Harmony Explosion Camps are weekend retreats for young men who love to sing. They focus on developing skills in leadership, as well as good singing technique. Students will take part in a series of workshops and clinics run by some of the top vocal coaches and music teachers in the province. There are currently 16 Harmony Explosion Camps that take place annually across North America. These camps are attended by almost 2000 young men every year.
Theo Hicks - Guest Clinician
Theo got his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Anderson University, where he received several honors, including initiation to Pi Kappa Lambda, the Excellence in Music Education Award, the Faculty Award for Excellence in Music, and graduated Cum Laude with Music Honors. He was the recipient of the Theodore Presser Scholarship and also the Zachary Novak Memorial Scholarship. He also won the Concerto-Aria Composition Award for best composition of a choral work. Theo is an active composer and arranger of choral and instrumental genres, and has several arrangements published in the Barbershop Harmony Society Catalogue. He has coached several quartets and choruses, and has sung in numerous quartets, including The Goods, who placed 5th in the 2007 International Collegiate Quartet Contest, On the Fritz, who placed 6th in the 2011 International Collegiate Quartet Contest, and is actively singing in the 2012 Collegiate Silver Medalist Quartet, Instant Classic, who also placed 24th in their first time out in the regular International Quartet Contest. They have an active show career, performing all over the Midwest, Canada, and over 10 States
Jordan Travis - Director
Jordan Travis is an internationally acclaimed voice and performance coach based in Burlington, Ontario. He has an unmatched way of bringing out the best in every student or ensemble regardless of their vocal or performance needs.As well as teaching voice privately and coaching a variety of ensembles, Jordan has worked in a number of high-schools developing choral programs and working as a clinician. He continues to work throughout North America and Europe.Jordan is an associate director and vocal coach to the Barbershop Harmony Society's International medalist chorus, the Toronto Northern Lights and is involved in directing a number of other ensembles.
Shawn Oakes - Director
Shawn has a degree in classical voice performance and then went on to get a degree in music education. He leads the Music Department at Brantford Collegiate Institute where they offer a specialist program in the performing arts. Last year, Shawn was awarded the OSSTF award for leadership and teaching excellence. At BCI, Shawn runs several performing ensembles including concert bands, jazz bands, full musical theatre producations, and runs an all male barbershop chorus in his high school. Internationally, he has been a five time members of the Stuttgart Festival Ensemble which tours Europe performing under the direction of Helmuth Rilling in Germany. Shawn is the assistant director of the O YA Chorus.
Barry Towner - Director
Barry Towner has been an integral part of the Ontario Barbershop community for yearly 30 years. He is a multi-time medalist with the Scarborough Dukes of Harmony and the Toronto Northern Lights, as well as an International quartet participant. Barry is a certified presentation judge for the Barbershop Harmony Society and founder of the Ontario Youth A Cappella Chorus. He is currently the president of the Ontario District.
Dan Austin - Camp Coordinator
Dan Austin has taught vocal and instrumental music for 13 years, and is currently the Head of the Music Department at GCVI in Guelph. A Graduate for York University's Jazz Music Performance program, Dan has performed as a professional instrumentalist and vocalist for nearly 20 years. During his teaching career, Dan has been a member of several music education association including the CMEA, OMEA, Peel Music Teachers Association, and is the founder of the Upper Grand Elementary Music Teachers Association. Dan has had several articles published in professional music education journals. He is currently the Vice President of Youth In Harmony for the Ontario District, the Education Coordinator for the Ontario Youth A Cappella Chorus, and a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Youth In Harmony Committee.
Michael La Scala - Teaching Quartet
Hailing from Tonawanda, NY, Michael discovered barbershop at the age of 9, when his dad stumbled upon a barbershop quartet and thought it would be something that his son would be interested in. Since joining the Barbershop Harmony Society at 10 years old, Michael has sung in many choruses including the Buffalo Queen City Chordsmen, East Aurora Friends of Harmony, the Batavia Vocal Agenda, and SLAM; and quartets including SLD collegiate quartet representatives Universal and Lake Effect, and international quarter finalist quartet Mainstream. Michael is the tenor of 'Shoptimus Prime, the 2012 Ontario District Quartet Champions. In May 2012, Michael graduated from Houghton College with a degree in Health and Physical Education and a minor in Music. He currently is trying to get into physical therapy school. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports. Michael is an Eagle Scout and has a black belt in Bushido-Kai. He thinks Nutella is good stuff.
Michael Black - Teaching Quartet
Michael discovered barbershop in 2007, when he saw a poster for a chorus performance near his hometown of Fergus, Ontario, and convinced a few friends to attend the show with him. He joined the Society in 2009 with the Guelph Royal City Ambassadors, and started singing with the Capital City Chorus when he moved to Ottawa for school that fall. Michael has won the Ontario District novice quartet contest twice—with Basses Loaded and Voicebox—and has won an international chorus bronze medal with the Toronto Northern Lights. Michael is the lead of 'Shoptimus Prime, the 2012 Ontario District Quartet Champions. He is currently finishing up his Commerce degree at the University of Ottawa, specializing in Management Information Systems. In his spare time, Michael likes to do crosswords, dabble in graphic design, and not play sports. In 2004, Michael placed 5th at the Bassmaster CastingKids National Semifinals. He is a fan of Nutella.
Seth Bocknek - Teaching Quartet
Born and raised in Richmond Hill, ON, Seth discovered barbershop in Grade 12 when he stumbled upon a video of international champion quartet Vocal Spectrum. Once a trumpet-playing band geek, he one day in class grew tired of his embouchure inconsistencies and proceeded to smash his trumpet over his case in frustration—he began learning how to sing the next day. In 2009, Seth moved to the nation's capital to study Translation at Ottawa U, and there joined the Society with the Capital City Chorus. Seth is the baritone of 'Shoptimus Prime, the 2012 Ontario District Quartet Champions. He currently operates a proofreading business and is studying Chinese intensively with aspirations of one day becoming a Mandarin–English interpreter. In his spare time, Seth enjoys cooking, playing Texas hold ‘em poker, and having his heart repeatedly stomped on by Toronto sports franchises. At the age of sixteen, Seth scored a goal in his first-ever ice hockey game. He promptly retired at the peak of his career. Seth loves curling up, spoon in hand, in his bed with a jar of Nutella and having his way with it.
Silas Chinsen - Teaching Quartet
Silas began singing Barbershop in 2010 after his high school music teacher, Shawn Oakes, brought in a collegiate quartet to his high school. Since then, Silas has been an active member in the Barbershop community as a member of the Ontario Youth Acapella Chorus, assistant director of the BCI Barbershop Chorus "Harmony Squared", and member of the collegiate quartet, "Pitch, Please!". Outside of Barbershop, Silas is a classical guitarist and trumpet player, performing with various ensembles, as well as teaching at a local music academy. Silas plans to pursue his love of music at the University of Ottawa in the fall, where he will study classical guitar performance.
Once you have registered, you will receive an email with a detailed itinerary, as well as music to prepare for the weekend.
For more information about faculty and instructors please visit the Youth In Harmony web site
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| Ontario Harmony Explosion Camp Application.doc | 39 KB |
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