient to sing with the
Commodores.
Reading and model railroading
will command his other interests
when not singing bass with the
Commodores.
Page 5
Bears from Page 4
Due to virtually snowbound roads
(global warming?), the research
team had a difficult time trekking
to the bears to perform their tests.
In spite of the handicaps, the
mission was accomplished.
I recently inquired as to results so
far and was told by officials of the
National Aeronautical and Space
Administration that they “have
(gained) a lot of
valuable
information that will be used on
manned flights” and that they
“think the study is a success and
will be continued.”
I am extremely gratified to hear
that there are useful results, as I
have been hoping for success for
two and a half years. To have
even a tiny part in helping with a
great adventure like a manned
flight to Mars is exciting even to
an 80 year-old man like me.
When I was in grade school in the
1930s, I frequently read fanciful
stories about strange people and
animals living on other planets.
To be involved in this project
even in a small way could be
considered a dream of a lifetime.
APRIL 2007
2007 LO’L Mini-Hep
School
La Crosse, WI
June 22-24, 2007
featuring
Flipside
2006 Fifth Place
International Medalists
From Portland, Oregon
Faculty includes Jim DeBusman,
Bruce Odell, Ron Rank, Dan
Heike and others.
There are classes to suit every
barbershopper as well as coaching
available for quartets and
choruses.
The registration fee of $109.00
includes meals, lodging, all classes
and special events.
Registration forms are available in
the latest Pitch Piper or on the
LO’L website,
<loldistrict.org/hep/2007/lax/>
Register now. You don’t want to
miss a really great time.
A Visit With Mark
By Dick Plaisted, Aarps-a-Chord
On March 8, 22 members of The
Friday Lunch Bunch That Meets
On Thursdays descended upon the
Wellstead of Rogers to visit with
good friend and Commodore,
Mark Conlon.
Mark’s illness precludes his
attendance at our weekly meetings
at the Moose on Monroe so we
literally “took it to him”. His
daughter, Lindsey, hosted the
affair which included a nice lunch
and an informal concert for Mark
and the other assembled residents.
Jerry Larson directed the
TFLBTMOT chorus in eight
numbers intermixed with the
quartets, The No Name 4 and also
the The Salty Dogs, who came
Bob Dykstra (rt.) presents
Mark
with the official
FLBTMOT shirt.
out of retirement (again) for this
most special occasion.
After receiving his official
TFLBTMOT shirt, Mark tagged in
with No Name Four, replacing
tenor, Harlan Mellem, for a
couple of tunes.
A good time was had by all and we
were pleased that Mark is in
The No Name 4 (left to rt.): Tenor Mark
Conlon, (tagging in for Harlan Mellem), Lead
Jerry Larson, Bass Jim Foy and Baritone
Joel Kleschold. (One would think that Foy
was the baritone, having forgotten his
uniform shirt.)
good company at Wellstead. Mark
will welcome all of your calls and
letters. He may be reached at:
20600 S. Diamond Lake Rd.
#A414
Rogers, MN 55374
Phone 763/428-8778
CHORD-INATOR
Board Highlights
By Steve Daniel, Secretary
The meeting on March 22:
• Approved financial support
for a pool to
fund a program
to
introduce
barbershop
singing to area
h i gh
s c h o ol
students,
with
the amount to be
determined later.
Steve Daniel
• Considering
the fact that the Commodores will
not be competing in the spring
divisional contest, discussed
making a contribution to the
sponsoring St. Croix Valley
chapter to offset financial losses
incurred for the contest.
• Will evaluate after the
Memorial Day sing-out whether in
the future to use just a quartet or
VLQ for the relatively small
audiences at such events.
• E-mail reminders of our
show and stamped postcards will
be sent to our past patrons two
weeks before the show.
• Approved $8 as the price for
afterglow tickets sold at the door.
Tickets purchased before the show
remain $5.
• The date of the 2008 show
has again been changed, to April 5.
