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Back To Our Westbury, LI Rehearsal Hall

For Fall/Winter/Spring Rehearsals

And Pushing Forward With A Busy Agenda

It’s October, and the Tuesday night sounds of barbershop harmony have returned to our “usual haunts,” Winthrop Hall, where we will spend the next nine months improving our craft. It’s also the traditional time when Nassau County’s singing-interested turn to church choirs and other choral entities, deciding where they will spend time actively pursuing such pleasures. An invitation is open for your male friends, old and young, to stop by on any Tuesday night at 7:30 pm to listen, and consider joining voices with ours. It is an appropriate time, as we begin turning attention to new repertoire as well as end-of-year holiday songs in exciting four-part harmony. Meanwhile we are in readiness preparing for public performances in Long Beach and Hicksville, an Inter-Chapter get together bringing Long Island barbershoppers together under our roof, and lots more. Our Winthrop Hall doors await you.

Photo: George Seelinger

Church of the Advent’s Winthrop Hall, 555 Advent Street, Westbury, LI

HALLOWEEN FUN FACTS

Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the U.S.

In 2013 a California man grew a pumpkin weighing in at a whopping 2,032 pounds. It took 102 days to grow in his backyard.

There’s a fine of $1,000 for using or selling Silly String on the streets of Hollywood on Halloween.

Trick-or-treating has existed as far back as medieval times when it was referred to as guising and children and poor adults went around in costumes begging for money and food in exchange for song. It was also known as souling.

Inside This Edition

Here’s Looking at you - Page 2 What’s on your fridge - Page 3 Halloween Songs - Page 3 Bored - Page 4 Individual Adjustment - Page 5 Remembering Bill Schlageter - Page 6 Voice Lessons - Page 7 Misunderstood Music Terms - Page 7 Where Are They Now? - Page 8 Labor Day Weekend Pleasures - Page 9 Singing to Newborns - 0 Well, Why Not? - Page 11 On the Move - Page 11 Parting Shots - Page 12

Toosday Toons - - October, 2015

A publication of the Nassau Mid-Island Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, a nonprofit, charitable and educational society. Chapter meetings are held at 7:30 pm on Tuesdays at Winthrop Hall, Church of the Advent, 555 Advent St, Westbury. All articles not accompanied by a byline have been written by the editors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the members nor of the officers of the Nassau Mid-Island Chapter. Opposing points of view are welcomed and encouraged. All editorial submissions must be received no later than the 21st of every month prior to the upcoming issue in order to be considered for publication.

Editor Bob Heim

[email protected]

Assistant Editor Bill Ruth

[email protected]

Additional Contributing Team George Seelinger Maurice Debar Eva Milauskas

Bill Vesely

Design & Wiz-bang Dan Gilmartin,

Chapter Webmaster

Chapter Census Life - 1

Regular- 28 Senior (SL) -16 Senior (SN) - 10

Youth - 1 Total - 56

www.LongIslandHarmonizers.org

We are a 501(C)(3) Not-For-Profit Organization

Toosday Toons

From the Corner OfficeFrom the Corner OfficeFrom the Corner Office George Seelinger, Chapter President

Do you like to sing? That may seem like a foolish question, given the audience it's directed to. Of course, you do, or you wouldn't be here. We all like to sing, but sometimes our facial expressions and demeanor on stage might fail to communicate that feeling to our audience. We all have lots of other concerns or issues in our lives and sometimes we're just a bit tired - or even, dare I say it, bored. All of that is human, but I'd like to suggest that even if we're faking it, we have to look like we're having fun whenever we perform.

I have to admit that we're pretty good at creating that atmosphere at times. I know it because we have several members who joined us after seeing us perform and thinking that it looked like fun. In fact, I think that our demeanor in performance may be our most effective recruiting tool.

Now let me suggest that our other best recruiting tool is singing well. I think that both modes are interrelated. If I'm unsure of my parts, I can't be relaxed and at ease with my performance, and that has to show. It's why I give weekly attendance at practice such a high priority.

