Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Carolina Caroler
Inside
Presidents 2
Message
Church Festival 3
Choir 2004 Report
Fall Conference 4
2005
2004 Hoggard 5
Award Recipient
Anton Armstrong 8
Bio
Treasurers Report 9
Community Choirs 11
R&S
Directories
NC ACDA Officers 2
NC ACDA Specially 3
Appointed Officers
Volume 6, Issue 2
Spring 2005
page 2 Carolina Caroler
NC ACDA Officers
2003-2005
Presidents Message
Janna Brendell, NC ACDA President
President
Janna Brendell
East Carolina University Happy New Year!
School of Music
Greenville, NC 27858 Our 2004 fall conference was a tremendous success! Two highlights of
252.328.2557 our fall conference were exciting sessions with Rodney Eichenberger
brendellj@mail.ecu.edu and the first NC ACDA Church Festival Choir, conducted by David
Pegg. This issue includes photos and more information about the ex-
Past President citing events and sessions we experienced during the fall conference.
Ann Pratt (Visit our website, www.ncacdaonline.org, to see more conference photos.)
McMichael High School
6845 Highway 135 An event like the fall conference would not be successful without the contributions of
Mayodan, NC 27027 numerous people: Tom Shelton (conference chair); Bill Young (site coordinator);
336.427.5165x1308 UNC-Greensboro (facilities); Tony Spencer (church festival choir coordinator); NC
apratt@rock.k12.nc.us
ACDA Conference Planning Committee and Board members; East Carolina University
President-Elect
collegiate chapter; Hinshaw Music (reception); Burrage Music and J.W. Pepper of
Tom Shelton Winston (music packets); Gwen Hall and Cathy West (accompanists); Alfred Music,
Kernersville Middle School Burrage Music, Hinshaw Music, J.W. Pepper of Winston, and Treble Clef Music Press
110 Brown Road (exhibitors). Thank you for your support and assistance with the fall conference!
Kernersville, NC 27284
336.996.5566 Over the years, we have had the opportunity to hear excellent choral performances at our
ttshelton@aol.com fall conference and ACDA luncheon. The 2005 fall conference is very early this year,
consequently, the application form offers several options for shorter concert sessions. If
Secretary you would like your choir to be considered for performance at either of these events,
Gwen Hall please submit the application form to Sam Doyle by April 15. If you know of an out-
Southwest Randolph High standing choir that should be considered for one of these events, please encourage the
School director to apply.
1641 Hopewell Friends Road
Asheboro, NC 27205 It is my pleasure to announce that David Pegg recently received the 2004 Lara Hoggard
336.381.7747 Award for his outstanding contributions to choral music in North Carolina. David was
ghall@randolph.k12.nc.us recognized during the NC ACDA luncheon on November 15, 2004. NC ACDA ex-
presses appreciation to Joel Reed and The Appalachian Chamber Singers for their ex-
Treasurer cellent performance for this event. It was great to see so many of you at the luncheon!
Ginger Wyrick
Queens University of ACDA members across the country are eagerly anticipating the 2005 National ACDA
Charlotte Convention in Los Angeles, California! Several North Carolina choirs and ACDA
1900 Selwyn Avenue members will be a part of this historic convention. The Vocal Arts Ensemble of Dur-
Charlotte, NC 28269 ham (Rodney Wynkoop) has been invited to perform on the convention program. The
704.337.2269
University Singers from Appalachian State University (Stephen Hopkins) will sing for
ggw@hwaci.com
the collegiate conducting competition finals. Lisa Fredenburgh (National Womens
Membership Chair Choir R&S Chair) will present a reading session and an interest session and Thomas
Reta Phifer Sibley (National R&S Chair for Boychoirs) will present a reading session. How won-
339 Falesco Lane derful to have so many North Carolina singers and presenters on the National Conven-
Matthews, NC 28105 tion Program.
704.708.9789
phifer4music@ Make plans now to join us for the 2005 NC ACDA
mindspring.com conference on September 16-17, 2005. You wont
want to miss Anton Armstrong!
Newsletter Editor
Stephen A. Futrell
Elon University Have a wonderful spring!
