Editor: Fred Green, poolvacman@gmail.com Member of the Barbershop Harmony Society Vol 2, #4: Oct-Dec 2014

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Statesmen

Our Christmas Show was a HUGE Hit!!

With seven different groups and an audience Sing

-Along, this year’s “Wishing You a Merry Christ-

mas” kept our family and fans glued to their seats

and begging for more!

Internationally ranked quartet, 95 North, was the

featured group for the show and they delivered a

crowd-pleasing set of holiday favorites,

The Cheyenne High School Madrigal Singers reminded all of us how crisp and pure young

voices can sound like…...ahhhh, those were the days!!

The ever-popular mixed doo-wop group, Desperate Measures, proved once again that if you

can’t have fun while singing, then you are just wasting good air…… funny, brash, and

entertaining….. Catch them whenever you can!

Comedy entertainment and super chord-ringing melodies from Good Times! treated the audience

to laughs and holiday poetry.

Our chorus VLQ (Very Large Quartet), and

our Christmas Connection quartet rounded

out the show with wonderful barbershop

sounds of the season.

An audience sing-along brought the evening

to a close and left everyone with laughter,

smiles, and ‘warm fuzzies’ for the Christmas

Season.

Harmony College West & Leadership Academy in Las Vegas Written By Steve Salmon, with excerpts from Don Salz District CSLT Fall Report

On January 23rd to 25th at the Sunset Station Hotel and Casino

Registration: $50 (Room and Meals not included)

For the first time in history these events are coming to Las Vegas. It is my privilege to add my invitation

and strong recommendation for you to attend this great event. I have been several times and it is always a

great experience. A number of the instructors and coaches of HCW are men who are in demand all over the

country (and beyond).

Quartets can get intensive work on your game with some of the best coaches in the Barbershop World.

Individuals can take a variety of classes taught by some of the best the society has to offer. Singing better is

more fun. Broadening your musical knowledge is too. Learn to read and arrange music. Learn better sing-

ing techniques. Learn what the Judges judge. Other classes include; So you want to be a director, Become

an Emcee, The Comedic Approach, Back Stage Magic, and Build a better website.

What do you get for your money besides the obvious? There are general sessions, 8 hours of instruction or

coaching, Leadership Academy or participate in the HCW Chorus, a Saturday Night Show, and Afterglow.

All this for $50.00? Come on guys, this is an offer you can’t refuse, and the district is counting on us.

They have put together the absolute best the district has to offer and is bringing it to our back yard. We

want this event here every year!!

There is something for everyone. Everyone should attend this event. Please get more information and Reg-

ister for this event at https://events.farwesterndistrict.org/

Note: If you have a desire to attend, but financial difficulties are keeping you from attending this event,

please let a member of the Board know so a path to attend can be created. We want the whole chapter to

attend.

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Silver Statesmen,

It doesn't seem like it has been a year since I last sat down to write an end

of the year article for the Nugget Newsletter. We have accomplished so

much in a short time that it is hard to fathom all we continue to accomplish

in a year.

We hosted the biggest and best barbershop convention in the world and our

performance assured us a return visit in the not too distant future. We held

multiple shows to successful completion and continue to set a higher stand-

ard for our audiences. If we keep bringing in more people, we must be do-

ing something right.

We continue to grow and bolster our attendance. We know that living in a

snowbird community is hard on a barbershop chorus but we have continued to build a great core of

members that week in/week out continue to forge the "Silver Statesmen Sound" and learn the fun

of enjoying our hobby and art form.

Lastly, we have proved our resolve and passion for our music by supporting our society and dis-

trict with great attendance at conventions and putting on performances that are the pride of the dis-

trict. Along the way we have continued to improve our scores in contest, keeping our upward tra-

jectory, and picked up one of the hallowed "Most Improved" chorus awards. All in all, I think we

have had as good, if not a better year than we previously had. That's a pretty hard task.

Think of how many sports phenoms have their breakout year in their rookie season, only to follow

up with a less than stellar sophomore season. The pressure is on them to meet and exceed expecta-

tions. Very few ever do but in our world of barbershop harmony, you have.

So now what? Our CEO, Marty Monson keeps reminding us to "Look Out the Window". He truly

has a passion for bringing singing, and barbershop, into the home of everyone. He truly believes

that we should keep the whole world singing. As members of the society, we need to reflect on

how we can fulfill that vision. Not in a year, not in a month, but today.....right now!