• Attendance requirements for
singing in Denver: a minimum of
seven Tuesday rehearsals and at
least one of the two Saturday
rehearsals.
• There will be a megaafterglow in Denver on Saturday
night, July 7, with $15 tickets to be
purchased at least two weeks
before the contest.
• Approved contracting with
House of Prayer Lutheran Church
in Richfield for new rehearsal
space, beginning April 3 and
Page 6
running through August, with
longer commitment to be evaluated
at that time. Bill TeVogt will need
help sorting and moving our stuff
in storage (awards, records, etc.)
out of JCC by April 15.
• Approved reimbursement
for Guy St. Martin for gas,
lodging, and parking related to
driving one of his rental trucks to
Denver and back with the risers.
• Handled a copyright law
violation on an arrangement of a
song sung at a recent
Commodore’s funeral by agreeing
to remove the arrangement from
our website and to purchase 40
copies of the book Good News
Gospel 3.
• Approved the applications
of Rick Arvidson, Don Rudnik,
and Jim Lee (dual) for
membership.
• Luther Romo has
volunteered to be in charge of new
member orientation.
Sick Call
The Commodores all send their
best wishes to Becky Wigley for a
speedy and complete recovery
from her surgery. We are looking
forward to seeing her at the Annual
Show.
After new medications for a recent
relapse Loren Wuttke seems to
be rebounding with an increasing
appetite and exercise tolerance.
According to Norma, his spirits are
much improved. Whether it was
the new therapy or an impromptu
visit on March 27 by the Salty
Dogs is debatable. (Will those
guys ever really retire?) Norma
says Commodores are always
welcome to visit but suggests a call
first to insure that Loren is not
making a doctor or hospital visit.
It was good to see Mark Sathe at
chapter meeting on Tuesday, Mar.
27. He will be starting a new
c he mo t he r a p y r e gi me n on
Wednesdays so he hopes to be
with us on Tuesday evenings.
APRIL 2007
The Good Old Days?
By Phil Hassenstab, Commodore
South
By this reading, we will have
performed
our
magic at the
North
Iowa
Auditorium and
will be preparing
for the Show at
Bethel.
Fine
auditorium
facilities,
nice
Phil Hassenstab
seats, spotlights,
sound equipment,
and all those neat things. However,
w e w i l l b e mi s s i n g t h e
camaraderie/bonding/j oyful
preparation that we in River City
used to have when our venue was
the old Roosevelt Junior High
School
auditorium (as in
basketball court, etc). Picture a
full-size basketball court with
bleacher seats on both sides. The
stage is at the far end.
Our two shows were Saturday at
4:00 and 8:00 P.M. We couldn’t
get into the place to set up until
after school on Friday. There are
two notable happenings that stick
out in my memory. Hanging our
spotlights is one. The first time I
assisted, my reaction was “You’re
going to what? You’ve GOT to be
kidding!” We owned our own
spots, and had to hang them from
basketball brackets on either side
of the court. The power cables
were run to outlets backstage.
Using all amateur installers (like
yours truly), it’s only by the grace
of God that serious bodily harm
was avoided. It was so entertaining
to try to get volunteers to go back
on Sunday to tear it all down
again!
We made all the stage backdrops,
with a crew usually starting the
week before. Large flats were
stored at a local trucking firm
(member). We’d re-assemble them
and let the artistic types paint the
new show theme on them. Friday
Go to Hassenstab, Page 11, Col. 2
CHORD-INATOR
Page 7
APRIL 2007
BASIC CHORUS VISUALS
Definitions and Examples
Visuals are added to performance, to enhance the musical presentation. It can be said that there are times when excessive physical movement
can negatively effect musical performance; however, visuals should help to present the message of the song to the audience. Eighty percent of
visual effectiveness is facial involvement, twenty percent physical moves and gestures. Visuals, to be effective, must be believable and done
with conviction and bodily energy. Mood generation is accomplished primarily through facial involvement and subtle movement. The
following is meant to provide a basic guideline to basic visuals used in most visual plans.