Ensemble singing requires coordination between all of us that can only be achieved by working together. Practice at home with sheet music or learning tracks is important, but it can only take us so far. To absorb the subtle changes in voicing or interpretation that Maurice introduces, I must be there to sing with the group.

On any Tuesday night, we only achieve about 60 to 70 percent attendance. I'm often amazed at how good we can be in spite of this, and I know we could be even better.

But practice isn't the whole story. I love Tuesday nights, but they'd be meaningless without the opportunity to share our talents with the public. For me, our Society theme song is what we're all about - namely to "keep the whole world singing!"

HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU ON AND OFF THE RISERS


A FEW HALLOWEEN

SONGS (Puns Intended)*

Bob Heim-isms

Howl I Know (If You Love Me)

The Eerie Canal

Making Up Is Hard To Do

Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend

I Want A Ghoul

(Just Like The Ghoul That Married Dear Old Dad)

I Aint Got No-Body

(And No-Body Cares For Me.)

A-Haunting We Will Go

*Undoubtedly Joe Massaro will have some of his own.

I’m looking at mine. And I find myself at others all the time. Magnets? More than one. Photos galore of fun times, pictures of the kids and family. What a marvelous way to slip in some subtle (or not so subtle) references about your favorite hobby.

When a guest looks at the fridge door and sees your rehearsal schedule, a flyer about looking for new members, a post-it about an upcoming singout or a picture of you singing with the chorus/quartet, wouldn’t THAT be an “ice-breaker” for conversation about barbershopping?

If you want to “go all the way” and spend a few dollars, check Harmony Marketplace at:

http://shop.barbershop.org/

Under Merchandise/Car you will find BHS window decal for $2, perfect for your fridge (hey let’s buy a bunch of them and hand them out).

For $5 and change you can get a 15-ounce beverage glass with the Society’s logo. Keep it in sight.

Print out the I Love to Sing logo, it won’t take up too much room, I promise, and may work wonders.

Just think how many interested souls crowd around your refrigerator. Be creative (I know you are).

Use the fridge!!!


Bess Bell,

Michael Creaney, Marilyn Goodman,

Bill Hardman, Bob Heim, Gene & Dorothy Kammerer,

Jane Marrin, Joe Massaro, Mary McCoy,

Sally O’Connor, Jim Schlegel,

Steve Stojowski, Jack & Susan Szaluta,

& Joel Trent

October Celebrations!

Birthdays:

Alan Stern (7) Steve Marrin (13)

Joy Peluso (19) George Seelinger (27)

Ray Shotter (29

Bored Feel Better Soon!

" I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression

of humanity. It's something we

are all touched by. No matter what

culture we're from everyone loves music."

-Billy Joel

Everyone gets bored. Boredom can be a curse or it can be an inspiration to try something new . . . an opportunity. When I was practicing piano in earnest, I often got bored after hours of rehashing the same notes. I loved making music at the keyboard so I overcame my ennui by starting a brand new piece of music. I started practicing with fresh enthusiasm and later I returned to the older opus with renewed vigor. Wives get bored of cooking. Imagine the drudgery of decade after decade frying the same hamburgers. Husbands get bored with their wives and long to trade them up for a newer model. Usually only rich old men get to do this after purchasing their first Corvette. I would warn you not to try this, as older models have very little trade in value.

So is it not to be unexpected that you might get tired of barbershop? There must be something mysteriously special about the hobby as many men are members of the society for 30, 40 even 50 years! Directors get bored too! How many times can you get excited about correcting an out of tune chord? One cause of the directors and singers boredom is doing the same passage over and over for singers who constantly comes to rehearsal ill prepared. These people slow down progress to a crawl and prevent the director from moving on from the nuts and bolts to phrasing and expression that spark the music into life. Those unprepared singers unfortunately encourage the men next to them to become lax and compound the problem. I try to be part of the solution rather than the problem when I am singing in a chorus or quartet.