Every day we have an opportunity to learn a new song, memorize a part, make a vowel or choreo

move better than it has ever been before. We have all experienced the enjoyment of singing and

performing well, especially when we have a focused effort to achieve that goal. How many remem-

ber the excitement of prepping for the fall convention? Who wouldn't want to be a part of that kind

of progress?

What if we were to find a way to feel like we had some moment of every day that felt like that kind

of progress? What if we knew each week, that on Thursday night we would come charged to give

the best of ourselves to make the best possible music we know how, knowing that we will be

drained and re-energized all in the same evening? What if our default level of singing raised each

week because every man made it their goal to own the "Silver Statesmen Sound" every night they

were on the risers?

Wouldn't you love barbershop and the wonders our music holds even more? Wouldn't you love

getting music ready to share with even more audiences and extending our reach into the arts com-

munity? Would you be able to hold your excitement in to just yourself, or would you be compelled

to find a way to share this experience with another friend or colleague?

That's a lot of questions. That's even more opportunity. The choice is up to you. You are the Silver

Statesmen and our chorus legacy will be documented on your reputation, not from contest to con-

test, but from your day to day choices.

To conclude, I'll finish with the same sports analogy I used before. They will say in many sports

that it usually take 3-4 years for a new star to hit their stride. Some learn by being in the trenches

and digging through the tough years to learn. Others learn from great mentors and take it all in to

develop and become better than their mentors ever thought.

Here's hoping that we have learned, and are prepared to hit our stride and see where it takes us.

How far out the window do you want to look this year?

All the best! See you January 8th!

Jim Halvorson Director

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The Silver Statesmen “Lineup” DIRECTOR

Jim Halvorson TENORS (11) Buehrer, Roger Conner, Mike Halvorson, Dallas Mininger, John Nelson, James Pierce, Xavier Preston, Randy Salmon, Collin Spinks, Philip Truman, Carl Weiss, Albert

LEAD (26) Andersen, Roger Coon, Rich Cuevas, Gil Halvorson, James Halvorson, Larry Hettinga, Warren Hurwitz, Mike Ives, Rick Jewell, Skyler Klaus, Bill Knapp, Greg Lambert, Ivan Larson, Dave Lenox, John Litchfield, Larry Onufrieff, Victor Payton, Joe Pratt, Keith Pruszka, Dave Pucci, Roc Puckett, Antwun Roberson, Dale Rovere, Rob Salmon, Steve Sonneman, Phil Swart, Jeff

- as of 1 Jan 2015

BARITONE (16) Ackers, Stan Adler, Bud Cotton, Ed Floyd, Dave Harrold, Kurtis Hunt, Dean Kleckner, Marc Krausman, Ernie Pascucci, Joe Raybeck, Jerry Salmon, Isaac Salz, Don Sellnow, Brian Sexton, Derek Straub, Walter Wisniewski, Ryan BASS (32) Amblad, Bob Bossard, Buzz Bye, Jerry Cano, Abiel Cimino, Charlie Cooper, Kyle Craig, Herb Dreyer, Greg Feeney, Peter Fewell, Scott Goldberg, Fred Green, Fred Hill, Billy Hulbert, John Johnson, Dennis Johnson, James Judd, Martin Kennedy, Dave Lusk, Bill Massa, JD McDonnell, Walter McNabb, Brandon Mondi, Nino Morrison, Dick Paterson, Larry Pechart, Larry Scharren, Steve Silla, Joseph Sullivan, Sully White, Wes Wines, Chuck Wyson, Joe

Newest Chapter Members

Jeff Swart Derek Sexton

Steve Scharren

COME JOIN US

If you have recently moved to Las Vegas, are just visiting, or have lived here all your life, we want you to feel welcome at any of our meetings. WHERE: Good Samaritan Lutheran Church, 8425 W. Windmill Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89113. WHEN: Thursday evenings from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. WHY: Because if you are between 10 - 110 years old, like to sing, and can carry a tune in a bucket (singing in the shower and the car is encouraged!)we’d love to have you come and enjoy the evening with us.

Visitors are always welcome!