Chorus Position: (CP) = Stance, feet slightly spread for good balance, outside foot forward, body aligned, arms (held), weight on the
balls of the feet, finger tips along the seams of the trouser and chest raised in a proper singer’s stance.
Focal Points: (FP) = When Director faces chorus, focus usually through the director. If Director has back to chorus, chorus focus goes to
audience, usually (tiles)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Through or to Director
Stage left (10 0' Clock)
Stage right (2 0' Clock)
10 C (sweet spot in audience, center, row 10.)
Tiles (straight out from your position to audience)
Split Move: (SM) = Chorus divided in half. Left moves left, Right moves right.
Quad Move: (QM) = Chorus divided into 4 quadrants
1.
2.
3.
4.
Far left
Middle left
Middle right
Far right
Press: (P) = Shift of weight toward focal point
1.
2.
3.
4.
Loud press - to outside foot (Loud move)
Soft press - to inside foot (soft move)
Unit Move: (UM) = All move together (same visual look)
Interaction: (Inter) = Freely, ad-lib, to each other.
Sell to Audience: (SA) = Chorus members sell to parts of the audience
Lyrical Phrase: Phrase in lyric of music. (Tend to sing a lyrical phrase to a focal point and then move to another focal on another lyrical
phrase.)
Ripple Move: (RM) = Sequential move.
1.
2.
3.
4.
By row
By half
By Quad
By individual
Moves have duration: Moves involve (prep), (execution), and (release). They also have tempo. Fast songs–faster, crisper moves. Ballads =
Slower and smoother moves.
Common Moves Used:
Step-touch: To the side, or 45 degree.
Reset: Reenergize body and face, usually on breath.
Sway: (Feet stay in position) Back and forth
Crouch: Like sitting on a stool, upper body stays tall for good singing support.
57 Spread: (Loud arm higher, inside arm lower, body presses outward.) commonly used at tag of song.
Expanded 57 Spread: Starburst effect. Back row inside arm raised overhead, front rows, kneeling, middle rows at varying heights.
Step-ball-change:
Snap (one or both hands) On beat 1 and 3. Off beat 2 and 4.
J-Hook: Slight dip with knees as press forward, then come up as release.
Cut- Off and Recovery to CP
Hopefully we can review these common moves on a regular basis and this should help to enhance our musical performances. Keep smiling!!!
Gary Jacobson
CHORD-INATOR
Page 8
APRIL 2007
Georgia Grind–First Line,
Second Line
this at home, however.) Here’s
what he said (paraphrased a bit):
handkerchiefs and umbrellas in the
air, or just their hands, too.”
By Jim Erickson, Sideline Baritone
“Second lines and second lining
evolved from funeral processions
in New Orleans that used a brass
band to play as the departed was
taken to the cemetery. The
mournful music going there was
followed by more upbeat music on
the way back. (JEE–you most
likely knew this already) The ‘first
(or main) line’ was members of the
immediate family who left the
cemetery ahead of the band and
began celebrating life by dancing
and moving to the happier music.
When he refers to second line
rhythm on his blog, it is the
syncopated, dance-generating
march style of playing that has
become infused into the drumming
tradition in New Orleans over the
years and which is heard in various
types of music from that city. So,
now you know a gnat’s hair more
about second lining than you did
before reading this article.
I found something! I found
something! I found a treasure trove
of information
about what the
“Second Line” is.
If you recall, it’s
mentioned in the
song, “Slippery
Sam”
we’re
singing at the
u p c o m i n g
concert. (“See
Jim Erickson
the
people
struttin’ to the second line.”) Now
you may scoff at my rather limited
knowledge of the South. Maybe I
should have known what the
“second line” was. I admit that my
only ventures south of Des Moines
have been to Orlando to see Mickey
Mouse, and a stopover in the
Atlanta airport eons ago. (OK, I
confess to having misled you a bit
about my research trips to the Old
South in search of “Georgia Grind”
information.
