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Rehearsal Space Requirements
Let me list some criteria to consider in checking on other locations for us to rehearse from.
First of all, we want to move from The Bridge only because we find something "better" and
not because we enjoy moving. We may be staying where we are at but.......let's just see
what we can find...
Criteria:
-ceilings high enough that a tall person can stand proudly on a 5th row riser (if/when we
have 5 rows)
-heat in the winter
-acoustics aren't either dead or too alive (this one is Sue's call after we sing there)
-storage for risers and our mail boxes with easy accessible & where they will be safe while
we are not there
-safe lit parking
-near the freeway
-a rehearsal room not distracted by noise, other people, large windows with something
happening in them....etc etc
-other rooms to have sectionals from
-a piano
-no rehearsal hall ceiling posts to move around (a safety issue)
-space for our mail boxes and stuff
-room for visitors to sit and watch
-accessibility every Monday night with options for coaching space on weekends
-no food regulations (some religions prevent certain types of food, etc)
-restroom facilities

There may be other ones but these are to name a few. We do have all of them at The
Bridge. Price/heat is our main issue. Let's just see what we can compare it to.

Team Notes
From Sharon
Just letting VNW know that when I quit PSC end of February of this year, I wanted to
totally focus on us which I did do. Then Regional passed with flying colors (yeah to us!!!)
and when the dust settled and PSC was still looking for bass's AND I still had my costume,
AND still had my flight/room to Hawaii (after I quit I was going to "watch the International
performance"), AND I knew the songs (a huge deal for me), it seemed a no brainer to re
audition and sing with PSC in Hawaii. VNW is now my main chorus as it should be and
always will be. I love you guys.

To help explain why it is I often refer to what PSC says and does, it's because they have
already "invented the wheel" so to speak (been there done that) and we can learn a lot
from them as they are so close to us. They are our Regional Champs (& have been many
many years) and it takes a lot more of everything to be where they are today and we can
learn from them. Know it or not, we ARE climbing that Sweet Adeline Ladder to success as
evident by how wonderful we did at Regional. We will take that experience and hopefully do
even better next year. Then one day when they announce our name as the new Regional
champs, we will be ready. We too will experience the International Stage and travel to sing
with other Regional winners. Education can only help each and every one of us. Remember
too that Anne, Carolyn, Coach Charlene, Dorie, Juanite (dual), Linda, Pat, and Myself (dual)
are proud of our PSC experiences and I am sure that we each have fond memories of
singing on the International stages as we all will in VNW some day. Keeping that in mind,
let's learn from PSC on how to grow stronger, wiser, and more effective in our singing and in
our performing. Our voices are precious instruments and I'm thinking we at VNW do a darn
good job of making some pretty wonderful music together..... you have to know that WE
ROCK!!!

PSC Coach Debbie Connelly is at the Federal Way Calvary Church from 7-10 Friday June
13th and Saturday June 14th 9-4:30.
PSC Coach Dale Syverson is at the Federal Way Calvary Church Saturday June 28th from
8:45-4:30.

We have been invited to sit and watch. Anything they teach to PSC applies to us as well.
Singing rules and tips apply around the world. The only difference between one chorus
and another is their ability to apply these rules and tips individually and perform these rules
and tips as a whole. We're all in this together.

PSC Recap
PSC had Dale Syverson Saturday 5/31 and it went from 9-4:30 with a one hour lunch break
"on the risers".

A recap of some of it:
Lots of breath work and the importance of having enough of it...sneak if you have to but
BREATH...very important...She also said we needed to use our legs....Our legs to be soft
and we need to be LEANING forward as if to be walking somewhere....She called our leg
muscles "singing muscles" 'cuz if they aren't relaxed/fluid, our throats will be stiff/tunneled
which will pinch our sound....

We need to also overlap our sound with those around us ("18 friends wide") as if we are
rotating sprinklers...fwd/back/side/side....She had us hold out our hands in front of us and
sing and then spread open to touch our neighbors and sing and then overlap our neighbors
and sing and then think rotating sprinkler and sing...it was cool! ....

Then she had us sing through our foreheads. She worked a lot on having us singing out our
foreheads vs from our throats ("the dark wet pit in the back of our throats")...even bass's
should NEVER sing from their throats but forward like tenors or else we'll never ring
chords...We even had to sing in front of the tenors at one point and "sing like
tenors"....forehead singing!!! She said the bass's need to be louder and fuller BECAUSE we
are the lowest part in the chord and hardest to hear....the high part is the easiest to hear
and therefore doesn't need to be as loud...She said the low part is NEVER too loud if we
sing through our foreheads...She explained that the higher part you sing, the less volume
you need as per example with the tenor part...we need less tenors to sing less
strong...never too many bass's...

She worked parts for note accuracy and said we'd never have ping unless we can sing with
an "open pointed" sound........open as in rounded arms and knees bent and pointed as in
fingers touching in front of our bodies wedging the sound in a small V in front of our
bodies.........not too pointy but just enough to cut the words so the audience can
understand what we are saying...too rounded gets mushy......We stood on the risers from
9-12:30 and then from 1:30-4:20...My R knee was throbbing by the end of the day...I love
coaching sessions as the chords do ring...PSC has two more sessions....Debbie Connelly is
Saturday June 14th and Dale Syverson is back Saturday June 28th....free free free (Each
member of PSC paid an additional $150 EACH for these coaches). Since we were invited (at
least I heard we were), how about VNW takes advantage and shows up to watch...might
make our rehearsals seem a tad easier. Ha.

Member News
If you haven't heard, Brian has accepted a call to pastor Park Woods Presbyterian Church in
Overland Park, KS! His installation service is this Wednesday, June 3rd at 7pm. We're so
excited! If I haven't already forwarded this information to you, here's our new address:

Brian & Kirsten Belh
9125 W. 124th St., Apt. 334
Overland Park, KS 66213
425-210-4138

Lord willing, this is only temporary as we hope to buy a home sometime this summer. Our
best to all of you.
Only By Grace,
Kirsten

Highlights from Management Team Meeting
1) Decision made to increase monthly fee to $30 and ask current members to pay and
additional $50 for costumes. Incoming members will pay $100 for costume and $50 for
shoes.

Regional News

ARRANGERS PROGRAM WORKSHOP
Designed for beginning arrangers, wanna-be arrangers, coaches, directors, and quartet
members. Men and women. Featuring International Faculty: Nancy Bergman, Master Music
Arranger, and Suzy Lobaugh, Certified Music Arranger.

Seating is limited so register SOON.

When: June 27-29, 2008 (Friday 7 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 9
a.m.-12:00 noon)
Where: Horizon Restoration Training Center, 7235 SW Bonita Rd., Tigard, OR 97224
Registration fee: $75 per person

For schedule and hotel information, go to Region #24's website (www.sairegion24.org)
Bring your keyboard and batteries. Contact: Region #24 Arranger Coordinator Janice
Wheeler, janicejfw@aol.com