In this episode of Creative Guts, Becky Barsi and Joe Acone talk with Terry Neill and Jill Teeters of Northern Voices A Cappella, a Manchester-based chorus celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In this episode of Creative Guts, Becky Barsi and Joe Acone talk with Terry Neill and Jill Teeters of Northern Voices A Cappella, a Manchester-based chorus celebrating its 50th anniversary.
This conversation covers how the chorus makes music, prepares for performances, and competes as part of Sweet Adelines International. Most recently, Northern Voices earned 1st place AA, 3rd place overall, and “Most Improved” at the regional competition in Springfield, MA.
Learn more about Northern Voices by visiting their website: Learn more at northernvoicesac.org on Facebook at Northern Voices A Cappella, and on Instagram at @northernvoicesacappella.
Listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or on our website www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Discord. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter at creativegutspod.substack.com.
If you love listening, consider making a donation to Creative Guts! Our budget is tiny, so donations of any size make a big difference. Learn more about us and make a tax-deductible donation at www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com.
Thank you to Kennebunk Savings Bank for being an official sponsor of the podcast!
Thank you to our friends at Art Up Front Street Studios and Gallery in Exeter, NH and the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts in Rochester, NH for their support of the show!
Any views or opinions expressed by our hosts or guests do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Creative Guts.
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:01] BB: I'm Becky Barsi.
[0:00:01] JA: And I'm Joe Acone.
[0:00:02] BB & JA: And you're listening to Creative Guts.
[0:00:18] JA: Hey, friends, thanks for tuning in to Creative Guts.
[0:00:20] BB: Today we are speaking with Terry Neill and Jill Teeters, who are the respective musical director and marketing coordinator, as well as performers in Northern Voices A Cappella.
[0:00:29] JA: So sit back, relax, and enjoy this harmonic episode of Creative Guts.
[INTERVIEW]
[0:00:38] BB: All right. Hello, everybody. Welcome to our episode of Creative Guts. And we are joined today by two amazing performers who are also both leaders of Northern Voices A Cappella Group. And so welcome, Terry and Jill.
[0:00:52] JA: Welcome.
[0:00:52] BB: Thank you so much for joining us today.
[0:00:54] NT: Thank you.
[0:00:55] JT: Yeah, thank you for having us.
[0:00:56] BB: For listeners who haven't heard of Northern Voices yet, can you introduce yourselves and share a little bit about the group, how it started, and what is it that makes an a cappella ensemble?
[0:01:07] JT: Excellent. Okay. Well, we are Northern Voices A Cappella. We're based right here in Manchester, and we are a small but mighty chorus with 18 singers plus our wonderful director, Terry. And we perform all across the area. And we perform without accompaniment. So it is just our voices in four parts sharing beautiful music of all different types of genres.
[0:01:30] BB: Wonderful. Well, she just kind of wrapped that up. Didn't she, Terry?
[0:01:34] TN: Absolutely.
[0:01:36] JT: Well, do you want to talk a little bit about our style? What is barbershop a cappella?
[0:01:41] TN: Barbershop.
[0:01:41] BB: Barbershop?
[0:01:42] JT: Barbershop.
[0:01:43] BB: Oh, barbershop. I kind of like barbershop, too. I think that'd even be a more Streisand related.
[0:01:48] TN: Yeah.
[0:01:49] JT: It's barbershop. But yeah, we sing a cappella in the barbershop style.
[0:01:54] TN: Which has to do with chord voicings. There's specific chords that are considered barbershop. So some of the songs we sing or we compete with may tend to be a little more old-fashioned, where the pop songs that we like to sing now don't have the same chord structure as the old-fashioned barbershop style.
[0:02:15] JA: Interesting. Is there like a name for – I'm not very musically adept? As far as chords are concerned, is there like a tradition? How would you describe the tradition of barbershop chords?
[0:02:29] JT: I mean it's about how everything locks and rings, right?
[0:02:32] TN: Absolutely.
[0:02:33] JT: And so different parts have to be on different notes in the chord. And aside from a few piano lessons when I was a child, I don't play an instrument. A lot of it is I've been learning over the years being in the group, but every part has to be in a certain space so that it rings appropriately. And often times we can create overtones. Although there's only four parts or four voices singing, your ear will hear sort of a higher note that no one's actually singing. It's just created.
[0:03:06] BB: Wow.
[0:03:07] TN: And part of the lock and ring has to do with if we're all on the same target vowel at the same time. Because in our style of music, we sing vowel to vowel as opposed to consonant to consonant. So we have certain target vowels that when we're on the same target vowel singing in the same resonance space, the chord will lock and ring. And that's what we want. And there's a score for that. So, the more chords that lock and ring when we're at a competition, the higher the score gets.
[0:03:37] JA: I love the lock and ring. That just sounds like a – I don't know. It sounds like a motto or something.
[0:03:43] BB: Lock and ring, everybody. Lock and ring. Well, can you each tell us individually about how did you get into singing in general? And then we'll dig into the history and the background of Northern Voices A Cappella as a group.
[0:03:58] TN: Sure. So, I grew up singing. My mom was a singer. She sang in a big band. So I grew up singing with her. And then she joined Sweet Adelines way back when I was in my early 20s and sang in a chorus in the town that we lived in and tried to talk me into joining, and I'm thinking, "Uh, I don't really think this is my thing," until I went and saw them perform.
[0:04:24] BB: And Sweet Adelines was also another late women's coral group or –
[0:04:29] TN: Sweet Adelines is the organization that we're a chapter of.
[0:04:32] BB: Oh, excellent. Okay.
[0:04:32] TN: So, it's an international. I sang with my mom, and I sang with my mom in the same chorus. We also sang in quartets together. And I just loved it when putting together the four parts and, again, talking about that lock and ring that we hope to have, it was just such a different style of music. So I joined when I was in my mid-20s and stayed with that course for a while. And then I relocated to New Hampshire and found Northern Voices, who was formerly called Profile Chorus, and met all the wonderful people that I sing with.