Page 4

President’s Letter Mistakes, I’ve made a few, but then again….Let me just say Thank You! What a pleasure it has been to be the President of the Barber-shop Harmony Society here in Las Vegas. Our Chapter is 54 years old, so I’m not the first. But it was my privilege to serve our chapter as we merged back into one chapter and commit-ted to a path of Musical Progress and a constant Path of Pro-gress. The progress, as we have had, does not happen alone. I am grateful to the Board who have served with me

over the past two years as well as the Music Team, and mostly I thank Jim, our Director. With the adage that Progress = Hap-

piness I have had the opportunity of working with a very happy chapter and chorus be-cause we have done nothing but progress for the past 2 years. Albert (Weiss) will now take the steering wheel and drive this very special chapter. We are not an ordinary chapter that just anyone can drive. We are a special make and model. I have full trust in Albert’s direction and look forward to supporting him, the Board, and Music Team as we progress forward. Under Jim’s direction we are about to enter year number 3. Our chapter is up on its feet and ready to start walking (Toddler Reference). Though it may become frustrating at times, WOW! is it going to be worth it. Our chapter continues to grow, each convention we have raised the bar musically, we have a lot to offer to both our community and our society. We have identified 5 Pillars to strengthen our foundation as an organization. I look forward to continued success and progress as a Silver Statesmen, but more im-portantly as a Member of the Las Vegas Barbershop Harmony Society Chapter and Brotherhood. I will see you all January 8

th and look forward to progressing forward with you and the

many we will influence for good this year. Up to Know Good, Steve Salmon President, Las Vegas Barbershop Harmony Society

Steve Salmon Chapter President

Chapter Limerick Contest

Our Music VP and incoming chapter president, Albert Weiss, initiated a

Limerick Contest to loosen up the creative juices and poetic brain cells of

our members by asking for submissions to finish the following two lines:

“Christmas Show is Coming,

Don’t Let Your Songs Go Flat!”

The winning entry was sent in by Wes White:

“So Learn Your Words and Music too,

‘Cause Harmony is where it’s at!!”

(Wes has won the CD of his choice from the Harmony Marketplace!!)

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Report from a Soon To Be Former

Immediate Past President By Martin A Judd

Two years ago The City of Lights and The Gamble-Aires merged

into The Silver Statesmen. As a result of that merger I inherited the

position of Immediate Past President along with Larry Litchfield.

Now, two years later, I’m leaving that position and Steve Salmon is

moving in.

During those two years I was privileged to lead a group effort in

putting on an international convention. I also got to see two chapters

who were plodding along come together as a new chapter that has

shown a lot of enthusiasm and is developing a great sound. The

difference in our sound between then and now is enormous. Every week we learn a new

technique, a new process, or a new way to perform our singing. People are noticing. Not just our

local followers but people in the hierarchy of the BHS. I want to thank all of you for giving the

merge process a chance. By giving it a chance, I believe it has been and will continue to be a

success. It’s great seeing 40-50+ men on the risers each week. It wouldn’t surprise me to see

100+ over the next year.

All of you should be very proud of what you have helped to create. You have every right to be.

Our group will continue to flourish if all of you become and stay involved. Everyone should have

AT LEAST ONE chapter or chorus job. If you don’t as yet have one, please contact a board

member and we’ll help you fix that. We are all in this organization because we love to sing but

contrary to popular opinion, singing doesn’t just happen. It costs money and takes manpower to

do what we do. If you are asked to do something to help us in the money making process, step up

and do all that you can. In the upcoming months we are going to be looking at ways to make mon-

ey other than thru our annual and Christmas shows. It takes almost $600 a month just to pay our

regular basic monthly expenses. That means that our recent Christmas shows will only cover a

little less than two months. Our profits from the international convention won’t last very long at

that rate. If you have any ideas on how we can raise money, other than by singing, let Albert

know. These ideas will be presented to an as yet to be formed finance committee who will go over

all of them and come up with a plan to cover our needs.

There is one more opportunity coming up in January that you should all consider taking advantage

of. The Harmony College West and the Leadership Academy are being held together for the first

time. This event will be on January 23rd thru the 25th right here in Henderson at the Sunset Station

Hotel and Casino. This event costs only $50 and gives you access to training Friday night, all day

Saturday and Sunday morning. The instructors are some of the best people the FWD has to offer;

Dr Greg Lyne, Justin Miller, Sam Papageorge and Royce Ferguson as examples. Just go on line to

the FWD’s website (http://farwesterndistrict.org/) and see all that’s being offered. Then sign up

for the weekend and select your classes. Just think; all this great training is being given locally (no

long trips or hotel rooms to pay for); you can eat at Sunset Station; eat at one of the dozens of

restaurants nearby; eat a sack lunch in your car or maybe even go home for lunch. It just doesn’t

get any cheaper for the quality of training that’s being offered. Check it out and give it a chance.