Campus Box 2800
Elon, NC 27244
336.278.5681 Fall Conference Reading Session
sfutrell@elon.edu
Spring 2005 page 3
C h u r c h Fe s t i v a l C h o i r 2 0 0 4 NC ACDA Specially
Tony Spencer, NC ACDA Music & Worship R&S Chair Appointed Officers
Ace Mentoring/Auditions
Thanks to all who contributed to the Church Festival Choir in October. Under the excel-
Sam Doyle
lent direction and accompaniment of David Pegg and Laura Moore, sixty choir mem- 1702 Westridge Road
bers from twelve churches (after six hours of intense rehearsal on Friday night and Greensboro, NC 27410
Saturday) presented an inspiring closing concert for our Fall Conference. Countless 336.282.0549
hours were spent in preparation for the weekend by choristers and directors alike. Vol- sam2ann@triad.rr.com
unteer choir members planning and dedicating a weekend for the purpose of improv-
ing choral skills is a testimony to the fine work of the people who direct them week Conference Exhibits/
after week. Presenting the concert for North Carolina ACDA was an honor and those Reading Sessions
church musicians were grateful for that opportunity. Moreover, each chorister left that William McConnell
St. Andrews Pres. College
experience as a better choral musician. Thus, their choirs improved when they re-
1700 Dogwood Mile
turned to their local setting. Laurinburg, NC 28352
Our Southern Division Convention is scheduled for 2006 in Charleston, West Virginia. I 910.277.5262
want to encourage church musicians to consider auditioning your choristers in one of mcconnellwt@earthlink.net
the Honor Choirs.
From experience, I can tell you that offering such an opportunity to young people will Conference Site Host
have a positive impact on their lives as well as your choral program. Even if they are Welborn E. Young (Bill)
not accepted into the Honor Choir, the auditioning process will help them grow musi- UNC-Greensboro
cally and they will receive affirmation in the knowledge that their director believes in School of Music
P.O. Box 26167
them. In Charleston, Honor Choirs will be offered in the areas of children, junior high
Greensboro, NC 27402
and high school. When that audition information arrives, look at it closely. Honor 336.334.5428
Choirs are for Church Musicians also! weyoung@uncg.edu
Historian
Fall Conference 2004 Wrap Up: A Sincere Thank You! Frances T. Sinclair
Tom Shelton, NC ACDA President-Elect 704.690.7217(h)
ftsinclair@nc.rr.com
The Fall Conference was very successful! It was wonderful having fellowship with the Lara Hoggard Award
North Carolina choral conductors; listening to beautiful sounds from our guest choirs; Chair
and re-energizing ourselves through music. Sam Doyle
Special thanks should be given to our guest Clinician, Rodney Eichenberger. His con- (see Ace Mentoring info
ducting expertise provided informative and enjoyable sessions. I've seen him work listed above)
many times, and I always learn something new. He is a gifted conductor and delightful
to be around. SSA All-State Coordinator
Performing for a state conference can add a touch of stress to one's life. I want to per- Amy W. Daw
Northern High School
sonally thank each group, and their conductor, for stepping up to the challenge, and
117 Tom Wilkinson Road
providing us with beautiful music during the conference. It was wonderful to hear the Durham, NC 27712
progression of maturity in voices as well, ranging from youth, high school, college, 919.560.3956x56813
and adult choirs. A sincere thank you to the following choirs: UNCG Women's Amy.Daw@dpsnc.net
Choir, Welborn E. Young, conductor; H.M. Arndt Middle School Eighth Grade Choir,
Tamera P. Shook, conductor; Providence High School Chamber Singers and Men's Technology Chair
Ensemble, Terri L. Setzer, conductor; Leesville Road High School Capital Pride, Webmaster
Diane Covington, conductor; Northwest Guilford High School Advanced Women, Bert Fox
Beverly Alt, conductor; North State Chorale, Richard Earl Cook, conductor; and Lufkin Road Middle School
Greensboro Youth Chorus - Cantabile, Ann Doyle, conductor. 1002 Lufkin Road
Cary, NC 27539
This year we were fortunate to have a Church Festival Choir. This event was the brain- 919.387.4465
child of Tony Spencer, Music and Worship R&S Chair. Tony also coordinated the foxsterb@aol.com
event. Tony worked diligently to make this festival successful and meaningful to the
participants. David Pegg was selected to conduct this event, and did an outstanding
job bringing the music to life.
(Continued on page 4)
page 4 Carolina Caroler
Tai Chi
(Continued from page 6) Dates to
gether, quiet music in the background, and everyone PRESENT to the moment. Remember
Wouldnt you like to get all of the singers in your choir to that level of focus?!
