Friday Evening Classes

How to Be a Great Tenor (1 hour): Everyone

Instructor: Rick Spencer (Tenor, TNS)

We all know how important a great tenor is to barbershop. They add the sparkle to the sound! If you aspire to be a great tenor, this is your class.

How to Be a Great Lead (1 hour): Everyone

Instructor: Larry Bean (Lead, The Management)

For most ensembles, so goes the Lead(s), so goes the group. Learn the secrets of what makes a great

Lead singer.

How to Be a Great Baritone (1 hour): Everyone

Instructor: Dusty Schleier (Baritone, TNS)

Most members of the Society can't imagine using "great" and "bari" together in the same sentence. The truly great baritones make themselves great by getting out of the way and making the chords ring. If you sing bari, this is the class for you.

How to Be a Great Bass (1 hour): Everyone

Instructor: David Carden (Bass, TNS)

Every group needs a great foundation, which is provided by the bass. Get some tips on how to become the best bass you can be.

Tag Singing (1 hour): Everyone

Instructors: Various

Drop in learn and sing tags with some of NED's TagMeisters. They will teach all four parts to as many tags as you can get through in the time given.

Woodshedding (1 hour): Everyone

Instructor: Various

When was the last time you actually woodshedded a song? Some experienced woodshedders will guide you through singing barbershop without written arrangements, just like they did in the good old days.

Arranging From a Sheet of Music (6 hours): Advanced

Instructor: Bill Mitchell (Noted Barbershop Arranger)

We are very excited to have noted arranger Bill Mitchell joining our faculty again this year. Bill has done some great arrangements for many International competitors - you might have even sung one. If you have some basic musical skills, then this course could be your gateway to arranging. This is an interesting approach to arranging using the clues that appear on a piece of sheet music to guide you through the process. If you can identify the notes on the melody line and have a little understanding of the guitar symbols and/or the piano accompaniment, then come to this all day session of musical enlightenment. You must bring your own keyboard and headphones.

Bel Canto Principles for Barbershop Singers (1.5 Hours): Everyone

Instructor: Debra Lynn (Professional Vocalist and Voice Coach)

You read her articles in The Harmonizer - now come see Debra Lynn in person. Experience the blending of bel canto understanding with the beauty of the barbershop style in this interactive workshop. Through experiential exercises and group interaction, we will experience the positive benefits of this ageless technique. Lock and ring faster, make that breath last longer, create seamless transitions through vocal registers for more consistent legato production and experience what truly singing with ease is all about! NOTE: This class is being offered twice.

Care of the Senior Voice (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Larry Bean (former Music Educator and experienced vocal coach)

Our voice naturally changes as we age, but it doesn't mean that it has to get worse. In this class you will learn how to deal with, adapt to and compensate for the changes that happen to every senior singer. Learn strategies for breath management, controlling vibrato and much, much more. Anyone of any age can learn to use their voice very well. NOTE: This class is being offered twice.

Chorus Coaching (3 hours): Everyone

Instructors: Assigned coaches

Bring your chorus for a three-hour coaching session. You can request a single coach for three hours or two coaches for 1-1/2 hours each. Learn from some of the best! NOTE: SIGNUPS LIMITED TO ONE

CHORUS EACH SESSION. YOUR CHORUS MUST SIGN UP WELL IN ADVANCE.

Coaching Under Glass (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructors: Quartet or chorus coaches

Here's your chance to learn some of the inside stuff that goes on in coaching sessions. You may sign up to be a fly-on-the-wall at a coaching session(s) during any of the four periods. Plan to be an observer only but you'll come away knowing more about barbershop harmony than you ever thought existed. You may sign up for as many sessions of this as you wish. (Note: See Jim Coates to be assigned to a coaching session.)

Developing a Presentation Plan (1.5 hours): Advanced

Instructor: Steve Janes (Presentation Judge)

You've chosen a song. Now what? In this class you will learn how to go about developing a presentation plan for your song once you've selected the song. In an hour and a half the class will develop a full presentation plan for a complete song - promise!

How to Be A Great Section Leader (3 hours): Advanced

Instructor: Karen Rourke (Director of Lowell Chapter, Bass of Boston Accent, 2006 Harmony Inc. Champion)

Oh, the joy of being a section leader! Learn how being an effective Section Leader can help your chorus achieve its musical goals. This course is a VERY interactive session where Karen and all participants brainstorm techniques, ideas and philosophies of being effective as the "middle management" in your chorus. You'll learn ways to monitor your section and motivate your singers. Karen will also take you through some vocal instruction sessions, where she will work with individual singers while discussing techniques for helping each one improve. This class will help you make your section "be all that they can be."