You can’t help but learn something that can bring about an improvement in your singing abilities,

which is good for both you and the chorus.

See you in next year’s Nugget in my new capacity.

Martin Judd

Immediate Past President

Grammar Nazis go Way Back.

Page 6

Where Have We Been? By: Steve Salmon

2012 September & October - Discussed, approved, and identified the details of the Merger November- The new Board met and discussed fundamental organizational questions. December- The Board again met to discuss the Merger, a new name and Logo, the Importance of Trust, Being Positive, etc. 2013 January - Combined installation Banquet with a 75th year anniversary theme February – Singing Valentines March- FWD Spring Convention (Prelims) April – 75th Anniversary Party of the Barbershop Harmony Society and 1st annual QT Contest May – Division Convention (First as Silver Statesmen) (Average 65.9) June – Music Man @ Spring Mountain Ranch State Park July – 6 members shadowed the International Convention in Toronto, Canada August – Annual shows at Sun City Anthem, Sun City Summerlin, and Winchester Cultural Theater September – Elections for the 2014 Chapter Board of Directors October – FWD Fall Convention (71.4 with 47 men on stage) December – Combined Holiday Show with Celebrity City Chorus at the Winchester Cultural Theater / Caroling at Ethel M—Cactus Garden 2014 January – Installation Banquet at the Italian American Club (First awards as Silver Statesmen) February – Singing Valentines March – Spring Prelims & Division Convention Riverside CA (74.3 with 44 men on Stage) April – 2nd annual QT Contest & Anniversary Party May – Annual Show Summerlin Library June – Annual Show Flamingo Library July - Hosted the International Convention at the MGM Grand Convention Center & Grand Garden Arena (over 7,000 in attendance) August – Introduced Christmas Music September –Chapter Officer Elections / Honor flight performance at Harley Davidson store October – District Fall Convention, Fresno CA (74.8 with 50 men on Stage) November – Finalize Christmas Music December – Annual Christmas Show Flamingo Library / Caroling at Ethel M—Cactus Garden Highlights of these past 2 years: We successfully merged 2 chapters and hired a great front line director that supports and encourages the culture developed by the chapter board and music team. Each Convention has had increased Participation, Higher Scores, and greater District Recognition. More people are attending our shows and giving great comments after attending our performances. Together we hosted the most successful Convention the Society has had in many years. Members are recruiting, and our guests want to join. The youth are appreciated and respected as equal members of our chapter. We have enlarged the Chapter Funds from $6,000.00 to $16,000.00 Many of the Chapter members feel they have been given a second chance for “Fun” Barbershop.

Here is a little reminder…..because it always sneaks up on us quickly every year!!

A GREAT WAY TO ENSURE THAT VISITORS COME BACK From Paul Ellinger as seen on Facebook

The smartest thing you can do, ahead of anything else after you have a visitor, is going out today and buying 50 blank Thank You cards and have every member sign them, leaving space for a future personal comment. When you have a guest and get their contact information and mailing address, have the one person that hit it off with them the most send one of these cards with a quick message. The message could say anything that showed that you got to know him and look forward to having him back, like, "Jeff, it was great to get to know and having you with us and meeting a fellow car enthusi-ast. We certainly look forward to having you back!" Think about it. Pretend you are still riding high from a great experience from two or three nights ago and you think your mood is going to be dampened when you have to open the mail (bills and junk mail) only to find that a curious hand-written envelope is addressed to you. You open it and discover that someone had taken the time to tell you how much they enjoyed meeting you and all the other guys also signed the Thank You card. Think about how that would make you feel. It's the Cheers Effect (reference to a 1980's TV show; a place where every-body knows your name). A personalized note with every member's signature thanking him for being a part of the evening and wanting him back—trust me, he'll be back.

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Page 7

The Nugget is published quarterly and is the official publication of

the Las Vegas Chapter of the Far Western District (FWD) and the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). The Las Vegas Chapter is the home of the Silver Statesmen Barbershop Chorus. The chorus rehearses each Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Good Samaritan Lutheran Church, 8425 W. Windmill Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89113.

Looking to the Future By Albert Weiss

In early 2014 about 30 chapter members met and identified five concepts we felt the Las Vegas chapter should adhere to in order to continue the chapter successfully. These five “pillars” are as follows:

Ensure Growth

Improve the Product

Personal Responsibility

Community Partnership

Financial Responsibility

In this issue I want to review what “Improve the Product” and “Personal Responsibility” mean to me in terms of our chapter health.

I think Marty Judd’s comment regarding our performance at the Ethel M Gardens shows that our members are noticing an overall improvement in our product. That is to say that our “baseline default”—the techniques we fall back on if we’re not subject to warmups and reminders before singing/performing a song—has risen some since we began. We need to continue to raise this default level, so that when we get together to sing a new song for the first time, our Director can immediately start the task of making music.

Personal responsibility plays a huge role in the scenario above. Unlike many directors we’ve had in the past, Jim has allowed and encouraged us, each chorus member, to take responsibility for what and how we are singing. We are finding that when we are first taught what is good performance and good singing, we have a greater opportunity to properly apply these things and raise our own personal level of performance.

Personal responsibility extends beyond the above. My hope is that each of you will become instilled with a sense of "group responsibility." As I’ve stated before, each of us has a unique set of skills and gifts to offer the chapter. Some are willing to volunteer those skills and gifts freely; others wait to be asked. I hope that, whichever group you fall into, you are willing and ready to step up to the plate when that time comes.

The strength of this chapter is the things we can do together. Our successes this past year were all because of that. We worked together to have successful performances for both our public and our district. We pulled off an extremely successful International Convention. Our biggest item of focus in 2015 is the joint performance of the Silver Statesmen with the UNLV Varsity Men’s Glee Club and the Las Vegas Men’s Chorus coming this April. We have an opportunity to introduce ourselves and hold a huge influence with these two groups, and will have the chance to show the musical community of Las Vegas that the Silver Statesmen are for real.

I am looking forward to a prosperous 2015. I hope that each of you will do all you can to elevate this chapter to new heights this year, and be ready to assist your leadership in making this happen.

Our Mission Statement

The Silver Statesmen is a men’s a cappella chorus hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada. We specialize in the American musical art form of Barbershop Harmony. Our mission is to share our passion for music with our community and enrich the lives of our audiences and members. By striving for growth in our musical endeavors and our community outreach, we are constantly on a path of progress. What makes all this possible? .... It’s the music!

Albert Weiss Outgoing VP, Music &

Performance and Incoming Chapter

President

Page 8

Notes From the Far Western District

Information from the October House of Delegates Meeting October 9, 2014

(Prepared By Steve Salmon)

Supplemental Chapter Coaching Program

Of the 15 choruses which scored between 50 and 59.9 at their last appearance since 2011, up

to 5 will be offered 100% coaching reimbursement (by a consistent coach who is a good fit

for the chorus) for up to 4 coaching sessions between now and the 2015 division contest

cycle.

Restructuring of Convention Funding

The FWD Board has adopted a revised operational funding model for District conventions.

Currently, a chapter which wishes to host a District convention submits a bid and budget.

Upon award of the convention, the host chapter is expected to handle everything out of their

treasury. With the new process, the District writes a check to the Chapter for the expense

amount listed in the budget and all ticketing is done through the FWD not the host chapter.

At the completion of the convention, the district will write a check to the host chapter for

their portion of the net income split.

2015 Convention Registration Pricing

Registration pricing for District Conventions (with Division Convention being $5 less in

each category):

Early Bird Registration $50 (a $5 increase over current) Late Registration $65 (a $10 increase over current) On Site Registration $70 (a new category: a $15 increase over current late registration)

Chapter Coaching

Currently Chapters may apply for $300 maximum for coaching travel reimbursement. Very

few chapters apply for this reimbursement.

Doug Maddox Memorial Plaque

The FWD Board (at the request of the Past Presidents, and Hall of Fame members) has ap-

proved a Plaque that would be displayed on the front lecterns at each District Convention.

FWD Events Schedule

January 23-25 Learning Academy and Harmony College West – Las Vegas (Sunset Station) March 19-21 Spring Prelims – Sacramento CA May 9 SW/SE Division - Santa Monica HS October 15-18 Fall Convention – Mesa AZ

For more information on all of these topics see the Reports of the FWD Officers District

Management Team & other Committee Chairmen

http://farwesterndistrict.org/media-various/documents-and-forms/district-documents/house-

of-delegates-hod-brochures/710-2014-fall-hod-brochure-final

Proper vowel placement and knowing your music will prevent the audience

from hearing similar words.

