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ATTENDEES ~~~~~~~~~ PRESENT (13): DECs Dick Richards (CSD), Jim Gallagher (RMD), Toban Dvoretzky (SWD); ADECs Charlie Bauder (FWD), Earle Holt (FWD), Bryan Noda (JAD), Dave Rislove (LOL), Jerry Noda (SUN); newly appointed ADECs Don Craig (EVG), Doug Marwood (EVG); AHSOW Information Specialist Glenn Schilberg; AHSOW Education VP & SWD ADEC Steve Shannon; guest Jack Baird. ATTITUDES ~~~~~~~~~ Shannon, leading the discussion, noted that AHSOW has made remarkable progress in the last few years. In just five years, there has been a dramatic change in the perception of AHSOW among members and administrators. It is up to the DEC personnel as to whether AHSOW gains or loses favor, he said. If we have worked with District and chapter officers, the latter find it a unique offer when we are actually present. If we do not work with these outside officers or don't show up, we come across as leeches looking for favors. We must be team players with the Society. If we do not change, we will not improve. Some DEC personnel are still operating as they did years ago, as an archaic group of bad singers. Poor DECs hurt woodshedding, Shannon said; this is not on purpose, but through promotional challenges. NEEDS & PERCEPTIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Five Districts are in severe trouble, said Shannon, but one at least is asking for AHSOW to appear at mini-schools and training sessions. Many men are part-singers and have no clue what we do, and this is a banner-carrying opportunity, said Shannon. Kenosha's concentration is on youth and contests, but the other third of the equation -- our roots -- is up to us. Districts concentrate on contests, rather than conventions, which shows a disregard for the joy of what we joined the Society for, Shannon said. What if, he said, every chapter in a 13-chapter Division were invited to a CONVENTION, where if their choruses wanted to compete, cool, but if they were gun-shy, they could sing with their friends on stage, too, while being judged but with their scores not published? This actually was done, he said, and 13 of 13 chapters showed up! This demonstrates what we can do that changes perceptions, he says -- Barbershop + AHSOW = a support system. At a convention, we schedule an AHSOW room and promote different activities. The published schedule would feature:
Turning again to the larger picture, Shannon stated that Districts and Divisions are in financial trouble, and the default "cure" is to "reduce services." Since "we" fund all that we do, he said, if a chapter hosts a convention, why not sell tickets to the closing show, billed as "the greatest show on earth"? PROMOTE this as a stand-alone ticket, he said, and give a percentage of the receipts to the local chapter, the District, and the winning quartets? OPENING EYES ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just as chapters and Districts have been doing the same old things in the same old ways, he said, inertia as DECs 10-15 years ago is not cutting it today. Changes must be made; how do we fund our activities? One way is through AHSOW's product lines, all geared to "learn to sing better." The men MUST understand what they're doing, and MUST quartet, and MUST woodshed. At a recent FWD school, Shannon taught people how to woodshed. Most chapters there, as in most places, NEVER do woodshedding. They have no clue, for example, how to woodshed in a chorus. The best is seeing the look on a director's face when he's shown how and told the benefits, said Shannon. If you visit a chapter, you can give the members an experience that 99% of them have never had! They are spot-readers and part-singers who sing out of tune, which frustrates the director. Do five minutes of woodshedding at EVERY chorus rehearsal, using a new melody. It is proven clearly that woodshedding leads to tuning, and directors are receptive to tuning and to tuning TRAINING. Toward this end, DECs must develop a cadre of very capable guys who will go BEYOND merely standing in the AHSOW room. We have an obligation to share the roots of our Society. So, how can AHSOW help? This woodshedding approach WORKS, and it brings back the fun that the Society has lost, and men who are discouraged or not challenged can begin enjoying themselves again. Woodshedding is the greatest of all tools for tuning and for anticipation of chords, and most directors don't realize this. We DECs are trying to rebuild our "teacher" group to be as capable as we can be in musical ability, promotion, and visibility. Baird recommended teaching Leads one line of a melody and obliging others to harmonize to it, which soon gives everyone a feel for chords. These are tools that we must use, he said. The excuse is "We don't use it because we don't use it." Inertia works both ways, he said. Holt stated that the Pioneers gatherings in Fallbrook and Chicago are completely unstructured, with "not a contest in sight." There are little spots of brilliance all over the Society, he said, and we can do "gatherings" for AHSOW, as well as encourage the Pioneers concept in the rest of the Society. Gallagher observed that things were fun when we began in the hobby -- EACH man sang in a random quartet. Now, 25 years or so later, the usual is a jealous director protective of chorus-rehearsal time; how to overcome this? Shannon responded that everything must be fit in -- "competition isn't life." The director must understand the benefit of quartetting TO HIM. The "5th meeting" of every month should be a Quartet Night. Now, if a director is expected to have results in chorus contests, he'd better have artistic control (long-range vs. having a new administrative officer in charge every year). But, in a quartetting scenario, while the director can guide or coach, he cannot DICTATE quality, which would not be fun for anyone! Men in quartets own 100% of THEIR note, so the director needs to get them into quartets to aid this creative and learning process. Rather than competing with "chorus time," quartet activity is PART of the creative process, which pays off in the long term. EDUCATION ~~~~~~~~~ Shannon wants an Education Force -- one VERY key man in each District, plus assistants. What if AHSOW created a group of educators to visit and be accepted by chapters? What we have NOW is OPPORTUNITY. A lot of new things can't be done in the same old ways. Let's carry the flag of the bastion of the Society, he said. The Force can demonstrate tuning, then woodshed (one entree) as a chorus. If AHSOW can train a team of four DECs, it will improve chorus-singing AND fun. DECs and their teams need to be a cadre of COACHES for tuning. We must become marketers, Shannon said; "they don't even know that they need our product." We must therefore get with District Presidents and District folks. "How are ADECs picked?" he asked. With enough budget, they could come to a Certification class in one location. "How are ADECs eliminated?" he asked. When they either can't sing or they do nothing. When teaching woodshedding, do they plow through entire melodies or do they concentrate on quality? There is no option, Shannon said -- DECs must make a proactive move toward becoming teachers. Do some noodling, he said, regarding the teaching-team in your District. We need men with the attitude and spirit to get the job done. Gallagher stated that Harmony College classes should be training our OWN guys to go expand their outreach to chapters, vs. treating our guys as though they're merely people in classes. Shannon stated that we need to make our concepts appealing to a buying audience. "AHSOW has been really bad regarding 'what's in it for them.' We have tangible/viable solutions for ___, ___, and ___." The DEC Powwow concluded on an exceptionally positive note. Previous meeting minutes, |