No, I was not on a well-known
sleeping medication that could have
led to late night skirmishes and
hallucinations. And, I have not
shaved my head—it only looks that
way due to rapidly departing
follicles. Nor, have I entered
“rehab” as many popular figures
have recently done, in order to
normalize my otherwise eclectic
and scattered thinking. But, I am
excited to tell you about what I
found and if you know about it
already, then just go look to see
“Where’s Flossie at?”
Dan, at “Home of the Groove,” on
the Internet was gracious enough to
respond to my plea seeking
information about the second line.
Not only did he give me some, but
also gave me an appropriate Internet
link for some more elucidation:
(www.frenchquarter.com/history/Se
condLine.php). Now you, too, on
your very own, can perform like a
researching baritone. (Do not try
2007 Harmony
University
St. Joseph, MO
July 29-August 5, 2007
featuring
Vocal Spectrum
and
Ambassadors of Harmony
If you are unable to set aside a
full week for this program, the
Society offers a special weekend
package at a reduced rate. Make
your reservations now.
Contact:
1-800-876-SING (7464)
or
www.barbershop.org/
harmonyU
The people following the band (the
second line) joined in the
celebration with even more
enthusiasm. Neighborhood people
not even involved in the funeral
would seek out this music and join
in the procession, ‘struttin’ to the
second line.’ It is the ‘jazz’ funeral
concept of New Orleans.”
Dan goes on to say, “Second lines
are now organized for many
occasions. Now, dancing to any
brass band music with a funky
parade beat may be called ‘second
lining’ (also, known as ‘buck
dancing.’ JEE—Do you remember
that term from our earlier
‘Charleston’ tune?) People wave
“Georgia Grind.” While you sip
your street bourbon, I’ll page
through the songs to see if there
isn’t something-----Wait, here’s an
innocuous term that has hidden
meanings. Now I’m not a fan of
“just-in-time” inventory methods,
as, for me, they always seem to be
“just-in-time minus one.” To
purchase a longed-for item, I’m
told, essentially, that I should have
been here yesterday. We’ll have
them just in time for tomorrow,
however. (Malicious smile) But,
right now the term, “Swanee” or
“Suwannee” River has emerged to
give this article a second line
celebration of new life.
Pardon me for my naiveté, but I sort
of thought from as far back as
childhood (before color television),
that the Swanee somehow had
something to do with swans
gracefully swimming along in the
gentle river current on a warm,
summer day. Or, something like
that.
So much for childhood impressions.
But to give you a little background,
the Suwannee River is a major river
of southern Georgia and northern
Florida about 266 miles long. The
river rises in the Okefenokee
Swamp, is joined by the Alapaha
and Withlacoochee Rivers, and
eventually ends near the town of
Suwannee. (Hey–I just report this
stuff. My mind may be as fertile as
year-old cow chips, but even I
couldn’t come up with such names,
at least with a straight face.) In the
Go to Erickson, Page 11 , Col. 1
CHORD-INATOR
Page 9
Cole from Page 2
Happy Birthday
behind schedule, but it seems to
take my brain a little longer these
days to grow those little tendrils to
store all the new stuff. Mind you,
I’m not complaining, I like all the
new music and can hardly wait
until the show is all together and
we finally get to perform — it’s
going to be a great show!
Last night was a board meeting
and a section rehearsal going on at
the same time at Wooddale and on
yewer behalf I attended the board
meeting and we discussed and
made motions and took care of
business. It’s important stuff and
your board is making sure that the
Commodores continue to thrive
and grow. But, in the background I
could hear the singing and it was
really hard not to excuse myself to
go sing. Turns out that it was the
baritones in the next room, but
even their sounds were drawing me
in. How lucky we are to have
enough talented people in our
chapter, to cover all the bases for
sectionals and have 14 more
people covering the chapter
business at the same time.