The demo class began next, and I stuck around to watch, listen and learn. The testimo-
nies were very interesting, and I heard the words presence, relaxed, and stress- ACDA National
relief more than once. I decided that there must be more to this stuff than just breath-
Convention
ing and alignment. It is very low impact with long-term beneficial results.
I joined up for a ten-week session and have been hooked ever since. Although my Los Angeles, CA
schedule only allows for two sessions a week, here in my 15-month I notice how February 2-5, 2005
much more aware and present I am to my choirs and daily living in general. I still
have about a fourth of the way to go in learning the basic form, but do not feel rushed
or pressured to do soeveryone is encouraged to learn at their own pace. A sym- NC ACDA
phony violist in my class figured out the form is a rondo form, which helps me as I Conference~UNCG
learn. She says Tai Chi helps her performance focus tremendously. September 16-17, 2005
Tai Chi relieves stress and helps you tone your body and focus your mind. People in
the Tai Chi Community are open and supportive to each otherthere is a high degree
of mentoring in the process. Extra sessions have included working with other Masters, Future NC ACDA
and I even took the Chanting Class last spring. It was the most amazing thing, and
Conference Dates
gave me a whole new perspective on breathing and focusing the breath. Also, it is re-
freshing to be around people that do something besides music! It certainly broadens
your perspective. September 22-23, 2006
Techniques that I apply as a Choral Conductor are:
September 21-22, 2007
Using the breathing and warm-up exercises in rehearsal as a way for singers to
focus, relax, and become more present to the rehearsal (for yourself as well!).
You can modify these to work with all ages and stages of choirs.
Standing in correct body alignmentthe singers see this and model it. ACDA Southern
Keeping the conducting pattern low, centered, and relaxed. Division Convention
Using breathing techniques to apply to fluidity of movement. Charleston, WV
Approaching gestures with focused intent, giving you economy of movement. February 22-25, 2006
If nothing else, this application makes me more centered and relaxed as a conductor,
thus more effective. I highly recommend it to all artists!
Master Sam Gee Tan is the most amazing person Ive ever met, having been all over the
world teaching and promoting this Golden Flower Tai Chi Method. His integration of
self-cultivation techniques, as well as those of the instructors hes trained, makes each
session a Master Class in the journey of internal development. It has certainly changed
the course of my own direction for the better. I encourage and invite you to check out
www.goldenflower.org for more information. In a world of political,
economic and personal
Anne Saxon is the full-time Director of Music Ministries at Main Street Methodist disintegration,
Church in Kernersville, and the Artistic Director of the Central Carolina Childrens music is not a luxury,
Chorus in Winston-Salem. but a necessity,
not simply because it is
therapeutic nor because
Rodney Eichenberger
interest session it is the universal
Fall Conference (L) language, but because
it is the persistent focus
Reading Session of mans intelligence,
Fall Conference (R)
aspiration and good will.
Robert Shaw
page 8 Carolina Caroler
Anton Armstrong is the Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf Col-
lege and Conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, a position he assumed in 1990. He came to this
position following ten years in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he served on the faculty
of Calvin College and conducted the Campus Choir, the Calvin College Alumni Choir
and the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus.
A graduate of St. Olaf College, Anton Armstrong earned a Master of Music degree at the
University of Illinois and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State Uni-
versity. He holds membership in several professional societies including the American
Choral Directors Association, Choristers Guild, Chorus America, and the International
Federation for Choral Music. He also serves as editor of a multicultural choral series for
Earthsongs Publications and co-editor of the revised St. Olaf Choral Series for Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Dr. Arm-
strong is widely recognized for his work in the area of youth and childrens choral music. He served for over twenty
years on the summer faculty of the American Boychoir School, Princeton, New Jersey and held the position of Con-
ductor of the St. Cecilia Youth Chorale, a 75 voice treble chorus based in Grand Rapids, from 1981-1990. He has con-
ducted the Troubadours, 30-voice boys ensemble of the Northfield Youth Choirs since 1991. He currently serves as a
member of the Board of Trustees of the American Boychoir School. In June 1998, he began his tenure as conductor of
the Oregon Bach Festival Youth Choral Academy.
Anton Armstrong has conducted the St. Olaf Choir in critically acclaimed solo concert performances at the 59th National
Conference of the Music Educators National Conference in April 2004, the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music
in August 2002, and at the 1999 National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Chicago, Illi-
nois. In February 2005, The St. Olaf Choir will share the stage with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in presenting the
finale concert for the national conference of the American Choral Directors Association at the new Walt Disney Hall
in Los Angeles, California.
