Wombat in Philly

[DragonFox98]

I ride the Philly system - known as SEPTA (and PATCO from Jersey - how I'm going to get to you on the 30th!). That being said, Main Streeter is TOTALLY correct - there are some sections of Philly you just don't want to visit. But.....you're not a SG, I'm sure you have the map, picked the places you want to see, and have a plan. Just don't wander too far.... :) .

Also, I think the Convention Center is near China Town, one of my favorite restaurants is there: Joy Tsin Lau. Awesome food!

Can't wait to hear your practice! Have a safe trip here!

[BRWombat]

Good advice, thanks! My touring time will be pretty limited -- probably just midday on Saturday July 3rd, so I'll likely just use the Market Street line to get us closer to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and do a little of the self-guided Constitutional walking tour. (Assuming I can still walk then!)

[DragonFox98]

I LOVE the Independence Hall area. I take my kids at least once a year. Last year they giggled like crazy because we did a tour of Independence Hall with the "regular tourists"; they got a kick out of it (they can probably give the tour themselves by now).

Behind Independence Hall, to the South, is the Society Hill section of Philly. I love walking around back there with all the old homes. Can you imagine: Ben Franklin and our other forefathers walked those same streets!?! I just love it....


(god, I am SUCH a geek!)

[BRWombat]

I LOVE the Independence Hall area. I take my kids at least once a year. Last year they giggled like crazy because we did a tour of Independence Hall with the "regular tourists"; they got a kick out of it (they can probably give the tour themselves by now).

Behind Independence Hall, to the South, is the Society Hill section of Philly. I love walking around back there with all the old homes. Can you imagine: Ben Franklin and our other forefathers walked those same streets!?! I just love it....


(god, I am SUCH a geek!)

I will be the exact same way. I love being in historic places and imagining what it was like back in the day. I've already been doing a bit of "virtual walking" using Google Maps and StreetView in downtown Philly. It's a great tool for getting oriented to a new place!

[BRWombat]

It's June! Just four weeks from today until the contest! And VM is in "June mode," focused, sweating, working hard. One of our mantras is "Hard work is fun when improvement is evident" -- and if that's true, we must be having a heckuva lot of fun! (I am so sore from last night's 4-1/2 hour rehearsal!)

Just two brief things for this update:

First, our longtime director Jim Clancy has officially announced that this contest will be his last. We've known for a few months, but the news was just made public a couple of weeks ago. This is a huge deal in the barbershop world -- the guy is not just a legend as a director and performer, but is universally considered to be one of the nicest guys around. Read here for the press release and a lot of glowing tributes to the man.

Second, there's a teaser video out in advance of the pre-convention preview video that will be out later this month. This vid is short, exciting, and very well made. And yes, the contest atmosphere is every bit that exciting -- not necessarily something you think of when you hear "barbershop"!

Here's the video. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW3eKqVC3y0

P.S. If you know where to look, you can spot me with VM between 0:07-0:09 in the video.

[DragonFox98]

I'm so excited I might finally get to meet you! I am planning on coming to your practice on the 30th. If you see a crazy redhead...it's me!!!

[BRWombat]

I'm so excited I might finally get to meet you! I am planning on coming to your practice on the 30th. If you see a crazy redhead...it's me!!!

Awesome! I'll post details on our schedule there as I get them.

[Goofyernmost]

If recently been viewing a lot of Vocal Majority on YouTube. I didn't make the connection until just now.

You guys are great and what a difference in stage presence than from the 60's when we had to stand in one spot rigid and just sing. We would get points off for being too mobile.

That's a change that only improved the product. I would have had a problem with it because I lacked in any usable coordination and would have been going right when everyone else was headed left. :)

[BRWombat]

If recently been viewing a lot of Vocal Majority on YouTube. I didn't make the connection until just now.

You guys are great and what a difference in stage presence than from the 60's when we had to stand in one spot rigid and just sing. We would get points off for being too mobile.

That's a change that only improved the product. I would have had a problem with it because I lacked in any usable coordination and would have been going right when everyone else was headed left. :)

lol... Yep, that's been the trend for a while. When VM came in second in '78, one judge told the group they were "too perfect" -- which led to a big "?????" for a while, until they figured out it wasn't enough any more just to sing well. The emotion of the song had to be communicated through faces and movement, too. These days our auditions and rookie training cover not only singing, but expression. Some of it seems a little over-the-top when the cameras are zoomed in on our faces, but from a stage the songs touch our audiences so much more.

Before I joined VM, I was looking at YouTube videos of them, too. Unfortunately, there's not as many out there (or of any chorus or quartet) because the Society has had to be strict in copyright compliance. But at the time I saw a pair of videos covering the group's 2006 gold medal contest set in Indianapolis. The singing and moves were amazing, but I think I was most impressed by the fact that from curtain up to curtain down, they were never not performing. Before the first song... in the transition from the first to the second song... and after they were done singing... all those times they were on, without a single guy not involved. It's an amazing thing.

From inside the group I know now that the before, between, and after stuff is practiced just like the singing and moves are. At one contest, before my time, the story is told that at the end of the set all the guys were smiling and accepting the applause as the curtain came down, and the curtain stopped about a foot above the floor. The stage manager cued the group to clear off the risers so they could get the next group on, but everyone kept right in place, smiling at the curtain, until it dropped the final foot. If we're visible, we're performing!

[hobie16]

At one contest, before my time, the story is told that at the end of the set all the guys were smiling and accepting the applause as the curtain came down, and the curtain stopped about a foot above the floor. The stage manager cued the group to clear off the risers so they could get the next group on, but everyone kept right in place, smiling at the curtain, until it dropped the final foot. If we're visible, we're performing!

VM should rehearse some dance steps in case it happens again. :D: