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"Generation Gap" Places Fifth at Buckeye  by: Donna Knapp

There were only five competitors in the Mixed Quartet competition, but we gave it our best! I have been singing in a quartet for four years, but neither the boys nor I have ever competed. We were psyched as we arrived in Columbus with our new quartet outfits, and we were ready to go. We practiced at the pool in the afternoon, and then every hour on the hour until we took to the stage. The Mixed Quartet competition was held in the Headquarters Hotel ballroom. Jennifer had assured me there would not be much of an audience... wrong! There were several hundred in attendance. We were first up, so after the ever-so-long wait before a contest, we went on.

I cannot tell you what a hoot it was to be on stage. Gordon was a faithful fan from a front row seat, and I decided he would be my "thermometer." As long as he was smiling and sitting on the edge of his seat, we were ok. The audience was very receptive and loved Brad's juggling and magic added as stage presence to one of our selections. Our 12 minutes of fame flew by, and we walked straight from the ballroom to the bar. I think our overall feeling was that while it wasn't our best performance, it was ok. We went back to hear the final competitor and Gordon said, 'Well, I don't think you won, but you were great anyway!" We heard the winning quartet, Guys & Dolls, and they were absolutely awesome and deserved the trophy.

We had the time of our lives, not just in the competition, but throughout the entire weekend. The quartet and comedy quartet competition was great. I loved the variety of having men's, women's and comedy quartets in the same contest. The chorus competition also blew us away. We had no idea how good each contest would be. The shows... well, you just had to be there. Friday's show included the Harmony Camp Singers. What they did with 250 high school kids in one week was phenomenal. The future of barbershop in BHS and SAl is looking bright.

This was my first "Buckeye" but I assure you whether I'm competing or not, it won't be my last.

Thank you Greater Pittsburgh for allowing us to come sing, giving up your rehearsal time, your encouraging smiles, and for the standing ovation. It certainly sent us off to Columbus on the right note (no pun intended).

Jewelry to complete quartet look: $16
New top for the Buckeye: $21 (on sale)
Registration for Contest: $35
Singing with Jennifer and her boys: Priceless!

Buckeye "Harmony Youth Camp" by: JayGarber

In mid August, 1 had the honor and pleasure of being a counselor at a barbershop training ground for high school students. This was my second year at the music camp which is organized and operated by the Columbus "Singing Buckeyes" Chapter. The four day training camp is held on the Ohio State main campus where we were housed in the dorms and ate at their cafeteria. The classes and rehearsals were conducted on the performance stages of the OSU Music School.

Attending this year's Harmony Camp were 250 boys and girls of high school age (140 ladies(110 men). Each group had their own music directing staff, teaching quartet and a counselor (same gender) responsible for every 10 students. The staff got together on a Monday evening and made plans for the kid's arrival the next moming. Beginning Tuesday at 11AM, the campers were worked through four tough (but enjoyable) barbershop songs. They had received tapes and sheet music beforehand so most were well along in the mastery of their parts. Boys and girls, training separately, leamed four different songs (The 'Grand Finale' being the 8 part "Fun in Just One Lifetime" we did in Scottsdale several years ago).

Three days and seven rehearsals later (Thursday afternoon), they did a performance in the outdoor amphitheater at the Columbus Zoo. A number of high school quartets were among the student enrollees and they added their talents to what was about a 35 minute concert. It was well received by an audience of approx. 750. A catered dinner was served, in tents at the site, after the show (and after we dried ourselves off from a torrential minstorm).

After some final polishing on Friday, everyone boarded buses for the Palace Theater in downtown Columbus. The Youth Camp Choruses were the opening act of the Buckeye Invitational's evening star studded show. Need I tell you that 250 young barbershoppers on stage made for a show stopping, standing ovation experience?

Many of the kids attended camp through scholarships ($250 per student). JAD's Young Men in Harmony program picked up some, as did a number of BHS and SAl chapters (Pittsburgh Metro sent two young men from Franklin Regional H.S.). While most of the promotion went to Ohio H.S. music depts., there were students from 5 or 6 other states among those registered. All in all, it was a thrilling experience for the kids and staff. The future of 4-part harmony looks to be in good hands for another generation (if these kids are any indication).

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