He has frequently conducted ensembles and appeared before regional and national gatherings of the American Choral
Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference, Choristers Guild, American Guild of Organists, Asso-
ciation of Lutheran Church Musicians, Organization of American Kodaly Educators and the Orff-Schulwerk Associa-
tion. In August 1996 he was featured as a clinician at the Fourth World Symposium on Choral Music in Sydney, Aus-
tralia.
Dr. Armstrong is active as a guest conductor and lecturer throughout North America, Europe, Scandinavia, Korea, Singa-
pore, Australia, New Zealand, Venezuela, and the Caribbean. In June 2003, he was honored to serve as the first Peter
Godfrey Visiting Professor of Choral Music at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. In recent years he has guest
conducted such noted ensembles as the Utah Symphony and Symphony Chorus, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the
Westminster choir, the American Boychoir and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He has also collaborated in concert
with Bobby McFerrin and Garrison Keillor.
In 1992 Anton Armstrong made his European conducting debut at the International Band and Choir Festival in Brussels,
Belgium and returned to Vienna, Austria in March 2000 to conduct the 25th anniversary concerts of this festival. He led
the St. Olaf Choir on a concert tour of Denmark and Norway in 1993, which included a performance at the Bergen In-
ternational Festival, Norway and in January 1997, he conducted the ensemble in a four-week concert tour to New Zea-
land and Australia. In June 2001 he guided the St. Olaf Choir on a three-week concert tour of Central Europe and will
return to Norway with the St. Olaf Choir for a three-week performance tour in June 2005. In the summer of 2001, Dr.
Armstrong conducted the World Youth Choir sponsored by the International Federation of Choral Music with concerts
in Venezuela and the United States
During 2004-2005 Dr. Armstrong will serve as conductor of All-State Choirs in New Jersey and Michigan. He will also
lead choral festivals in Carnegie Hall, New York, Davies Hall San Francisco, and Orchestra Hall, Chicago. During
Spring 2005, he will serve as the Visiting Housewright Scholar in the School of Music at Florida State University and
guest clinician with the Singing City Choir of Philadelphia. Additional conducting and lecturing engagements this sea-
son include appearances in North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Alaska, New York,
South Carolina, Illinois, and California.
Spring 2005 page 9
NC ACDA Treasurers Report (Through December 10, 2004) The Carolina Caroler is the official
Ginger Wyrick, NC ACDA Treasurer newsletter of the North Carolina
chapter of the American Choral
Income Directors Association. Articles and
Dues 75.00 advertisements may be submitted
Newsletter Advertising 225.00 to:
Stephen A. Futrell, Editor, via email
Conference Registration 6220.00
at sfutrell@elon.edu
Church Festival Choir Registration 1300.00
Allotment from Southern Division 1629.25 Articles may be submitted via email
TOTAL INCOME 9449.25 as Word documents. Times New
Roman, or similar, with font size
Expenses 11 is preferred. Please do not dou-
Bank charges 18.55 ble space after punctuations
Conference Meals 2086.00 (periods)a practice held back in
the days of typewritersit is not
Conference Clinicians 1200.00
necessary with word processing.
Conference Clinician Food/Travel 303.90
Conference Clinician Housing 290.98
Conference postage 76.88
For advertisements, contact our
Fall Conference Awards/Certificates 26.60 Advertising Editor:
Conference Printing 4.30
Conference printing/duplication 49.92 Lisa Fredenburgh
Meredith College
Conference accompanist/instrumental 100.00 Raleigh, NC 27607
Conference Music 865.73 919.760.8577
Dues transfer 75.00 fredenburghL@meredith.edu
Awards 47.98
Issue Deadline Publication
Online/website 39.80 Fall July 15 Aug. 1
NCMEA lunch pre-sale 170.00 Spring Dec. 15 Jan. 15
Church Festival Choir Clinician 800.00 Summer April 15 May 15
Church Festival Clinician food/travel 52.58 NC ACDA reserves the right to edit
Church Festival Printing 34.24 any application for appearance and
Church Festival Choir Accompanist 300.00 to edit all materials proposed for
TOTAL EXPENSES 6542.46 distribution.