How to Read Music (3 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Ed Fritzen (Singing Judge)

Do you only hold the arrangement so you can read the words? Do your eyes glaze over at the mention of a quarter note? Do you think a rest is when you get coffee? Come to this class and take some of the mystery out of the pieces of paper you hold in your hands. Ed will kindly and gently teach you how to make a little more sense of those lines, spots and symbols. We promise it won't hurt! NOTE: This is a beginner course aimed at those who have no real knowledge of reading music.

Introduction to the Theory of Barbershop Harmony (3 hours): Advanced

Instructor: Steve Delehanty (Music Judge and noted barbershop arranger)

We begin with a quick review of "This is a G-clef" and quickly continue through basic music terms and symbols. Then we progress into scales, intervals, key signatures, basic barbershop chords, elementary chord analysis and beginning circle-of-fifths theory and chord progressions. NOTE: Knowing how to read music is very helpful for this class.

Knowing What Part of a Chord You're On (1.5 hours): Advanced

Instructor: Steve Delehanty (Music Judge and noted barbershop arranger)

You might know that you should sing roots and fifths louder and thirds and sevenths softer, but that doesn't help you if you can't figure out which is which. In this course we will learn how to look at the notes on the page and figure out what part of the chord each note is for many common (and some not so common) barbershop chords. You must know how to read music before taking this course.

Mix and Match - How Voices Can Work Together (or Not!) (3 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Karen Rourke (Bass, Boston Accent, Director, Lowell Gentlemen Songsters)

Why do you sound great with one person and can't blend with another? Learn listening skills, vocal techniques and maybe even form a quartet in a fun, non-threatening environment. All attendees participate in numerous demos of combinations. It's fascinating to hear what works and what doesn't and how simple posture, resonance or standing position changes can lock in an ensemble. This is consistently one of Karen's most popular classes.

Nine Steps to Efficient Practicing (1.5 hours): Everyone     ***New in 2012***

Instructor: Debbie Borsari (Three-time Harmony Inc. quartet champion, noted director and coach)

Want to bring your best to every rehearsal?  Learn ways to practice at home to not only learn your chorus and quartet music, but to also improve as a singer and performer. Included are tips to memorize your music in a quick and efficient way!  Computer knowledge is helpful as we will be using Audacity to chunk your music!  What's chunking? Come and find out!

Performance Analysis (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Steve Plumb (Presentation Judge)

What makes a performance great - or not so great? This is a learn-by-example class. In this very participatory class, you will see videos of some really great performances, as well as some that have some significant room for improvement. An experienced contest judge will guide the class in identifying what makes each one great or not so great, and determining and prioritizing areas for improvement.

Quartet Coaching (6 hours or 3 hours)

Instructors: Guest quartet members, visiting BHS staffers and various faculty

Bring your quartet to work with some of the finest coaches from the NED and beyond. Our coaching staff will consist of our guest quartet members, certified and candidate judges and other well-respected coaches from the Northeastern District.  NOTE: Quartets can sign up for a half day or a full day of coaching.

Show Production and Stage Managing (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Steve Janes (Presentation Judge)

We will discuss the aspects of a producing a successful show, including keeping a show to a manageable length, providing entertainment for your entire audience, agreeing on show themes and  staging the show, Emcee techniques, scripting, venues, ticketing, working with guest quartets and ensuring the highest quality performances will all be discussed. Your next show can earn a Standing O! Those who want to get hands-on experience should also sign up for the Stage Managing Workshop.

Sight Singing/Sight Reading (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Ed Fritzen (Singing Judge)

Ed will teach you how to sight-sing barbershop songs more quickly and accurately. The course includes basic interval training, scale work and lots of singing of barbershop songs. This course has been very popular in recent years at HCNE. Make an investment that will add to your enjoyment of our hobby by making quick sense of those spots so you can more quickly find the music in every song. NOTE: This course requires that you already know how to read music.

Singing with All Nine Senses (1.5 hours): Everyone   ***New for 2012***

Instructor: Larry Bean (Lead of NED Champs The Management, noted director and coach)

Participants will be led in an exploration of a piece of music by discovering ways to approach the piece through nine different sensory lenses.

Tag Singing (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructors: Various

Had enough learning for one day or just need a break? Drop in and sing some tags with some of NED's TagMeisters, who will teach all four parts to as many tags as you can get through in the time given.