And one day we were in need of a director, and the interim director we had said, "Well, I think there's someone right in this room, at this table that could do it." And I'm looking around the table and he's pointing to me. So, I stepped out front to direct the course in January of 2000. So, it's been 26 years.
[0:05:38] BB: Wow. No small feat. That's a long history.
[0:05:41] TN: No. It is a long time.
[0:05:43] BB: Excellent.
[0:05:45] JT: And my story is a little bit similar in the fact that I grew up singing, and my mom was also in Sweet Adeline's chorus. It was Profile Chorus here in New Hampshire. And when I came back from college and was working, my mom was trying to get me to come and check out the chorus. I'm like, "Not really sure that's what I want to do." I enjoy singing other types of stuff. And she had been away from the chorus for a while and had decided to come back, and she was going to need to audition. So, she's like, "Well, just come with me. Moral support." And I'm like, "Okay, whatever." Insert eye roll here.
And I ended up singing with her in her audition. And Terry was the director, and she said, "Do you want that to be your audition?" And I was like, "Oh, I'm not thinking this is it." She's like, "You really want this to be your audition?" I'm like, "Okay." And fast forward 25 years, I will have been in the chorus this winter. So, Terry's actually the only coral director I've worked with as an adult. So, that's pretty amazing.
[0:06:43] BB: So, Terry, you're the coral director. And Jill, what is your role?
[0:06:46] JT: So, I am the marketing and performance coordinator. So, I try to spread the message of who Northern Voices is. And we're always welcoming new guests. And then also, I'm the person who helps to book all of our performances within the community and making sure we have enough voices. Because if we don't have all four parts, we can't perform together.
[0:07:06] JA: Right. So, a lot of hats.
[0:07:07] JT: A lot of hats. And we're a small group, so people do tend to wear a lot of hats in a small chorus.
[0:07:13] JA: So, what do you wish people understood better about the a cappella discipline and craft?
[0:07:19] JT: Oh, that's a great question. I think there's so much that people see on social media or TV. And I think sometimes people feel like, "Oh, I could never do that." I only sing in the shower or I only sing in my car. And I think one of the wonderful things about Sweet Adelines and Northern Voices is that you don't have to read music. You don't have to have played an instrument. You do have to be able to hold pitch and hold your part against others. But we are such a diverse group of singers, and some people do come in with previous musical background, but many don't. And so we actually learn our music with learning tracks.
If you can be driving in the car and listening to your part, it's a really easy way. So, we don't have that obstacle of having to be formally trained in reading music or even formally trained as a singer. And some of our most wonderful members have sort of come out of the woodwork a little bit and just said, "Oh, I saw you guys online. I thought I'd stop in. And I've never really done this before." And they sing. And we're like, "Wow, this is amazing."
[0:08:29] BB: That's great. So, do you have to advertise to get performers or is it just word of mouth? How do you actually build your network of performers?
[0:08:38] TN: Basically, it's word of mouth is really the best way. Talking to your friend and saying, "Hey, make sure you talk this up so people will know who we are and what we're about." But it's also advertising, which Jill is our –
[0:08:54] JT: Mastermind.
[0:08:55] TN: Marketing guru. Yeah. I mean, just sort of being out there. I think sometimes we may be a well-kept secret, and we don't really want to be. Hence, it's excellent to be here with you all and talking a little bit more about who we are and what we do. And we always want folks to come and see us and learn more. And you getting out and performing at places like the Deerfield Fair or the Made in New Hampshire Expo does give us some great exposure. And then, yeah, it is word of mouth and inviting folks, "Oh, do you love to sing? Come check us out. Come learn more." And also, we get hired to perform at different events. So, even just saying, "Are you looking for music at your next event? Would it be fun to have something different and have an a cappella group come be part of your programming?"
[0:09:41] JA: So cool. Because I feel performing is such an intimidating thing to try to like step out and just kind of do if you've never had that experience. But from what it sounds like, you guys are like super – you're welcoming. You want people to be a part of it. And then you can also kind of like blend in and kind of work with the group. It's not just you, right?
[0:10:01] TN: Right.
[0:10:02] JA: How large is the group typically?
[0:10:04] TN: Well, we are 18 people right now, which is a small group.
[0:10:08] BB: Oh, wow. Okay. I think that's great.
[0:10:12] TN: But singing with a group, at least you're not singing by yourself. So, you have the support of those that sing in your section, because we sing four parts. So, it's not like you're by yourself. You have other people that are singing with you.
[0:10:26] JT: And I think what's interesting for me is most of my singing prior to joining the chorus was more solo performing and singing with accompaniment, a pianist or a band. And being able to learn how to sing in this genre is really wonderful because you're not a solo singer. So you also need to learn how to blend with the other people around you. It's not Jill and Northern Voices. I need to be able to be part of the ensemble. And that's a really great skill. And it's something, again, 25 years in, always still striving to do my best.
[0:11:02] BB: Yeah. Yeah. Can you walk us through how a piece comes together, from selecting a piece of music to performance? But also, you are in competition. So tell us a little bit about the progress or the process.
[0:11:16] TN: I get to choose the music, which is the important part of my job and the part that I like. There is certain arrangements that have to be approved through Sweet Adelines. And there's a list that I use to go through them.
[0:11:34] JT: In order to compete, there are only certain pieces that are qualified so that everybody is sort of on the same playing field. So you couldn't necessarily take a really cool pop arrangement of something and bring that to the contest stage. But we can do that as performers in general.
Terry has her work cut out for her because it's not an exhaustive list of contest-approved pieces. And she needs to find two, one that's more of an uptune and one that is more of a ballad. And it needs to be a song that will score well and that will meet the qualifications of sort of where the chorus is at this time. It's not like just looking up a list on Spotify and saying, "Let's do that one."