Operating Profit 2906.79
Advertising Rates
The loss of student members upon graduation from college was a recurring theme from the February, 2004 Regional
Conference of ACDA in Nashville, Tennessee. A Youth and Student Activities round-table discussion during the
NCACDA state conference at UNCG addressed this particular issue. The small group led by Welborn Young and Reta
Phifer began by enumerating the many benefits of membership, i.e. the state and regional newsletters, the Choral Jour-
nal, the body of professional experience, colleagues, and performances at the highest level of artistry.
The discussion became a brain-storming session in which two concepts emerged: Growth and Relationships. The group
realized that these concepts embodied the spirit of ACDA. Membership in ACDA provides opportunity for scholarly
growth through a variety of newsletters, scholarly articles, monographs, performances, and special presentations at
state, regional, and national conferences. A members special choral interest can be the source of the next presentation,
article, or performance presented. Through participation in these activities, the member encourages their career
growth.
The discussion group agreed that the relationships forged at ACDA events were equally important. At ACDA events,
members unite with friends and colleagues from their past, meet new friends and colleagues. This is more than a mu-
tual admiration society. Members have serious and critical conversations about repertoire, teaching, programming, and
performance practice. The newer member has at their disposal the aggregate knowledge of ACDA and the veteran
member may find new ideas to challenge and revitalize their experience. Most importantly, however, is the joy of con-
necting with old friends, colleagues, teachers, and students during casual unstructured time.
This summary only begins the discussion of the benefits of ACDA membership. With Growth and Relationship as
umbrella concepts, the breadth of benefits available to members is limited only by the number of members in the or-
ganization.
Lenoir-Rhyne College Vocal Jazz Workshop for high school and college students with nationally-known
artist and arranger, Steve Zegree will be held on January 21-22. Contact Dr. Paul Weber, Director of Choral Activities,
at (828) 328-7149 or weber_pd@lrc.edu for further information. The cost is $10 per person and $50 per ensemble.
Spring 2005 page 11
At the ACDA State conference this fall, Lawrence Speakman was invited to speak at the R&S Roundtable discussion for
Community Choirs. Mr. Speakman, who is the Artistic Director and primary conductor of the Concert Singers of Cary,
addressed an attentive classroom of nearly 20 conductors. During the course of his talk, which included an expansive
and informative Power-point presentation, Speakman recounted the impressive development of the Concert Singers of
Cary, and discussed how his organization has managed to attract and motivate singers of all levels of ability by creat-
ing singing opportunities and specific ensembles that meet the abilities of all singers. Furthermore, he discussed the
development of the organizational and governing body of the organization, which has evolved and led the group to fis-
cal growth and the development of an endowment fund. Fundraising techniques, auditioning processes, and ensemble
structure were all discussed in addition to the highly impressive and informative web site, which the ensemble proudly
displays. The conductors in attendance were inquisitive and responsive throughout the presentation and held Speakman
beyond his allotted time with questions, anecdotes, and requests for advice.
If you have questions for Mr. Speakman, he can be reached at: larryspeakman@peoplepc.com. The web address for the
Concert Singers of Cary is: www.concertsingers.org.
Many thanks to Mr. Speakman for sharing his experience and expertise with us during the conference. Best wishes to all
for a restful and healthy holiday, and an enriching and musical spring.
Dr. Daniel Bara is the Director of Choral Activities and Instructor of Conducting and
Choral Literature at East Carolina University. At ECU he also oversees the MM in
Choral Conducting degree program and is the founder and director of the ECU Sum-
mer Choral Conducting Institute which will enter its 4th season in June of 2005. Addi-
tionally, Bara serves on the Artist Faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp at the re-
nowned Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, MI during the summers where
he conducts the high school choirs and operetta. He is a past winner of the ACDA Na-
tional Conducting Competition - Graduate Division, and was awarded the Walter
Hagen Conducting Prize at the Eastman School of Music. Baras choirs have been invited to perform at state and re-
gional conferences of ACDA and MENC and he is active as a clinician and conductor of high school, middle school,
and church choir festivals. Bara holds degrees in conducting and organ from the Eastman School of Music and the
University of Michigan. He is also the Artistic Director of the Greenville Choral Society.
For more information contact Amy Daw, SSA Coordinator:
Amy.Daw@dpsnc.net or 919-560-3956, ext.8.
Sound Reinforcement for Jazz or Show For more specific information and pricing of items,
please support your local music store.
