[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 61-01, January - March, 2007 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Harmony Explosion Camps planned

By John Kirby, District Youth In Harmony chair

As reported by Ken Fisher in issue 60-04 of The Trillium, our efforts at the Ontario Music Educators’ Conference were highly successful. This was the result of the help, and encouragement from such people as Ken Fisher, Jamie Marr, Steven Armstrong and the executive of the OMEA. The highlight of the conference, for me, was the sustained, spontaneous, standing ovation given to the Toronto Northern Lights from the over 500 professional musicians in the audience.

After the demonstration, the organizer of the conference said that many of her colleagues were skeptical when they found out that a barbershop chorus was to be the featured group. She said, with glee, that many will be back-peddling after this performance. The impact made by the Toronto Northern Lights on this organization was immeasurable.

My aim this year is to set up a display at Deerhurst next November featuring our Harmony College North school, along with Harmony Explosion Camps. I would hope to invite our district quartet champions, along with someone from Society headquarters like Rick Spencer, to instruct educators in the art of barbershopping. It would also be nice to invite a student group to perform at our booth.

I would hope my budget would allow us to send ten educators to HCN. A detailed explanation of our school and a detailed explanation of Harmony Explosion Camps would highlight the weekend. The educators would also be invited to participate in any courses, being offered.

I would hope these educators would then be enthusiastic enough to send students to our first Harmony Explosion Camp in 2009.

At this point in time we must develop two groups, a ways and means committee whose primary aim would be to find funds for such a camp, and a program committee whose aim would be to organize the camp.

I am also hoping to send a district member to a Harmony Explosion Camp in Northeast District or in Johnny Appleseed District. Chuck Alexander, Jamie Marr and myself have all attended such camps and are truly amazed at what can be accomplished with young people. I am also hoping to purchase DVDs from the Johnny Appleseed District to give to our district presidents.

We must remember that these camps must not take away from our charitable foundation, Harmonize For Speech. However, unless we get more young people enthusiastic about four-part a capella singing through barbershopping, our charitable foundation and our district itself will cease to be.         k