04/10 Wes Hatlestad
04/11 Sue TeVogt
04/12 Janet Johnson
04/14 Char Carlotto
04/15 Janet Huyck
04/15 Barb Aronson
04/16 Dan Slattery
04/18 Kathy Nelson
04/19 Sarah Hartmann
04/20 Romana Jorgensen
04/20 Ed Peterka
04/21 Curtis Johnson*
04/21 Sam Schmeling
04/21 Carlton Bauer
04/22 Jamye Casperson
04/24 Larry Daby
04/24 Jeff Vander Plaats
04/26 Becky Wigley
04/28 Norma Wuttke
04/29 Dan Smith
04/30 Arlo Stoltenberg*
05/03 Ray LaCombe
05/03 Cathy Lundby
05/04 Dale Lynch
05/05 Roger Meyer
05/06 Rich Ongna
05/06 Kay Foy
05/09 Jim Windey
* Commodore South
There is a lot going on in the
Commodores and some plates are
more full than others, but would I
want it any other way? I say no. I
don’t think I have peaked yet as a
singer and all I have to do is think
of the alternatives. Would I rather
be sitting around watching some
spectator sport knowing that I’ll
never be able to dunk a basketball,
or play hockey (weak ankles, lousy
skater)? Why even my bowling is
erratic at best. And then there’s
NASCAR—there isn’t enough
popcorn in the world to make me
sit through 400 laps of cars going
in circles (ovals), although I must
admit, I still am a pretty good
driver. I say “No!” to the sedentary
life and I’m going to push myself
to my limits, or whatever the
barbershop bank will allow.
I have to stop here, because Honey
has some things for me to do.
Catch you later.
Happy Anniversary
04/11
04/18
04/22
04/27
Chuck & Kelly McKown
Ray & Mary LaCombe
Jim & Judy Johannsen
Dick & Sarah Hartmann
Barbershop at the
Dome
Tuesday , June 26th, 7:05 pm.
Minnesota Twins vs.
the Toronto Blue Jays
Yes, that means not one, but
two, anthems.
All tickets (both singers and
guests) are discounted 20% for
this event. That ends up being
$23 for lower deck seating and
$16 for upper deck.
For more information contact:
Ken Slinde
Bass, Great Northern Union
952/884-4975
APRIL 2007
Things to do in Denver
By Joe Houser, Advance Man
I said in my last article that I went
to a great pizza
place. Well, let me
tell you I have had
pizza all over the
country and this is
one of the best. It
is called Mountain
Pies By BeauJo’s.
This is a truly
Joe Houser
Colorado-style
pizza. There are four locations and
the one I went to is located in
Idaho Springs. This is an old town
about 30 or so miles from Denver.
It is quite quaint, with wooden
sidewalks and nice little stores to
shop in. For those who like
chocolate there is a homemade
candy shop across the street. Let
me get back to the pizza. When
you order a Mountain Pie, you
order it by the pound. You get your
choice of toppings. They make it
over-sized and then they roll the
end crust. When your pizza comes
to the table, the edge of the pizza is
about three inches high. You eat
the flat part and then after you
have saved the end-crust, there is a
bottle of honey to pour on it for a
dessert. You can go across the
street and get some homemade
candy if you choose
Outside the town of Idaho Springs
is an old
gold mine open to
tourists. My friend, Pete, and I
went into the mine. We were there
for an hour or so and learned a
little about gold mining. You can
even pan for gold in a mountain
stream if you like. The mine’s
name is The Phoenix Mine. So, if
you are going up that way for
pizza and shopping, check out the
mine. They have tours and maybe
yo u c an get t hr ee mo r e
barbershoppers to sing a song with
you inside. Pete and I sang a duet
by the Lucky Bucket. Pete’s a bari
so that’s why we sang in a mine.
