Sunday, September 10, 2006
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Sunday, September 10, 2006 |
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Sweet harmony
September 10, 2006 Here's a soul-lifting way to put harmony in your life. Consider moving your singing from the shower and car to the stage, supported by women who celebrate your passion and will make you laugh a lot. You could become a Sweet Adeline -- a crooner and interpreter of songs that radiate your inner stage diva and enrapture audiences with bell-clear, fluid styling. Or you can just listen to the Sweet Adelines -- who infuse songs with four-part barbershop harmony unaccompanied by musical instruments. But don't let old-fogy notions of barbershop singing derail you from enjoying this delightful art form. The youngest of the all-volunteer Great Lakes Chorus of Sweet Adelines International is 16. The oldest is 91. In between are women of every profession and pitch. And the songs are kind of sexy, even an a cappella standard called "For the Sake of Auld Lang Syne." The song starts out with the lyrics -- "Love of my life, love me tonight," and the Sweet Adelines rehearse it with bosom-heaving fervor, displaying an animated yearning. These women aren't professional singers. Some of them just wanted to move from the church choir balcony to center stage. Nancy (JoJo) Beckham, 33, of Belleville Why she sings: "I have a love of harmony. I have a love of music," first nurtured when she watched her grandfather sing barbershop. And after a year of watching her mother participate with the Sweet Adelines, JoJo joined in 1999. Her mother, Ellen Beckham, drives three hours from Ohio every week to practice with the chorus. Stage presence: JoJo's full-out song delivery also delivers in her job as an adoption counselor with Ennis Center for Children. When she trains staff, she has to win over her audience by "getting a message across and being personal." On stage and off, JoJo says, "you have to have an animated face" because "the first impression is going to be the most important." Jodi Newsom, 39, of Farmington Hills Why she joined: Intrigued by a coworker singing along to a barbershop melody CD, Jodi visited a Sweet Adelines rehearsal and was hooked. She's enjoyed learning more about the art of singing -- about how her posture or how she shapes her mouth affects the clarity of a note. "If you'd asked me 10 years ago, 'Do you want to sing barbershop?' I'd think that's what my grandparents did," Jodi says. "But it's grown from an interest to a hobby to -- I'm just passionate about it now." How she auditioned: Jodi says the tryout was the "easiest thing I've ever done." A welcome committee helped prep her and went over the music she needed to learn. She auditioned in front of Director Sylvia Karpinsky, and the welcoming committee members were there for support. "It was very nice because I felt very confident and relaxed," Jodi says. Sylvia Karpinsky, 49, of Sterling Heights How she became singing royalty: A Hamtramck schools music teacher, Sylvia is the chorus' director, and she leads with the confidence of a Leonard Bernstein. A 25-year barbershop veteran, she's also performed in Sweet Adeline barbershop quartets and won a national competition in 1991. "I'm called a queen of harmony," she says. What she wants to hear from you: "First off, what I want is, 'Can they carry a tune?' I'll start you with something simple like 'Happy Birthday.' "I'm looking for pitch, accuracy and a decent sound. We're not looking for professionals. We want people who can hang in there and sing their part." Patricia is a Twist writer. You can talk to her at 313.223.4538 or pmontemurri@freepress.com. |
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