[0:12:17] TN: As far as contest.
[0:12:17] JT: As far as contest goes.
[0:12:19] TN: I need to like it in order to portray that to the chorus. And the chorus needs to like it. Not everybody likes every song. But it's all about acting. And even though you may say, "Oh my god, I do not want to sing this song again." You get up there and you put on your smile, and you say –
[0:12:38] JA: Smiling face. Yeah.
[0:12:40] TN: Exactly. I love this.
[0:12:41] JT: This is my favorite song ever. And I think we spend a long time learning the song and then perfecting our technique. I mean, probably usually at least a year, the year prior to contest, you'd introduce a new song. And we sing it over and over and over and over and over again for our seven minutes on stage during competition season. But it pays off.
[0:13:10] BB: Yeah. And you rehearse once a week.
[0:13:12] JT: Yes.
[0:13:12] BB: And how long are those rehearsals?
[0:13:14] TN: They start at 6:45, and we're done at 9:00.
[0:13:18] BB: Wow. Okay. So, it's pretty intensive rehearsal schedule, too. Excellent.
[0:13:22] JT: And I think, at least for our chorus, we have pretty high expectations of our members in that we will be practicing our parts and our music between rehearsals.
[0:13:34] TN: Right. At home.
[0:13:35] JT: At home. Which is what Terry really hopes that we do. And most of us do it. We all could be probably better about it sometimes. But so that when we get into the room on Thursday nights, everybody knows what are we working on. Terry puts out a schedule in advance, so it's never a surprise what we'll be singing that week. And not only are we working on our typically two contest songs, but we're always reviewing our repertoire songs. And we're just about to learn two new songs this summer, which we're very excited about.
[0:14:04] BB: Are you allowed to tell us what they are so we can –
[0:14:07] JA: It's okay.
[0:14:08] BB: If it's a secret, that's okay. This won't be coming out –
[0:14:10] JA: Yeah. Right.
[0:14:12] BB: This comes out probably the end of June.
[0:14:14] TN: Sure.
[0:14:16] JT: So, by then we'll already know them.
[0:14:17] BB: There you go.
[0:14:18] TN: So, the first song we'll be working on in a week is The Climb that was made popular by Miley Cyrus. All right. And the other one is called For Good, which is from the Broadway musical Wicked.
[0:14:31] BB: Nice.
[0:14:33] TN: And they're not easy songs. So, I'm like, "You know what? It's time to really get in and dig deep. And let's work these songs because the recording tracks are beautiful." And I just love the message of both songs.
[0:14:47] BB: Oh, that's wonderful. You spend all this time – you spend a year preparing. And I imagine you also have other kinds of performances. I know that you had a holiday –
[0:14:57] JT: Yeah, we had our holiday show.
[0:14:58] BB: But who where are you going for these competitions? Are they local? Are they regional? Are they national? Is it all under the umbrella of Sweet Adelines?
[0:15:07] TN: Yes. The competitions that we go to once a year are regional, and they're held at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass. Depending upon how we score as a chorus, well, each chorus in the region and internationally, those that have the highest scores then qualify to go to international competition that's held in various cities every year. It's in a different place. Right now, as of this past weekend, we learned that we are seventh place small chorus in the world of Sweet Adelines.
[0:15:42] BB: Wow. That's fantastic.
[0:15:44] JT: Yeah, pretty amazing.
[0:15:45] BB: Seventh in the world?
[0:15:46] TN: Thank you.
[0:15:47] BB: Wow. That's fantastic.
[0:15:48] TN: And the top five get to go to international. But sometimes a chorus can't go for whatever reasons.
[0:15:58] BB: You have to cross your fingers.
[0:15:57] TN: So there's always a possibility.
[0:15:59] JT: It's sort of like runner up in Miss America, right?
[0:16:02] BB: I'll take it. I'll take it.
[0:16:03] JA: It's a lot of people to coordinate to get to travel overseas, too. That's crazy.
[0:16:06] TN: Oh, yeah.
[0:16:07] JT: And it's a big time commitment. It's a big expense. There's fundraising involved so that the burden doesn't fall on the chorus members. And we're a small group. So, you are asking people to sort of do a little bit extra. But we did have an opportunity in 2007. We had placed first in our region in 2006, and we weren't in the top five, but we were very close. And we ended up getting an invitation, and we actually went to the international small chorus competition which was in San Antonio, Texas.
[0:16:38] BB: Awesome.
[0:16:39] JT: And we came home with a fifth place international medal, which was not a bad thing at all.
[0:16:43] BB: Yeah. And I see you guys, you have matching necklaces on, which I'm assuming you feel free to chingle-chingle them in front of the mics. But those are their winning medals. Can you tell us a little bit about your awards here?
[0:16:58] TN: Yes. Well, last weekend, Mother's Day weekend, we had our competition, and we won the most improved award for scoring 31 points higher than we did the year before. Which is really exciting. And because of that and because of our score, then we won the first place small chorus award and third place overall in the whole contest, which is the highest we've ever scored in our history.
[0:17:28] BB: Congratulations.
[0:17:29] TN: Thank you.
[0:17:29] JT: Very exciting.
[0:17:30] JA: Yeah, absolutely. I'm really interested in the competitive part of it. I'm really curious about like what are the metrics? I'm picturing like Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.
[0:17:41] BB: I know. Who's there?
[0:17:44] JA: How does that work?
[0:17:45] TN: Well, there are four judges. So, we're scored in four different categories. We're scored in sound, music, expression, and visual communication. The judges that are sitting there watching us in the pit, three of the judges have their heads down the whole time because they are just listening. And then the visual communication judge is able to watch – well, her job is to watch and to listen.
[0:18:10] JA: Their heads are just like down on the table and –
[0:18:12] TN: Their heads are down.