Plus, the owner of the mine is a
friend of Pete’s. Well, I believe I
Go to Houser, Page 11, Col. 3
CHORD-INATOR
Buzzing the Venues with
… the Gadfly
By Dale Lynch, The Gadfly
Early in March I heard Great
Northern Union –
Hilltop – for the
first time since
they told us they
were going to rethink
their
mission,
their
goals as a chorus.
The Gadfly
The result was a
pleasant experience for the
audience, a strenuous and
satisfying performance for GNU, I
guess, but a long stride away from
Barbershop, most of the time.
The venue was St. Michael’s
Lutheran Church in Bloomington,
Minnesota, the first of two there
this year for GNU.
The show was unusual from the
onset, with welcome delivered by
St. Michael’s Director of Music,
Jane Horn. Ms. Horn expressed
the pleasure of her congregation in
hosting not only GNU, but the
“Statesmen” chorus from Iowa
State University, 100-plus voices
under the direction of Dr. James
Rodde.
A third and familiar ensemble, the
vocal band “Limestone,” from St.
Olaf College, provided very
modern sounds in several of their
own compositions. They are top
award winners in national college
competition. Great talent – CD’s
available and about 60 years after
the “Honey Dreamers” came off
that same campus, sparking such
groups as the “Four Freshman.”
Great Northern Union, seven-time
medalists at International, has told
us they are exploring new material,
re-thinking their identity, and
skipping an appearance at
International after twenty straight
years. Well, Director Peter Benson
is showing GNU the way, sharing
the risers with the Statesmen.
GNU melded beautifully with the
Page 10
Iowa guys, both groups easing the
audience through some traditional
spirituals. GNU’s own program
was just fine, skillfully performed,
and mostly non-Barbershop. Ask
Aarps-A-Chords Jacobson and
Griffith. As veteran GNU’s, they
know what’s going on.
Those Iowa Statesmen. Boy, you
can see the intensity and only guess
at the energy expended up there.
Young guys, young voices. Heavy
lifting. I can tell you that O.C. Cash
and I never heard music like that,
and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t set
down by song-writers. “Composers
Only,” the sign reads here.
The Statesmen will be back with
GNU at St. Michael’s later this
year. Ask GNU when.
On to other things……
The morning of Monday, March 19,
about 35 barbershoppers –
Commodores, Lunch Bunch Guys
from a number of chapters, and
family and friends of Carl Pearson
gathered at United Church of Christ
in Cottage Grove. As he always
does, Jim Richards brought the
music – Precious Lord and Irish
Blessing, and Dave Speidel
directed. As Carl had asked, there
was a good deal of warm
remembrance of our many years of
sharing music and good times.
Even Carl’s pastor knew about
“Super Guy” greetings and “Give
me three.” We were glad to be
there.
At lunch in the church basement,
our table got to talking about how
“Give me three.” is likely to last a
very long time in Commodore lore.
Carl was not the only one who is
digitally deprived. Jim Richards,
like Carl, tangled with woodworking equipment and lost part of
a finger. And everybody knows
about Doug Miller’s encounter with
a folding chair. He lost the battle
and part of a finger.
That’s three guys, but four? Yeah,
four including, Gary Jacobson.
Here’s his story. He says it is
APRIL 2007
absolutely fact, not fiction, and his
“Friends” partner and wife,
Marilyn, will tell the story in
exactly the same way. It goes like
this:
Once upon a time, up in Fargo,
Gary reached up to pull down his
garage door. Somehow, a finger
got caught in the mechanism as the
door descended – and ZIP! – Part
of the digit was off – loaded on the
door.
Marilyn came on the run, of
course, wrapped the hand in a
towel, and off they went to the
emergency room. The doctor took
a look, and then asked whether the
missing digit part was in the towel
or someplace. It wasn’t of course,
all the confusion – the sound and
fury, the dog barking (Oh, man,
did we leave the dog out?)
Anyway, the doctor said they’d get
along without it, and he stitched up
the hand, patted Gary on the
shoulder and sent him along home.
