Feelin’ the Thrill!
There’s nothing quite like hearing the MC announce “The Southerntiersmen” as Seneca Land District (SLD) Chorus Champion of 2018! What a rush!! Our director, Mike Lurenz, literally leapt to his feet and ran across the back of the auditorium to kiss his wife, Holly. All our members and spouses were thrilled with this achievement; we’ve been working diligently to raise the quality of our singing for several years. In the past year, we had received feedback from various sources that we had never sounded better, and that encouraged us to work even harder. The announcement that we were also Plateau AA Champion and Most Improved Chorus was merely icing on the cake!
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Our experience is probably similar to that of our brothers in other SLD chapters. The nature of barbershop harmony tends to draw out the best in each singer, and in turn, the ensemble. Improving the quality of our singing only adds fuel to the fire. We’re all proud of the quality of our singing regardless of our placement in contest. And we keep using competition as a tool to improve, and to have the most fun anyone could possibly fit into a weekend!
Our music team continually challenges us with relevant new music, online access to charts and learning tracks, and stimulating rehearsals. And for the last couple years, the Southerntiersmen have collaborated with nearby chapters to hire vocal coach Eddie Martinez of the Vocal Majority. Eddie’s superb coaching has been invaluable to us in our ongoing quest for singing excellence.