[0:18:13] JT: And they're scribbling. They're writing their comments.
[0:18:15] BB: That'd be so hard to watch – I mean, of course, it's an auditory experience, but there's still a performative element to it that I would so want to observe as well.
[0:18:27] TN: Well, from the stage, the lights are so bright, we really can't see into the pit. And the chorus members need to keep their eyes on me. So, their focus is through me. But the judges, once in a while, their heads will pop up and then they're going back down. And so, you're thinking, "Okay." And they set a level on what our scoring is from the very first measure and first note that we sing.
[0:18:54] BB: What are some of the elements that they're actually critiquing or evaluating on?
[0:18:58] TN: Well, the top one is vocal production. So each scoring category, sound, music, expression, and visual. The most important thing are vocal skills. And there's all different things that fall under that. Has to do with resonation, intonation, phonation. Are we on the same target vowels? Are we turning diphthongs?
[0:19:22] BB: Hold on. I heard dip thong. Wait, did I hear that correct?
[0:19:27] JA: I heard this before, but I don't remember –
[0:19:28] TN: Diphthong.
[0:19:29] BB: Diphthong. What is a diphthong?
[0:19:31] TN: For example, if I said the word way. In Sweet Adeline, the word way phonetically is w-a-y is actually w-e-h. E-h is our target vowel. It would be weh. And then the diphthong is what you turn at the very end. So w-e-h. That's two sounds has the diphthong on there.
[0:19:58] JA: Interesting. Yeah.
[0:19:59] JT: And if we're not all pronouncing that the same way, it does – way. Right? Again, It does way. Right. Again, 19 voices. Or some of the courses are much larger. You might have 30, 40, 50, 80 voices. Everyone needs to be turning those ends of the words and phrases together.
[0:20:20] JA: Are there weight classes? How do you do it? Can an 18-person group compete with a 50-person group?
[0:20:30] JT: We did. And that's where the third place came in. This was regardless of size.
[0:20:35] BB: That's impressive.
[0:20:36] JT: But there are designations. The small chorus is division A, and that's fewer than 25 voices on stage. I mean, you could have more people in your chorus. But if 25 are singing, that's where you are judged. And then the AA is 26 to 50.
[0:20:55] TN: 50. Yes. That's midsize.
[0:20:57] JT: And then plus 50 is then sort of just overall.
[0:21:02] JA: Oh, okay.
[0:21:03] JT: Which is really nice because there are so many different sizes of choruses. To have the ability to group in within a small chorus, midsize, or then overall. Sometimes you might only bring home one medal. But other times you get to bring home several, which is pretty exciting.
[0:21:19] TN: Yeah. Or sometimes not.
[0:21:20] JT: Or sometimes none. I know. There is that.
[0:21:22] TN: It's like any type of sport. That is your seven minutes on stage. It could be your best seven or not your best seven.
[0:21:31] BB: Sure. Sure. You mentioned Simon Cowell in the audience as a reviewer. I'm thinking of Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady. The rain in Spain is mainly in the plain. The lesson in phonetics.
[0:21:45] TN: Absolutely.
[0:21:46] BB: You have no idea who I'm talking about? Oh, Joe.
[0:21:48] JT: Now he has to go watch my My Fair Lady.
[0:21:49] BB: Joe, My Fair Lady.
[0:21:51] JA: Mm-mm.
[0:21:51] BB: Oh.
[0:21:54] JA: Sorry, everybody.
[0:21:56] JT: It's not his jam.
[0:21:56] TN: I played Eliza Doolittle and My Fair Lady many, many years ago. It's probably where I got my target vowels from.
[0:22:04] BB: There you go. That's one of my favorites. Forgive me if we kind of interjected in there, but any other levels or other areas that you're being evaluated on? I can't remember if we went through and through.
[0:22:15] TN: I mean, it has to do from the time we walk on stage. So, how we enter the stage.
[0:22:21] JT: The physical presence.
[0:22:21] TN: Exactly. Are we in command? Do we look like we're in command of the stage? How is our audience rapport? Even though we can't see the audience, we still need to – chorus needs to perform through me and to the audience. Oh, there's so many things. If I brought my score sheet, I could –
[0:22:41] JT: So many variables. But also, a small part of it is about costume, makeup. Does what we're wearing help us tell the story? Right?
[0:22:51] JA: Sure. Song choice maybe.
[0:22:53] JT: Yes. Is it an appropriate song?
[0:22:56] JA: Are there more competitive songs, like For Good? A more challenging song?
[0:23:02] TN: For Good is not a contest song. It's more of a pop song. It's for fun.
[0:23:09] JT: For Good is for fun. Yeah. But sometimes a judge might say, "Great choice for your chorus," meaning this was really fitting our skill set well. And sometimes you get this might have been too ambitious for you at this stage. Right? And so it's not on like a transcript, if you will, for students. You get a numerical grade in each of these areas. It's combined overall for your full score or grade. And then they're able to see who comes in first, second, third in the different divisions.
[0:23:42] JA: That's fascinating. The competition element just like lit me up. It's just like some part of my brain. I could see people, like fantasy football, but for a cappella groups. Did you draft Northern Voices? Yeah.
[0:23:57] JT: It could happen. There's quite a huge online, and in real life, barbershop and a cappella community. And there actually a few volunteer groups that do put together all of the stats after each of the contest weekends. And so now contests are all done. And that's where we have now found that we find ourselves in seventh place, which isn't too shabby.
[0:24:18] BB: Yeah. I'm thinking about my first introduction to a cappella was the group Rockapella because of Carmen Sandiego.
[0:24:29] TN: Yes.