One pick me up for a singer can be to learn another part. Each voice part has its own individual challenges. Just imagine yourself singing the baritone part. Leads can learn a valuable lesson by learning a harmony part and every harmony singer should be able to sing the melody. Another thrill comes from singing in a quartet. You can form a permanent foursome or simply ask three other guys to sing a polecat after rehearsal. It is the job of the director to make the rehearsal fun but the men on the risers also need to encourage their director to work harder.


Do you have the “write” stuff?

All editorial submissions must be received no later than the 21st of every month prior to the upcoming issue in order to be considered for publication.

- The Editor.

Individual Adjustment, Until You Get It Right From: Down Our Way – Aug. Issue -Jack Martin , Editor

Lake Lanier, GA Chapter—BHS

Quite simply this concept is no more, or less, than personal responsibility. It comes from a director in a different field than Barbershop, although I have seen it used in our art form, too. This director said to his choirs, "I know what good choral singing sounds like. So, if I hear sounds you make that are not good choral sounds, I'll stop you, tell you, and ask you to do something else with your voices, and I'll keep doing that until I hear good choral singing." I have also heard directors say, "We all know what needs to be done to make a good unit sound. We've all learned the basics of good vocal production. What you just sang wasn't it. Make a better choice." They would then keep stopping and repeating a section until it was right. In both cases, instead of saying, "This is how it should be," they left it up to the individual singers to fix to get the desired sound. It all boiled down to personal

responsibility. Their singers knew they had to listen and adjust to make the good choral sounds required for great unit sound. No one was particularly right or wrong, but all had responsibility in making the adjustments necessary to achieve success. Good choral singing, no matter the genre, depends on individuals listening at all times and making the adjustments necessary for the good of the group in achieving the greatness they wish. They all leave their egos at the door so they can claim the personality of the group.

WHAT A CONCEPT -

I AM NOT SURE WHO WROTE THIS ARTICLE, NOR DOES IT MAKE MUCH DIFERENCE. IT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE A GOOD CONCEPT. SUCCESSFUL DIRECTORS USE WHAT EVER WORKS FOR THEM, WHICH IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE! -Jack W. Martin, Editor


CHAPTER MEMBERS ACHE AT THE PASSING OF BILL SCHLAGETER—A VERY SPECIAL FRIEND

Here’s what was written about Bill back in April, 1983:

Bill, one of our senior members (of which there are many) was born and raised in the Ridgewood/Queens Village area, attending John Adams H.S. He and Florence are the proud parents of four boys William, Thomas, John and Kevin. (Guess who was boss of that household?)

Bill was a dedicated member of the NYC Fire Department, retiring in 1976. (Can you see Bill operating the tiller in one of those ladder companies? Must have looked like one of those comedians in the silent movies). He has been retired so long they are considering naming the pension plan after him. He has been Vice President of the St. Therese Holy Name Society (Bill in charge of vice?). The President of that organization was also a member of the North Queens Chorus, so traveling together and singing he became interested in four-part harmony and joined that Chapter. When they showed signs of dissolving he came to Nassau Mid-Island as a lead singer.

His ability at handling tools put him in good stead as he became our main builder for our Annual Show. He once built the rear end of a Long Island Railroad car from which a presidential aspirant would speak. (Florence almost divorced him on this one as it took up his entire basement to build).

Bill and Florence loved bike riding, ice skating

and roller skating. Every summer they would ride their bikes to Montauk in one day (8 hours), stay overnight and then cycle home. (Did you ever wonder how they stayed so slim?). With those strong leg muscles they could dance the “Peabody” till the cows came home. (How descriptive can one get?)

Bill still enjoys wood working and gardening and occasionally can be heard playing the organ. When you pass their home on Roslyn Road, be aware of those melodious organ sounds. (By the way, his rendition of Beethoven’s Fifth is captivating.)

Thanks, Bill, for all of your hard work and assistance in making this the great Chapter that it is.

Bill and his sons, with wife Florence at his side, shown with fellow Mid-Islanders.

Rest in Peace.