Page 9

Chapter Meetings are YOUR Chapter Meetings

Well, 2014 is coming to a close as I write this. I hope you have all enjoyed our chapter meetings this year as much as I did, and I look forward to having even more fun in the coming year. Although Program doesn’t play much of a role in determining the direction our chapter is going, I appreciated the opportunity to serve. A big thank you to all who made my job easier, especially those who helped setting up and taking down the risers.

One of the more enlightening episodes was the chapter survey which we all took. It was interesting to see the range of responses on the activities we do – it seemed for every option, some really liked it, some disliked it, and many were ambivalent. I’m not sure those opinions would have been expressed without the survey. It shouldn’t be that way. We’ve talked at the chapter meetings about personal responsibility when learning music. We also need to take some personal responsibility for the direction of the chapter and even activities during the meetings. We’ve talked about “taking chances” musically, but we can each take chances with leadership as well. If you want to do more quartet activities, say so. No one can read your mind. If you want to do gang-singing, or pull out an old favorite song, or even try your hand at directing, talk to the chapter president and volunteer to lead the activity. I’ve found that in singing barbershop, as with pretty much anything else, what you get out of it is in proportion to what you put into it. The more active you are in the chapter, the more you will enjoy the meetings.

And now, a get-this-off-my-chest moment: there are a few guys who go above and beyond for our chapter, who put a lot of work and energy into making things go right. Without them, we would have failed as an organization. They work hard during the week doing all the background stuff that most of us don’t pay attention to. They get up out of their chairs during the meetings to provide leadership and direction. I think they deserve a lot more appreciation and respect than we sometimes show. When someone has the floor during our chapter meetings, we need to pay attention, or at least not be disruptive. Our director has a wealth of musical knowledge that he’s trying to share with us. You may think your jokes are funny, but I don’t drive to the meeting and stand on the risers to hear jokes. If he’s explaining some arcane bit of musical theory and you’re talking to a neighbor, you’re depriving the people around you of an opportunity to learn. Don’t do that. The same goes during the business meeting. We need to keep these as short as possible so that we can get back to singing. When you ask questions because you weren’t paying attention, that slows everything down. And when a quartet is performing for the chapter, talking or being disruptive is just rude. ‘Nuff said.

I’m looking forward to the New Year. It’s a chance to start afresh and build on the amazing progress we’ve made so far. I have the feeling we’ve only started to tap the potential of our chapter. If we all pull together as a team, and commit to taking more individual responsibility and contributing to the chapter, we will achieve things we never thought possible. We have some wonderful opportunities to do extraordi-nary things with our music this year. Onward and Forward!

Brian Sellnow Outgoing VP, Program

Brian Sellnow

VP, Program

Page 10

Good Times! quartet performed twice in December.

They were at Centennial Hospital on the 12th and at

Health South on the 23rd. Thanks guys for representing

our chapter and “barbershop” while bringing great music

to those being cared for and on the mend.

Buehrer Rejoins Silver Statesmen and Broadcast

Roger Buehrer, tenor, has returned to the quartet,

Broadcast, and will rejoin the chorus after the first of

the year. During his absence, Albert Weiss, president-

elect of the Silver Statesmen, and the original tenor

for the quartet, has been filling in for all of their fall

engagements. Buehrer has been released by his doctor

to resume singing. Late last summer he was diag-

nosed with nodules on his vocal chords and ordered

to stay quiet for at least three months. In addition,

Dave Kennedy has been filling in on occasions as the

foursome’s bass. Other members of the quartet are

Rick Ives, lead; Bob Amblad, bass; John Waugh, bar-

itone.

Quartet Activities

Thoughts On Quarteting By Martin A Judd

The other day I was reading thru the latest issue of the Harmonizer and came across a letter from a gentleman

who said that he had left the Society on three different occasions because he couldn’t get the quarteting that he

was interested in at his local chapter. His chapter was primarily a chorus chapter and did very little for those

who wanted to quartet.

I got to wondering about our chapter. Where do we stand? We acknowledge quarteting and use quartets in all

of our shows. Most of our meetings are taken up with chorus type things but we do have a quartet entertain us

every now and then. There also seems to be a bit of quarteting going on during the break. If you go on line and

check out our website you will find a number of quartets listed within the chapter. So why do I have the feeling

that something is missing?