Choir, Pt. 1~Stephen Futrell, Jazz Choir R&S Any discussion of what type of equipment to use must be-
gin with a brief reminder that it is the natural sound we
Disclaimer~Although this writer may have personal pref- are trying to amplify. The goal is to use the best possible
erences, references to specific brand names do not con- equipment in a manner which truly represents the sound
stitute an endorsement or guarantee. The brand names source. For singing, the sound source is the voice. The
and products indicated should serve as guidelines. Re- primary goal in singing is to produce a tone quality
tail prices indicated serve only as "ball park" figures. (Continued on page 12)
page 12 Carolina Caroler
Sound Reinforcement with show choirs, the two major concerns are tone
(Continued from page 11) quality and feedback/noise. Although the tendency has
been to use a pressure zone mic (several manufactur-
which is natural, free and vibrant. The sound system am- ersc. $250.00), the PZM is not built to truly represent
plifies whatever is put into it. Although a sound system the voice. A common method employed is to mount the
might mask some defects, it is not a substitute for solid, PZM on plexiglass so that it catches a wider area.
fundamental technique. The only thing this writer has seen any use for a PZM
The types of mics one should look for are those which re- is on a stage floor to mic tap dancing. I would also not
spond to the inherent frequencies of the voice. Look at recommend using a PZM to mic a piano. There are a
the literature which comes with the mic itself and there couple of great condenser mics that one could employ
is usually a description or chart of the frequency re- for distance mic-ing: Audio Technica Micro Line Se-
sponse of that mic. Close mic-ing is the absolute best ries condenser mics at c. $300 (tighter pattern) and
situation for amplifying the voice. The Shure Beta 58 (c. AudioTechnica 855 Stereo condenser mic at c. $550.
$285) and the Electrovoice PL70N/D (c. $300) are ex- Just remember with the condensers, you will either
cellent mics for the voice. Vtech and Sennheiser manu- need to put a battery in them or use the phantom power
facture mics designed for the voice which sell for a little on your mixing board. Close mic-ing is ideal because it
less. The standard vocal mic for many years was the will amplify all of the inherent frequencies of the voice.
Shure SM-58 which retails for around $110 and it is still An advantage to distance mic-ing is that it allows for
a great mic. The Beta 58 is manufactured with the newer more choreography and corded microphones could be-
technology designed to respond to the full range of the come tangled.
voice. By the way, the Shure SM-57 is a great mic if In considering sound systems, there are two choices:
youre going to use horns. There are available hand-held those with separate components and those which are
wireless mics, lapel mics and headsets beginning around more self-contained (often referred to as box mixers).
$300.00. Professional music theater productions use If you are going with separate components, you need to
those which operate at ultra high band (UHF) so that look for a mixing board that is clean and flexible.
there is no cross talkthese can run around $800-900. Mackie boards have become recognized as among the
If you absolutely have to distance mic, as is often the case best in the business. Behringer and Samson both manu-
facture scaled-down versions of the Mackie boards, but
are still clean, reliable, compact and versatile. Most
companies manufacture standard boards and rack
mountable mixers. There are 16-channel, rack-mount
mixers for around $700. When considering flexibility,
one looks at how many inputs, how many monitor
sends, how many auxiliary inputs/effects loops, what
kind of EQ per input channel, do the input channels
have gain as well as a fader, do the input channels have
a phantom power switch, etc.
After youve decided on a mixer, youll need to get an
amplifier. More power might equal more volume, but
the paradigm is really more power equals cleaner
sound. Run the amp wide open. The simplest design is
rack-mount using one amp with one side for mains and
one side for monitors. You can use one amp for mains
and a separate amp for monitors if you wish. In either
case, you are running the system mono. The advantage
with two amps is that you can have separate monitor
mixes, if your board is setup for multiple monitor
mixes. The Behringer EP1500 pushes 1400 watts at 4
ohms bridged and retails at around $360.
There are usually two speakers for front-of-house
(mains). Soundtech manufactures a speaker rated at 8
ohms with a 15" cone and a horn for c. $400/cabinet.