[0:24:29] BB: Yeah, show back there. And that was also my very first concert when I was like 10. I don't know if that's embarrassing. But I'll never forget that. that was my gateway into a cappella. Thinking about you mentioned sometimes not everybody likes the song. But you are going to go on and you are going to sell it. But I imagine in working closely with such a diverse group of people that you might sometimes come in conflict about ideas or how something's sounding to you, Terry, as the director versus what they're hearing. Especially if they don't necessarily have a rich or long experience in performing, how do you handle conflict and disagreement as a creative group?
[0:25:14] JT: She's in charge. We do joke about it. But ultimately, she is the leader of the pack. And yeah, sometimes we have songs that maybe not my favorite. But this is how we're doing it together.
[0:25:31] TN: And we also have committees. We have a music committee that I appoint. I have an associate director and two assistant directors. And then we have section leaders who help with their section. Administratively, we have a management team that conducts the business of the chorus. So bounce ideas, music ideas off of the music team, administrative ideas off the management team. And then if someone's unhappy, then, "Oh, well."
[0:26:02] JA: Yeah. Right. You have to have like a hierarchy with performance groups like that, right? Just so people know where to go and what to do, right?
[0:26:10] TN: Yeah. And sometimes we'll sing a song for so many years, not a contest song, but a regular rep song that we just get tired of it, or some people get tired of it. And after a while, it goes away. And then I select a new song and kind of gets us going again, gets us excited.
[0:26:29] JA: Speaking of that, I was curious, just generally speaking, what do you love about a cappella?
[0:26:35] TN: I'll tell you, it's when the four parts come together and here we go again on the lock and ring. But if you heard it together and you heard what the tone and what the sound is like, it's gorgeous.
[0:26:49] JT: There's a lot of emotion, I think, too, because we are unaccompanied. It's just us, and we are putting this together. Especially if there's a phrase in the song that's just so poignant and you have that beautiful sound together. I mean it can be goosebumps. We make her cry on occasion because we hit something just right. And it is. It is magical. It really is.
[0:27:16] BB: Let's take a listen to a sample from Northern Voices A Cappella.
[0:28:12] JA: I was just like thinking about the idea of like the performance bringing you to tears, you know? It's a beautiful thing. It's like an ephemeral thing. Every performance is its own sort of thing, its own creature, right? And you get to watch everybody come together and unify. And it's really lovely in a concept. I love the idea of performance in general. And you guys, it's just you. You know?
[0:28:36] TN: And that's why I love it so much when everybody's involved in the song in the character, and they're singing their hearts out, and they are singing exactly what the words intend for them to sing. That's what brings me to tears. It's just beautiful. And I think, "Wow, this gorgeous sound is coming from these few people." And we do. We have a huge sound for a small group.
[0:28:59] BB: That's wonderful. Can you describe perhaps one specific moment? Maybe it was a specific song or maybe it was at a competition or just at some other event that you feel was especially meaningful or transformative? And feel free to take some time to think about that.
[0:29:16] TN: I would say at our competition a week ago when we heard them announce that we were most improved. Because that's what we strive to be. And most improved by 31 points. And I'm just sitting back and I see the words forming Northern Voices. And after that, it was one of the high points of my life. Absolutely.
[0:29:44] BB: Oh wow. You must be flying high right now.
[0:29:46] TN: Yeah.
[0:29:47] JT: Yeah. We still are. We still are.
[0:29:47] BB: Oh, what a wonderful experience.
[0:29:50] JT: And one of the really great things about competition is yes, it is a competition. But as a region, we're actually very collaborative and are very supportive of one another, the choruses. And then there's also a quartet competition. So that smaller group of just four singers.
And this year, every year there's a draw, if you will, a placement. So who's going first, second, third. And so we've been the last chorus in competition some years, which means you don't see anything. And this year we were the second chorus to perform. Although we were early and there wasn't a huge audience to sing for, we got to watch the entire rest of the contest.
[0:30:26] BB: Oh, that's wonderful.
[0:30:28] JT: And it meant that we have a couple of newbies who had their first contest with us, and they got to see all of these other choruses. And got to cheer for everybody when all the placements were announced, which is wonderful. And then as the first place chorus for the small chorus group, we were able to perform that Saturday night at sort of the after party, if you will. And so that was just all of us up on this small stage with Terry. And we sang our contest ballad. And most of the people in the room had not heard us because they hadn't been on stage yet. And that to me was probably one of my highlights of being in this group.
[0:31:07] JA: Wow.
[0:31:08] TN: Yeah. I think we made her cry then too.
[0:31:11] JA: I was wanting to ask, are there any rituals that you all perform beforehand? What do you do to prepare?
[0:31:19] JT: Visualization before contest?
[0:31:20] TN: Oh, that's true.
[0:31:21] JT: We have our friends and family night.
[0:31:23] TN: We have a friends and family night the week before we leave for contest. And after our guests leave, then I do – it's a psychological preparation, mental imagery. I write it out each year. It's basically the same thing. And I adapt it to what is going on this year. So, I'll start with from the time we arrive in Springfield for a quartet contest and go through the whole next day from our warm-up time in the morning, through when we walk on stage, through we walk through the pattern of Symphony Hall where you start in the basement and you have this whole big pattern you have to walk through to get up on the stage. And everybody sits with their eyes closed. And it's really a wonderful experience.
[0:32:10] BB: That's beautiful.
[0:32:11] JA: Oh, wait. You draft out. You kind of outline what the next 12, 24 hours are going to be.
[0:32:16] TN: Yes.
[0:32:16] JA: And you have the whole group together. And you kind of lead them almost through like a guided visualization exercise that you articulate.
[0:32:22] TN: Exactly.
[0:32:23] JA: It primes them. Wow, that's really fascinating. Wow.
[0:32:28] BB: I actually just got a little chills there. That's lovely. And just thinking about you're not just jumping up on stage. There's this whole process of really zoning in and visualizing it, and then being able to physically experience it. And what a wonderful way to prepare.
[0:32:46] JA: That helps, I'm assuming?