Back home, Gary and Marilyn are
relieved to see that the Springer
Spaniel, Duchess, is waiting.
Rather than going into the house,
Gary goes to the garage door and
raises his “good hand” running it
along the offending mechanism.
By jingo! Gary picks the missing
digit part off the door and turns,
hand in the air.
The dog, Duchess, had been
watching all this curiously. Ahh,
now she understands. Her master
often carries doggie treats in his
pocket, holds them for her to see –
and she leaps up for them. So
Duchess, the Springer, sprang. But
no, it wasn’t a doggie treat. What
was it?
Thanks for asking.
The dog, Duchess, devoured a
delicate dollop of digit; downed it
in a gulp.
Duchess was pleased. In fact,
seemed to like it. Her master has
mixed feelings about losing that
Go to Gadfly, Page 11, Col.2
CHORD-INATOR
Erickson from Page 6
1530’s, when Spaniards explored
the area, they found to their dismay
that the Timucuan people had
already named the river, Suwani,
meaning “Echo River.” And to my
dismay, it has nothing to do with
swans. If Spain had gotten there
first, we might now be singing,
“Way down upon the El Toro
River.” Lacks something. To further
confuse the matter, Sewanee,
Tennessee, home of the University
of the South, has published a
bumper sticker stating, “Sewanee is
not a river.” Do you begin to
understand why my mind is so
disjointed much of the time?
I’m not the only one, however.
Stephen Foster originally wrote
“Pedee” River in his first lyrics of
“Old Folks at Home,” but his
brother told him to change it to
“Swanee” because he thought it
sounded better. Foster never saw the
river he made world famous and
somehow that just doesn’t seem
right. And, to further burst your
bubble, the song i s more
reminiscent of a plantation life
typical of 19th century South
Carolina along the Peedee,
according to Wikipedia (technical
Internet term), than among the
swamps and small farms of coastal
plain Georgia.
I’ve been told that in local parlance,
something going “up the Swannee”
means something going badly
wrong, sort of like “up the creek
without a paddle.” (Sanitized
version) And I’ll be stepping into
the Doc Hardin’s editorial canoe to
head up the creek if I don’t end this
right now. Next time I’ll tell you the
breaking news about the long lost
parchment I found in my gorilla
jacket lining and how it gave me
secret clues to continue deciphering
the Georgia grind!
Keep paddling downstream!
Jim, the backwater baritone.
Page 11
Hassenstab from Page 6
was transportation and installation.
Then on Sunday came disassembly
and return to storage.
The auditorium seating was in
multiple prices. The premium seats
were metal folding chairs on the
basketball court area. The
permanent bleachers were the
economy seats. Since we used
reserved seating, all the chairs and
the bleachers had to be numbered
by us prior to the show. The chorus
had invested in plastic seat
cushions, which were filled with
shredded plastic and had the chorus
name on them. They came in red,
white, and blue, and were in
LARGE boxes. In the off-season we
stored them in the basement of
Farmer Opticians (member). There
were ticket stubs for each ticket
sold, and we had to tape these stubs
onto the seat cushions before the
show. After the first show, we went
through the entire auditorium to be
sure the numbers were there for the
second performance.
Our move to the North Iowa
Auditorium was welcomed by all
who had been involved in the show
preparation. It is still a fair amount
of work when we do backdrops and
some of the staging, but nothing
like the “good old days”.
Which reminds me, did I ever tell
you about…? Well, perhaps in the
next issue.
APRIL 2007
We (Jim) Get(s) Letters
Jim (Richards) Forgot to mention that I thoroughly
enjoyed Director Paul’s article on
the front page of your recent
newsletter/bulletin. This sounds
like a chapter I could really enjoy
singing with.
I think, if all the guys feel Paul’s
way, you all really have it together
with the true spirit of what this
singing fraternity is all about. I
have the feeling that your chapter
is not contest driven, as so many
are. And I’ve come to think that’s
one of the reasons fellows drop
out, or don’t sign up when they
come as guests, etc. We have to
have fun - and that’s what it’s all
about -- singing fun, that is.