Using the Fourth Wall Effectively (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Steve Plumb (Presentation Judge)

The use of the imaginary Fourth Wall is a performance technique that is as old as the performing arts themselves. However, many barbershop groups have yet to discover the power of this valuable technique. Come to this class to learn what the Fourth Wall is all about, what's involved in using this technique, when it might be appropriate (and when not), and to see examples of the Fourth Wall technique in use in barbershop performances.

Vocal Techniques Master Class (1.5 hours): Everyone

Instructors: Debra Lynn, Mike Gabriella, Dan Signor

NOTE: These classes will be limited to five or six students each session. Each student will receive a 12 to 15-minute private voice lesson with specific suggestions, exercises and tools for improving your singing skills. The instructor will conduct these lessons in front of the rest of the class so everyone gets the benefit of seeing and hearing how others are coached for improvement. This class is great for those who not only want to sing better themselves but to be able to help others as well. NOTE: Four sessions of this class are being offered.

Vocal Techniques Workshop (3 hours): Everyone

Instructors: Dan Signor (Morning), Tony Nasto (Afternoon)

This class is ideal for those who have never had any individual voice instruction or are fairly new to singing, or those who realize they have more to learn about how to sing better. You'll learn techniques for proper posture, breath support and voice placement for the best resonance in a group setting, with some students getting individual attention in front of the group. NOTE: This class is being offered twice.

What Are the Judges Looking For? (3 hours): Everyone

Instructor: Steve Plumb (Presentation Judge)

Have you ever wanted to know how the judges arrive at their scores? In this class you'll learn about the Category Description for each scoring category. Score sheets from each category will be given out and reviewed. You'll see some example performances and discuss the strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of each category.

WORKING YOUR WAY TO "A" (3 hours): Everyone     ***New for 2012***

Instructor: Mike Gabriella (Tenor of NED Champ Road Show, noted coach)

Calling all those who have a desire to understand what it takes to work up to that seemingly elusive "A" score.  Maybe you are an aspiring coach, quartet or chorus member who wants to finally grasp exactly what those performers are doing to earn that BIG mark?  In this class, you have an opportunity to experience a live rehearsal/coaching session that will let you witness the development of musical artistry in a way you may not have seen before.  Foreign Exchange, the 2011 Harmony, Incorporated International Quartet Queens and Regional Harmony Sweeps Champions will debut a brand new work fresh off the paper.  This interactive session will focus on coaching techniques, approaches, concepts and the musical nuances that bring a group from just words and notes to a stunning and masterful musical performance!  Come see, understand, learn and be a part of the transformation process!  Your host and facilitator, Mike Gabriella has coached groups to championship levels along the entire eastern seaboard, and, across all three barbershop organizations!  Come see for yourself and unlock the mysteries that will take you one step closer to performances that will not just impress, but MOVE your audience!  Do YOU have what it takes?

Friday Evening

Directors' Roundtable (DCNE) (1 hour): Advanced

Instructor: Todd Lamson, James Estes, Mike ONeill

Open to all directors and assistant directors, Todd will moderate a roundtable discussion where you can discuss issues and brainstorm solutions that you've encountered in your directing experience.  This is a very interactive session and allows you to share and learn from others' direct experience.

Saturday

Ensemble Vocal Technique (3 hours): Advanced    ***New in 2012***

Instructor: James Estes (BHS Music Staff, Singing Judge)

James will be leading a three hour session on Ensemble Vocal Technique for Directors, Assistant Directors and Section Leaders.  This session will examine and explore techniques that will impact our ensembles through best practices that can be employed at the ensemble level, section level, as well as individual level.  It is sure to reinvigorate old ideas and offer new ideas that will inspire you to take your group to the next level!

Creating a Great Rehearsal Environment (1.5 hours): Advanced   ***New in 2012***

Instructor: Mike O'Neill (BHS Music Staff)

Mike will lead a 1.5 hour session that will explore the rehearsal environment we create for our ensembles.  What impact do our choices make?  What can we change in our rehearsal environment or plan that might be more exciting and rewarding for our singers?  This could be a catalyst for a newly inspired ensemble!

Directing Techniques Workshop (1.5 Hours): Advanced    ***New in 2012***

Instructor: Todd Lamson (Certified CDWI Instructor)

In this hands-on interactive class, Todd, a certified CDWI instructor, will have each attendee direct the class in a portion of a song and then work with the director in front of the class.  The focus will be proper communication through the use of your body language and hands.  Each student will get a chance to "wave his arms" and will receive feedback for improving the effectiveness of his or her directing skills.  Open to all directors, assistant directors, section leaders or anyone else who wants to improve their skill in leading a group.