By Hugh Devine and Carolyn Schmidt

Sixty-six students throughout New Jersey and New York attended this year’s eighth Annual Festival of Harmony (FOH) on April 12 in Rahway, NJ (30 boys and 36 girls). The students enjoyed a day of FUN and FELLOWSHIP while singing barbershop harmony!

Music Educators and Students Learned From the Pros

Students were taught singing techniques and barbershop basics by two top-level quartets, REVEILLE and a.k.a. Each group (boys and girls) spent the day learning three songs that they performed in the evening concert. Music educators accompanied their students and observed the day’s teaching sessions. During the day, the Festival Staff conducted a clinic for the educators to hear their suggestions and reactions to the program and how it might benefit their schools’ music programs. In addition, evaluation surveys that were provided by the Barbershop Harmony Society were completed by students and music educators with their opinions of the FOH.

Student Evaluations

Overall, students were extremely pleased with the FOH. Ninety-four percent of them thought it was an “outstanding” or “very good” experience to work with the teaching quartets. The attributes that the students liked “best” about the FOH were: awesome teachers, the music, arrangements, barbershop style, meeting new people, singing with other students, being with their friends, hearing adult barbershop quartets sing, and improving their own singing and harmonizing skills.

Most students thought that the FOH either met or exceeded their expectations. Some examples of their comments were…“I didn’t realize that it was going to be so much fun!” and “I have learned so many new techniques for singing and how to present myself.”

Most students would attend another FOH in the future. Students thanked the Festival Staff for running the FOH. Examples of what they said were…“It was amazing,” and “Thank you to everyone who helped! If it were not for you guys, this would not happen.”

Music Educators Evaluations

Overall, music educators were highly complimentary about the Festival. On a seven-point scale where 7.0 means “excellent,” educators gave the FOH an overall rating of 6.7. They rated the teaching quartets 6.9 and the benefits to their choral music program 6.6.

All of the music educators said…

They would recommend the FOH to other music educators.
They thought their students enjoyed the FOH experience. Some of the comments were…

“We’ve seen lots of smiles today.”

“Awesome.”

"This is our third year and THEY are the ones insisting that we come back.”

They felt that attending the FOH benefits their choral music program in a variety of ways, such as…

“It demonstrates technique and helps raise the bar to encourage us to achieve excellence.”

“It validates musicianship in the areas of vocal production, musicality and performance.”

"It helps with recruitment and students bring back the skills they learn and share them with other students.”

Music educators said that they learned the following ideas and tools at the FOH:

Exercise/practice methods
Vowel techniques, breathing, and vowel sounds
Warm-up techniques and music selection
Stylistic nuances of barbershop and healthy singing skills
Listening skills
Sight-reading skills

Nine Organizations Attended the Festival of Harmony

High schools, middle schools, and children’s choral organizations attended the FOH. They came from throughout New Jersey and New York City.

REVEILLE and a.k.a. Served as Instructors for the Day

The boys were taught by REVEILLE, 2002 District Quartet Champions of the Mid-Atlantic District, International Qualifiers, and members of the Big Apple Chorus. Fern Sicilia, John Ward, Joe Hunter, and Mark Paul are the quartet members. The girls were taught by a.k.a., the 2008 Region 15 Sweet Adelines Champion quartet made up of four seasoned members-- Stephanie Brictson, Gayle Doughtie, Harriette Walters, and Janell Paviolitis. Both teaching quartets did a marvelous job with the students and incorporated expressive moves and creative staging to enhance the singing. Audience members at the evening performance enjoyed enthusiastic performances by both Festival choruses, student
a cappella groups, and the very talented educator quartets.

The Festival was Managed Jointly

The Festival was managed jointly by members of the Barbershop Harmony Society and Region 15, SAI. This year’s Festival Committee included Joe Weiss, Doug Brown, Carl Lund and Rich Taylor (Rahway Jerseyaires), Don Pennell (Rahway High School), Hugh Devine, Alan Hirst and Ray Walker (Princeton Garden Statesmen), Allan Dean (Chorus of the Atlantic), Marc Perez (Freehold Battleground Chorus), Carolyn Schmidt (Hickory Tree Chorus), Patty Danner (Mendham High School and Hickory Tree Chorus), Alan Gramkow (Bogota High School), Mark Paul (Big Apple Chorus), Jim Rohn (Philadelphia Sounds of Liberty), and Harriette Walters (Greater Nassau Chorus). Two new members of the Committee for 2007-2008 were Mike D’Andrea (adjunct music educator at James Caldwell High School and the Montclair Dapper Dans), and Jeff Winik (Easton Brothers in Harmony and Princeton Garden Statesmen).

Planning Has Begun for the 2009 Festival of Harmony

You can participate in the success of the 2009 FOH by doing the following:

Learn more about the FOH – visit the web site at www.festivalofharmony.org
Let students and teachers in your area know about the Festival of Harmony

You and your chapter can support the FOH mission by sending your tax deductible contribution (payable to Festival of Harmony) to Carl Lund, FOH Treasurer, 42 Janet Court, Milltown, NJ 08850-1212. We will return an acknowledgement to you for your tax files.

For more information contact us today!

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