We seem to have a lot of quartets that just want to sing for fun and it ends there. We have very few quartets

interested in the competition side of things. 95 North is still competing at the international level and we have a

couple of quartets that currently have the ability but maybe not the time or the inclination to compete at the di-

vision or district levels. So, how does someone who wants to compete get into a quartet in our chapter that will

allow him to do so? I was in the society for over seven years before I was finally asked to sing with a quartet

and even then I wasn’t their first choice – they had run out of other possibilities. We did the project we were

formed to do and then decided to try and compete. Due to some voice matching problems and the inability to

do the work that needed to be done, we finally went our separate ways after trying to ‘fix’ things. It seems that

there are very few members interested in competing in a quartet and most of those that are, are already involved

in one or more quartets and not interested in taking on another one. Thanks to our chorus make-up the tenors

are in demand because there are so few of them. Randy sings in more quartets than he has closet space for their

uniforms. Unfortunately, basses are a dime a dozen. There are too many of us who want to quartet but can’t

because of a shortage of the other voice parts. These numbers become even smaller if the person wanting to

quartet desires to compete.

I don’t know if there is a solution to this problem or not. Maybe I’m in a minority of one and this really isn’t a

problem for anyone else. I do know that on a personal note, I have no desire to continue to sit in the audience at

a division or district contest and listen to quartets sing and think ‘I could have done that, maybe even better, if

only I had the chance’. Just something to think about……

2015 Board of Directors

Our Chapter Leaders work diligently to make the Silver Statesmen and “barbershop” well-known within our community. Our outreach programs in the school district, senior cen-ters, and other community organizations go far to exhibit our desire to give back in the best way we know how…… It’s the Music!

Page 11

NEW BOARD FOR 2015!

With some major changes made to the chapter board positions, the Board of Directors for 2015 are as follows:

President Albert Weiss Executive Vice Pres Greg Dreyer Treasurer Wes White Secretary Ivan Lambert Music VP Larry Halvorson Chapter Dev. VP Joe Payton Marketing & PR VP Martin Judd Member at Large Bill Lusk Member at Large Isaac Salmon Immediate Past Pres Steve Salmon

Within these board positions, several committees and teams will be formed. The EVP will be responsible for the Finance Committee, Ladies Aux., and Special Projects, as needed.

The Music VP will head up the Music Team, comprised of the Chorus Manager, Program Manager, Director, Show Chairman, and Music Librarian.

The Communications VP will direct the Communications Team, consisting of Marketing, Public Relations, Bulletin Editor, Webmaster, Social Media, and Photographer.

With our growing chapter, it was felt that these positions would better serve the needs of the group than our previous board configuration.

Fred Green Outgoing VP, Marketing & PR

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Silver Statesmen Calendar (Board Meeting - 2nd Saturday at TBD / Music Team Meeting 1st Tuesday at 7:00pm) NOTE: A date with No Rehearsal means not under the direction of Jim Halvorson. It may be a Dark Night, Social Night, Party Night, Summer Boot Camp, etc. These nights will be under the direction of the Program VP or Music VP and their teams.

2015 JANUARY 8 First Rehearsal of the year 17 Installation Banquet (3 Square) 23-24 FWD Leadership & Harmony College West FEBRUARY 14 Singing Valentines MARCH APRIL 25 Combined Chorus Show (Green Valley Presbyterian Church) MAY 9 SoCal East Divisional (Santa Monica, CA) JUNE

5 “Vintage Vegas” Show (Desert Spring United Methodist Church)( 6 “Vintage Vegas” Show (Italian-American Club)

JULY 1-6 BHS International – Pittsburgh, PA AUGUST SEPTEMBER 3 First Reading of Proposed Officers 24 Chapter Officer Elections OCTOBER 10-12 District Convention (Mesa, AZ) NOVEMBER

TBD Installation & Awards Banquet 26 No Rehearsal (Thanksgiving)

DECEMBER TBD Annual Christmas Show 24 No Rehearsal 31 No Rehearsal

The Nugget is your newsletter and vehicle for sharing information, stories,

and news about the chapter, chorus, quartets, and the people in them. To make it interesting and a fun read, I would encourage all of you to provide articles for publication, photos of quartets in action, our members, chorus on the risers….. Anything that you find interesting and would like to see in the newsletter to share with others. — The Editor