[0:32:47] JT: It really does. I mean this wasn't my first contest. And so even though I know what's going to happen, it really is very centering. And to be with this group of people at this moment. Because the 18 of us plus Terry, we're going through this as a group together the first time. Because the players can change year to year. And it really is grounding. And we go out into the evening and back to get packed and all these things. But okay, we know what's coming. We know what to expect. And for our new members who've never done it, that can be daunting. To get them a chance to think about what the couple of days will be is really nice.
[0:33:28] TN: And of course our nerves are always there.
[0:33:31] JT: Always.
[0:33:33] TN: Sweet Adelines said a long time ago, "You need to try and keep your butterflies flying in formation." Just try and keep it down so you're not too too stressed. But it's the excitement, too.
[0:33:49] JA: I love that. It's funny. I was like, "I wonder what they're going to say when I ask –" over. I was expecting like I put on these socks that I've never washed or something. And then you're like, "Actually, this is a legitimate psychological exercise that is super valid and helpful." I love that. It's great.
[0:34:04] BB: I think we all need that more frequently. I think if we all took just a couple of moments to actually visualize what we're about to experience or about to do, it really could help calm our nerves. And maybe that's something should consider doing with some of our students sometimes. Just take that second. You're going to get on the other side of it. You'll be okay. Let's think about what the process will be like so you feel more prepared when you get there.
[0:34:29] TN: Right. And start with the relaxation breathing.
[0:34:32] BB: Yeah. Yeah.
[0:34:33] JT: And it is such a quick experience. We spend all this time and energy getting ready. And then we walk onto the stage. We sing the two songs. And we walk off the stage. And it's less than 10 minutes.
[0:34:47] BB: Oh my gosh. And imagine the weight that's off your shoulders after that because you're getting so hyped and hyped and over time. And then it's just, "Oh."
[0:34:56] JT: It it flies by when you're in that moment. And sometimes it's like, "Oh, we're already on the second song. How did that happen?" So quick.
[0:35:04] BB: Absolutely.
[0:35:04] JA: What do you do after the show? Do you have a ritual? Like a post-show ritual?
[0:35:08] TN: We do. After the competition is over, we go out to dinner together. We walk over to dinner and we have a great time. That's when we can all just kind of relax, have a beverage, have something to eat. And then we go back for the show because there is a show of the winners on Saturday night.
[0:35:30] BB: Oh, fabulous.
[0:35:32] TN: And then we go over the score sheets. So after the show is over, we go up to one of our rooms and we talk about the score sheets. And I read them. And then the next day, we're exhausted. For a couple days.
[0:35:44] JT: Yes.
[0:35:45] BB: I mean, it's nice to be able to actually get the score sheets and see the critique. I mean, is there written critique or is it just numbers?
[0:35:52] JT: It's written and –
[0:35:53] BB: Oh, wow. It's real constructive criticism. So you really know the areas that you need to improve upon.
[0:35:58] TN: Yes.
[0:35:59] BB: That's wonderful. What do most people misunderstand about a cappella singing? I think people watch Pitch Perfect, or they know Rockapella.
[0:36:10] JT: Right. They know Rockapella.
[0:36:11] BB: Or the Pentatonics. They know it's in the periphery of pop culture in many ways. But what do we need to know better about a cappella?
[0:36:22] TN: Well, I think some people when they think of barbershop, they think of the old-fashioned four-men on the street corner singing really, really old-fashioned songs.
[0:36:34] JA: Seeing striped jackets.
[0:36:35] TN: Absolutely.
[0:36:35] JT: The dab dance and Disney, straw hats.
[0:36:38] TN: And really, that's not what it is. It has totally evolved since then. We dress in normal clothing for the most part. We do like sequins and sparkles and things like that.
[0:36:51] JT: But we're on stage, so you have to have a little bit of sparkle.
[0:36:53] BB: Sure.
[0:36:55] JT: Absolutely. Well, I think we're actually celebrating our 50th anniversary as a chorus. We were chartered as profile chorus back in Bedford, New Hampshire in 1976. And so, May 1st of this year was our official 50th anniversary.
[0:37:12] BB: Fantastic.
[0:37:13] JA: Congrats.
[0:37:13] JT: Yeah. We look great for 50, right? But I think back to – and my mother was singing with the chorus at the beginning. And just everything from costume and music choice, and moves were very choreographed. And now it's just so much more natural with freedom in your sound and in your body to really tell the story.
And when you look though back at old pictures – and Terry's also our historian. So she has all of the documents. And you look and you go, "Oh wow." And you would see, if you could see those pictures why both Terry and I, when our mothers were like, "You should come sing with us." We were, "Hmm."
This is not your father's a cappella or mother's a cappella anymore, right? It is very up to-date. And while we may not be Pitch Perfect or up on a stage with individual microphones, there is so much joy to be had in this style of singing. And I feel like in the years I've been a member, I've been able to grow as a vocalist. And that's the other piece. Musical education is a huge part of Sweet Adelines.
And we are super lucky also to have Terry giving us weekly music education. And we do bring in coaches. And there are regional weekends where it's sort of like an a cappella conference, if you will. And so we are able to all learn and grow in so many different ways. Not just musically, but administratively, taking on different roles.
[0:38:46] TN: And it really starts out with the basics. The basics of all good singing is posture or alignment, which they call it now. Because without proper posture or alignment, your instrument is not going to work well.
[0:38:59] JT: As I straighten up. Shoulders back. Sit tall.
[0:39:02] TN: And then there's breathing. And some people are confused about breathing. Because when we talk, we don't necessarily breathe the same way we do when we snore. So that's a big part. It's alignment and then breathing. And then it's phonation, actually. Making the sounds. And then resonance, which is really placement of where your sound is. And if you're placing it in the resonating cavities, the chords will lock and ring. And that's what you want.
[0:39:33] JT: Lock and ring.