Music Terms Misunderstood By Country/Western Musicians

From: The Beat – September 2015 Jerry Troxel Editor

Greater Indianapolis Chapter, BHS Diminished Fifth — An empty bottle of Jack

Daniels Perfect Fifth — A full bottle of Jack Daniels Relative Major — An uncle in the Marine

Corps A 440 — The highway that runs around

Nashville Big Band — When the bar pays enough to

bring in two banjo players Bass — The things you run around in

softball Bossa Nova — The car your foreman drives Cut Time — Parole

Lou gets a singing lesson.

VOICE LESSONS This month we pass along a link provided by Michael Creaney. It’s a music-related episode of the old Abbot and Costello TV show back in the 1950’s. We think you’ll enjoy it. In this segment “Hillary’s father is visiting, and expresses his desire for her to marry a man with musical talent. Lou takes a disastrous class at Professor Melonhead’s Singing School, and then Bud concocts a scheme to make Costello look like a piano virtuoso.”

Pick it up about 17 minutes in if you don’t have time to watch the whole episode at:

http://goo.gl/1ziSjR

Required reading.


I'm well, thank you, or what passes for well at 87. Having given up all my household chores, I'm reading more, and walking.

One of my reasons for choosing this place is the North Brookhaven chapter, which is only about a 7-minute drive away. It has a touch of old home week, in that some of the members here were also dual members when I sang with Twin Shores. No quartet yet - the best singers are already taken, but hope springs eternal.

Fortunately our director spends time each week using quartets to sing chorus songs. No coaching or criticizing, just singing, and everyone is encouraged to participate.

I did transfer my membership, but I've kept the fond memories, especially Cloud 9. My goal is to keep singing and avoid Alzheimer's as long as possible. On that score, it's interesting to me that although I don't remember many things, I can recall perfectly songs that I've sung for many years. Music continues to make me young.

ON...NOT UNDER

THE BOARDWALK WHERE

ARE THEY NOW?

Jon Ayers Former President, NMI-Chapter

Michael Creaney, our Long Beach member who often combines his bicycling mornings on the boardwalk by the sea with barbershop learning tracks and a little practice time ,may have found a new member..

Michael stopped a man on the boardwalk recently and asked him to take a picture for us, showed him a photo of our chorus and the front page of last month's Toons and also gave him his chorus card to let him know he was for real. Believe it or not, the shutterbug named Chris, was a musician, and a TENOR , excited to see us sing at the LB Fall Festival, (and potentially to join us). Whotta salesman!


BARBERSHOPPER BREAKAWAYS Labor Day Weekend Pleasures

We asked how the time was spent. Here’s a few answers...

Time for good food. Here, the chef gets some sushi help at Wakamatsu an excellent Japanese Restaurant in Masbeth Queens.

-Eva Milauskas and Bob Heim

This is a picture of my extended family (my kids and grandkids) at the Timber Trails resort in Poconos, Pa. We had a great time, but it would have been better if there had been some singing.

Another lackluster holiday weekend but I did get to do the following:

Went to the Times Square area on Saturday night and brought along 10 pairs of long raincoats which I distributed to the nude painted ladies prancing about. They were very appreciative as it was drizzling at the time.

On Monday went to Lido Beach and went swimming in the ocean for the first time this year. Unfortunately I got caught in a rip tide and was pulled out into the ocean where I successfully warded off an attack by a mako shark.

To make the time more productive I would rather have attended another chorus rehearsal and heard more about emphasizing the vowels and energizing the end.

-Bill Ruth

I did nothing on Labor Day but sleep, (I was recovering from a 10 day vacation).

-Maurice Debar

Who Doesn’t Belong and Why?


End Notes

Here’s why it’s great to do it: Bonding – When you sing to your baby, she

bonds with you and your voice. Singing makes yours the first and most important voice in her life. Your baby learns that you LOVE her!

Transitions – Babies feel safe when life is predictable. A song for waking up, sleeping, and other routine transitions and activities helps them know what comes next.

Language – Language is in itself musical, and when you sing and speak, your baby learns about words, language, and communication. Through your singing, baby’s language comprehension begins.

New words – While you sing and hold your baby, you introduce new vocabulary. When you hold up a stuffed dog as you sing about a dog, baby learns to associate the name of that toy with the words you sing. When you sing about parts of the body and kiss your baby’s feet or tickle his tummy, he learns new words.

Rhythm and rhyme – Music includes rhythm and rhyme, again, part of our language. In

time, babies will recognize rhymes and rhythms.

Play – Singing is one of many methods of play and “sing-play” is a fun way to interact with babies.

Family fun – Singing is a great way to involve older siblings in welcoming a new baby to the home. Singing to and playing with the baby builds a bond between siblings. Make singing a family activity.

Singing names – A baby can learn his name by hearing it in songs. Try substituting your baby’s name for other words in songs so he hears his name sung over and over again.

Listening skills – Like reading, singing is an activity that requires listening. It's another opportunity for your baby to begin to understand language and feelings expressed through language and sing-play.

LOVE – All of the above boils down to using your singing voice as a way to express love. Babies don't care if you are a great singer. They only care that you are singing to THEM! In their eyes (and their ears), you'll be a star!

SINGING TO NEWBORNS

By Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer

From the Internet

Miss Barbershop Harmony 1964 is Cheryl Bahover. "The Imposters" are Ed Jensen, Bob Brock, Joe Warren

and Harry Klepsteen, Jan. 22, 1964.

— Chicago Tribune historical photo


WELL, WHY NOT? Hopefully the start the flow of thoughts from YOU.

For example….

Well-balanced singouts, offer a combination of wonderful ingredients: fun, great sounds and very often commentary about our society and its growth. Repertoire reflects “thens and nows.” Different styles, perhaps. Certainly different years. The BHS has a wonderful story to tell in song. But think of this. Every INDIVIDUAL CHAPTER has a wonderful history too. Look at every one of them, ours included, as a personal “tree in the forest.” Maybe, just maybe, every Chapter’s history could take a bigger

role. For instance by telling audiences “Here’s a song that was performed by our chorus 52 years ago. Or we had Chapter quartet eight years ago called (whatever they were called) on our stages ,and they were standouts with THIS. Maybe you were on hand then to listen, but if you weren’t we’d like to sing it now. “ Don’t get this idea wrong. I’m not suggesting BHS growth and change should be forgotten, just that individual chapters focus not only on that. But just as importantly their history as well. Well, why not?

George Seelinger To Myrtle Beach, SC from October 18 through October 25 .

Bob Heim/Eva Milauskas to Spartanburg, SC by October 31, with periodic returns to Long Island (such as the birth of Eva’s second grandchild in December, holiday times, family fun and so on).*

*Not to worry, looks like your Toons editor, even in the warmer Carolinas, will be sitting in back of a convenient keyboard to work closely from afar (thanks to the miracle of electronics) with our column contributors, assistant editor Bill Ruth, and others (iPhone shutterbugs take note) while stepping up (demanding) requests for more contributions (see above for example) due to the hectic move. Expect the November and December issues to feel just a bit different.

LOOKING TO OUR HISTORY AT SINGOUTS OR ANNUAL SHOWS


Almost Famous Howie Bailin, Tenor Tony Leone, Lead Ken Wunsch, Bass

Bob Miraglia, Baritone Contact: [email protected]

Just Duckie Harold Verity, Tenor Steve Brausa, Lead

Maurice Debar, Bass George Seelinger , Baritone

Contact: [email protected]

Quatrain Bob Kelly, Tenor

Steve Marrin, Lead Al Fennell, Bass

Paul Santino, Baritone Contact: [email protected]

Chapter Quartets

"Toons" is YOUR voice to fellow members of the Nassau Mid-Island Chapter, to the Society as a whole, as well as a good many others. Your contributions help sustain the publication's journey into the future and mirror the Chapter’s considerable strengths.

-Bob Heim

BASS HIT: Jeff Glembosky (third from left), talented bass in the Mid-Atlantic District’s Round Midnight barbershop quartet, took some time as guest NM-I rehearsal director to sing with (from left) Dennis Novick, Tony Leone and Michael Creaney.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Local chapters heard ab0ut a free learn-how-to-sing concept late this month for possible interest.

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