Please tell Paul I enjoyed reading
his words. And best wishes to all.
Burt Szabo
LADIES NIGHT/BOTY
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Golden Valley Golf Club
Make your plans now!
Houser from Page 9
now have given everybody
suggestions for places to visit
and enjoy and to have a good time.
Check out the web site for the
pizza: www.beaujos.com.
Gadfly from Page 10
digit-part twice in one day.
Marilyn stands faithfully nearby,
waiting to nod vigorously, if asked.
Someday, perhaps at the Great
Afterglow in the Sky, the digitally
deprived in this column will sing,
and they will need a name for their
quartet. The editor thinks “The
Four Clips” would be good. I’m
holding out for the “The Four
Fingers.”
It’s great to be a Commodore!
Joe Houser (left) with his Denver friend, Pete
Boldrin, at the entrance to the Phoenix Mine.
CHORD-INATOR
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Minneapolis, Minnesota
PERMIT NO. 02426
MINNEAPOLIS COMMODORES
Minneapolis Chapter of SPEBSQSA
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Dr.Hardin Olson, Bulletin Editor
306 13th. Ave. N.
Hopkins, MN 55343
MEETING EVERY TUES –7:30 PM
House of Prayer Lutheran Church
7625 Chicago Avenue South
Richfield, MN 55423
DATED MATERIAL
PLEASE EXPEDITE
GUESTS ALWAYS WELCOME
To:
LOOKING AHEAD
Chapter Quartets
Chapter Level
AARPS-A-CHORD……………………03/01/06
Gary Jacobson……………….…...651/330-4525
EASY LISTENIN'………………….….10/01/03
Dan Slattery………………….…. 763/755-2926
FRIENDS………………………..(mixed group)
Doug Miller…………………….…….952-8265
GOOD NEWS!……………………..….04/30/03
Rod Johnson………………..…....507/645-5750
HAPPINESS EMPORIUM…………...1975 IQC
Rod Johnson………………..…....507/645-5750
METROCHORDS……………………..03/01/06
Dan Cole…………………… ..….612/376-0779
SALTY DOGS……… ……………….08/31/03
Bob Dykstra……………..……….651/633-6951
7TH HEAVEN……..…….……..(mixed quartet)
Jim Foy………….……………….763/571-0829
SPECIAL ALLIANCE………………...03/31/03
Doug Miller……………………...952/447-8265
•
•
•
April 26, 2007, Tech Rehearsal
•
June 3, 2007, Ladies Night/BOTY,
Golden Valley Golf Club
•
June 9, 2007, Joint Rehearsal,
Faribault ?
•
June 23, 2007, Joint Rehearsal,
Lakeville
•
•
July 17, 2007, Como Park singout
•
May 4-6, 2007 LO’L Spring Convention and International Prelims., Winnipeg, Manitoba
•
June 22-24, 2007, Mini-Hep School,
La Crosse, Wisconsin
•
July 2-9, 2007, International Convention, Denver, Colorado
April 28, 2007, Annual Show
May 28, 2007,
grams
Effective April 3, 2007, the
Commodores will be meeting at the
House of Prayer Lutheran Church
at 7625 Chicago Avenue South in
Richfield. Our 33 years at the
Sabes Center are at an end.
Dan Cole
Commodores and others *
contributing to this issue:
Memorial Day pro-
July 19, 2007, Waconia singout
District Level
Notice
Barbershopper Of The Year
International Level
Curt Brekke
Dan Cole
Steve Daniel
Jim Erickson
Bob Griffith
Phil Hassenstab
Joe Houser
Gary Jacobson
Dale Lynch
Hardin Olson
Russ Pettis
Dick Plaisted
Jim Richards
Burt Szabo*
Support Your Chapter Bulletin!
Will April showers bring May
Chord-Inator articles?
(I’ll try to plant the seeds.)