[0:39:35] TN: Lock and ring. Here we go again.
[0:39:36] JT: And it really is interesting. I never really thought when I became a member of this chorus that I would learn a lot about human anatomy, and your head, and your skull as a vocal space. Because we think about, "Oh, I open my mouth and the sound comes out." But the sound is inside first. And sometimes the way you hear it in your own head is very different than what comes out.
[0:40:01] JA: I'm thinking about when I listen back to these episodes, and I'm like, "I sound like that? That's so weird."
[0:40:07] JT: And one of the ways that Terry is able to make sure that we are all, hopefully, operating on the same playing field is that in order to perform any of our songs, we have to pass them. And so when we were singing up on the risers, we were recording. And of course, back in the olden days, it was tape recorders with cassette tapes. And now it's our phones. But we record, and then we send them into our section leader. Depending on the part you sing, you send it to that person. And then they give you feedback. And you could be singing all the right notes, but maybe those diphthongs are missing, right?
[0:40:43] BB: Those darn diphthongs.
[0:40:44] JT: Or you're not breathing in the spaces we're supposed to be breathing. And so then it's all these tiny little pieces to improve each song.
[0:40:53] BB: Sure.
[0:40:54] JT: But I hate listening to myself. I will hate listening to myself on this podcast as well.
[0:41:00] TN: Really, it's about if we sing four-part harmony. So if there's a couple extra notes in there that people aren't singing the right notes, then that's what we need to know. Or the singing a few wrong words here and there. That's really what we strive for. You don't have to be perfect. We're not perfect.
[0:41:19] BB: Well, to that end, because you do have such a variety and diversity of performers in your group, if someone were listening to this podcast, for instance, and would like to get involved, what are the steps? Or what should they know? Or what do they need to know? Do they need to know anything before they reach out to you guys and perhaps inquire about joining?
[0:41:40] TN: Okay, Jill.
[0:41:40] JT: Sure.
[0:41:42] TN: Take it away.
[0:41:43] JT: Excellent. Take it away, marketing coordinator. Obviously, there's great information about who we are and what we do right on our website, which is northernvoicesac.org. And guests are always welcome at our Thursday evening rehearsals. And we'd love to know in advance if someone is coming so we can be prepared to meet them.
And when they come in, we have them fill out just a very small survey. Who are they? Do they have any sort of background or experience with singing? And then we do a voice placement. And so either Terry or our associate director Kay will take them into another room space and just have them sing some scales and get a sense. Do they have a higher voice, lower voice, somewhere in the middle?
And then they come up and join us on the risers and start singing some of our warm-ups. So, we don't expect them to sing the repertoire songs, but get up there and feel what it's like to have a group of voices around you. And then they get to observe the rehearsal and then have a conversation with our membership coordinator.
And there's a multi-step process. There is an audition, right? Because again, we do want to make sure that folks are well-suited to this type of music. And not everybody is an a cappella singer, and that's okay.
[0:42:52] TN: Right. And not everybody can hold their part against the other parts.
[0:42:56] JA: Sure.
[0:42:57] TN: So some may get pulled off, and maybe this isn't the style of music for that particular person.
[0:43:02] JT: And we do sing sort of mixed up, if you will. I sing lead, which is often the melody. But I might have a tenor and a baritone and a bass all around me, and there's nobody in my ear that's singing my own part. So, I need to make sure that I can carry that.
And so, we do have an audition process. You sing in a quartet, so you're the only one singing your part. But we try to make it as low stress as we can. And you have a chance to sort of try it out and have like a practice one and work together. And then, hopefully, you pass your audition. And then our music committee would then recommend to the chorus as a whole. And then we would vote in a new member.
[0:43:42] BB: That's great.
[0:43:43] JT: Did I miss anything?
[0:43:44] TN: No, I think that was very good.
[0:43:44] JT: Good.
[0:43:45] BB: And we'll include all the links and resources on our episode description. If you are interested in learning more and perhaps going to one of these Thursday evening rehearsals, we'll send you the details.
[0:43:57] JT: Fantastic.
[0:43:58] JA: If you suddenly had unlimited funding, what would you want to explore or expand creatively as a group?
[0:44:04] TN: Unlimited funding. Wow.
[0:44:09] JT: Oh, I have one.
[0:44:09] TN: Okay.
[0:44:10] JT: I would pay for the entire chorus to go to the international education symposium that Sweet Adelines holds in the summer. Because it's usually different parts of the country. And it's usually about a week. And we went way back when as a whole chorus because we were singing in the competition at that event. But it's something that would be so wonderful for everybody. And it can be cost-prohibitive.
We have had the chance to send Terry and maybe some of the members of our music team. But it would be amazing to be able to have the whole chorus go and not have to worry about airfare, and hotels, and meals, and conference registration. That would be pretty amazing.
[0:44:50] TN: We also pay to have coaches come in. And so if we had unlimited funds, perhaps we could have more coaching from the international faculty. I think that would be great.
[0:45:04] BB: Oh, wonderful.
[0:45:05] JA: Call up Lionel Richie come down or something.
[0:45:07] JT: Yes. Ariana Grande. Bring all the people in.
[0:45:13] BB: Henry Higgins.
[0:45:14] JT: Right.
[0:45:15] JA: Rockapella.
[0:45:17] BB: Rockapella. Shout out Rockapella. We're going to tag them, too.
[0:45:22] JT: Go viral for this podcast.
[0:45:24] BB: I think it's probably time for rapid-fire questions.
[0:45:28] JA: To start off, real heavy hitter here. What's your favorite color?
[0:45:31] JT: Purple.
[0:45:33] BB: Purple.
[0:45:35] JT: We've hung around with each other for a very long time.
[0:45:37] BB: Are the costumes, or the uniforms, or whatever you wear for performance purple?
[0:45:42] TN: Our contest costumes right now are purple for the first time.