With the one amp, using one side of the amp, the
Spring 2005 page 13
Sound Reinforcement one for main/one for monitor. The Yamaha EMX5000-
(Continued from page 12) 12 is a 12-Channel 1000W powered mixer (c. $1000)
with 12 channels, 500W per side or 1,000W bridged.
speakers are run parallelrunning one speaker cable Channels 1-8 provide XLR and TRS phone connection.
out of the amp to one speaker, then out of that speaker Channels 9/10 and 11/12 have phone and RCA jacks.
to the second. The JBL JRX115 15 2-way speaker Channel inserts are provided on all 8 mono channels, 3-
rated at 8ohms retails at c. $370 per cabinet. As in band EQ on all channels, plus a 9-band graphic EQ. It
mics, youll want to look at the frequency range of the also has dual SPX digital 24-bit effects.
speakers. Those with a broader range will work better Last, but not least, dont forget the stuffmic cables,
for you. mic stands (boom), speaker stands, patch cords, speaker
A system may only use two monitors, but if you are using and monitor cables (don go cheap on the speaker ca-
more, you might need another amp. Soundtech manu- blesget high gauge, shielded cables), a direct box or
factures a monitor speaker rated at 8 ohms with a 15" two, power supply, extension cords, box for cables, box
cone and a horn for c. $300 per monitor. With the one for mics, other storage containers, batteries, etc. If you
amp, using one side, the monitors are run parallel. are fortunate enough to have someone as a sound engi-
There are a number of great companiesSony, Ya- neer, you should consider getting a snake so that you can
maha, Peavey, JBL, etc. You may need separate moni- position the board out in the hall. As an example, the
tor mixesone for the vocal group and one for the American Cable Company manufactures a 100-foot,
rhythm section for example. 12x4 Stage Snake that retails for c. $200.00just look
You will need to consider auxiliaries and cartage. Some for the number of inputs that will match your board.
mixing boards have some equalizers and digital effects There will be a brief article on some of the techniques on
built in. Otherwise, you can acquire rack mount proces- how to use the sound system in the next issue of the
sors. The dbx 231 Dual 31-band EQ sells for c. $275. Carolina Caroler. Hopefully, this article provided some
You would use one side for mains and one side for useful information that can get you started in looking for
monitors. For effects/signal processing the Alesis a sound system for your vocal jazz or show choir.
MidiVerb4 at c. $300 or the Yamaha Rev100 at c. $275 See page 10 for information regarding the Lenoir-Rhyne
are both good units. College Vocal Jazz Workshop with Steve Zegree.
There are a host of companies which manufacture racks
and storage gear. As an example, you can find a rack
bag (will hold amp and EQ) at c. $125. You will need a
larger rack to hold more gear, recording devices, or
whatever and those cases often come with wheels.
Dont forget a power switchthere are a handful avail-
able at c. $150. Power switches are terrific, because
with one switch you can turn everything on and they
are programmed to turn the various pieces on in the
correct order.
An advantage to box mixers is the portability factoryou
have the mixer and the amp in one piece. The disadvan-
tage is if your amp goes down, everything goes down.
In a system with separate pieces, if your amp goes
down, you could call around and borrow an amp to get
through the gig. Two other disadvantages are that usu-
ally box mixers don't have attenuator (gain) plus fader
and the EQ usually has far fewer bands.
Peavey and a host of others manufacture box mixers. The
Mackie 808M 8-Channel Powered Mixer (c.$1000) has
twin 600W FR Series amps which deliver 1,200 real
watts @ 2 ohms and are switchable as mains or mains/
monitors. The 8 mic/line channels feature phantom
power, inserts on channels 1 through 6, and dual line
inputs on channels 7 and 8. Each channel has 3-band
EQ and separate, studio-grade 9-band graphic EQs
page 14 Carolina Caroler
AND/OR
Submit to:
Sam Doyle
1702 Westridge Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27410
Mailing Address
________________________________________________________________________
Home ______________________________________________
Conductors must be current, paid to date members of ACDA. No choral ensemble shall appear
on successive conventions (October) and/or at the ACDA Luncheon (November). It is under-
stood that ACDA will not assume any financial responsibility for travel, food, or lodging for the
performing groups. This application implies that the above-mentioned group is prepared to
travel to and perform at the convention if accepted.
Signature of Director
Name of Administrator
Signature of Administrator
TAPE SPECIFICATIONS
a) Each tape for concert, jazz, or show choir performance should be prepared on a superior
quality cassette tape or CD.
b) The recording should be 10-15 minutes in length and should include three selections from
live performances.
c) Vocal jazz, show choir, and madrigal ensemble performance applications should include
both a cassette tape and video cassette tape (1/2 inch VHS).
d) Recorded selections submitted on this tape are:
Composer
Composer
Composer
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