[0:45:46] BB: Okay. For the first time. Wonderful. What is your favorite scent?
[0:45:51] JT: Lilacs.
[0:45:51] BB: Oh, it's the time for that right now.
[0:45:55] JA: Notably purple.
[0:45:59] TN: I don't really have one.
[0:45:59] BB: That's okay.
[0:46:00] JT: Brownies.
[0:46:03] TN: Cinnamon.
[0:46:05] BB: Ooh, nice.
[0:46:06] JA: This might be a low-hanging fruit, but I'm not sure. What's your favorite sound?
[0:46:10] TN: Beautiful singing.
[0:46:11] JT: Lock and ring.
[0:46:12] JA: Lock and ring. Yeah.
[0:46:16] BB: What is your favorite texture or touch? I know. We go into all the senses here.
[0:46:21] TN: Silk.
[0:46:21] BB: Oo, nice.
[0:46:23] JT: Crisp cotton.
[0:46:25] BB: Right out of the dryer?
[0:46:26] JT: Sheets right out of the dryer.
[0:46:28] JA: What's the most inspiring location you've traveled to?
[0:46:31] JT: Paris.
[0:46:33] BB: Take your time.
[0:46:35] TN: That's a good question.
[0:46:37] JT: What about your cruise?
[0:46:39] TN: Oh, yes. To the Caribbean.
[0:46:41] BB: Nice.
[0:46:43] TN: Thank you.
[0:46:44] JT: You're welcome.
[0:46:44] BB: What other artist or performer has influenced you the most?
[0:46:48] TN: I am a Barbara Streisand fan. Have been my whole life.
[0:46:54] JT: Maybe we really do sing Barbara. Barbarashop, yeah.
[0:46:58] JA: Good call back.
[0:47:01] JT: Oh gosh, there are so many. I just want to say Lionel Richie just because we talked about it, but not really.
[0:47:08] BB: It's a hard question.
[0:47:09] JT: It is a hard question.
[0:47:11] BB: There's more than one.
[0:47:12] JT: Yeah, there are so many.
[0:47:15] JA: The way I get around that is name somebody who comes to mind in your top 10.
[0:47:18] JT: I don't want to say the same thing as her.
[0:47:20] BB: Well, you can.
[0:47:21] JT: I know. But I mean that just means we hang out way too much. Oh, is it Christine Brightman from the Phantom of the Opera? Sarah Brightman. Christine is the character. Sarah Brightman.
[0:47:35] JA: Oh, good answer.
[0:47:35] JT: Yeah. Sarah Breitman would be mine.
[0:47:38] JA: What's the last new thing you've learned?
[0:47:39] TN: That hard work pays off. Challenge yourself.
[0:47:45] JT: That I can always learn more.
[0:47:49] BB: It's good to remember that. Yeah, I think we often forget. It's like, "Wait. There's always so much more to learn." Wonderful.
[0:47:56] TN: Always.
[0:47:57] BB: And this is our clincher question. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your younger self?
[0:48:03] TN: You can do it.
[0:48:07] JT: Try out for the ensemble. Audition for the musical. Just try. What's the worst thing that can happen? If you don't get selected, that's okay.
[0:48:15] BB: Yeah. Yeah. Wonderful. This has been fantastic, guys. Thank you so much. It's been wonderful learning more about Northern Voices, the opportunities that you're able to offer to people in our community, even those who may be a little hesitant, or you offer space for them to to try. Right?
[0:48:33] JT: Absolutely.
[0:48:33] TN: Absolutely.
[0:48:34] BB: And congratulations as well on your many awards. This is very exciting.
[0:48:37] TN: Thank you.
[0:48:37] JT: Thank you.
[0:48:38] TN: Thank you so much.
[0:48:39] BB: Wishing you luck in the future. Thanks so much.
[0:48:43] BB, JA, JT, TN: Show us your creative guts.
[0:48:50] BB: Another huge thank you to Terry and Jill for joining us on Creative Guts today.
[0:48:55] JA: That was great.
[0:48:56] BB: It was.
[0:48:56] JA: What an awesome group. I loved seeing them. How their passion for a cappella, and music, and performance is infectious.
[0:49:03] BB: It is. I feel very warm and fuzzy now this post conversation just getting excited about their excitement for this. And the years. The history behind Sweet Adeline and Northern Voices. And their evolution. 50 years of doing this is tremendous. And how exciting too to just on the tales of them winning some prestigious awards. Seventh in the world. That's awesome.
[0:49:26] JA: Yeah. Right? And we were just talking a little bit afterwards about coordinating the time to speak. And I'm glad that we spoke to them when we did because then we could talk about that experience. Most improved, I think, was one of the awards that they won.
[0:49:38] BB: Yeah, which I think the one they're most proud of.
[0:49:41] JA: Yeah, that is one to be proud of, right? Because that they're like focused and they're working hard. And they want to make sure they turn around and do a good job.
[0:49:48] BB: Yeah. It's such a testament to collaboration, right? We talk on and off on this podcast a lot about collaboration. But here, you literally have to speak with one another to make it happen. You have to be lock in and ring.
[0:50:05] JA: Yeah. In the ensemble.
[0:50:06] BB: In the ensemble. Being able to pull things together to be able to problem solve, to be able to disagree, but also move forward with those collaborative and creative challenges that go with singing.
[0:50:19] JA: It's cool too that they're very open to new membership, and they invite it. And you know they have a process too that they go through. Yeah. If anyone listening is interested and genuinely wants to sort of give it a try, definitely seek them out. And we're going to have a bunch of information in the show notes too.
[0:50:34] BB: Yeah. Sounds like guests or interested parties who would be interested in joining are always welcome to join them on their Thursday night rehearsals. I think they said 6:45 to 9. So, it's definitely end of a workday. But what a wonderful group of people, and such positivity and joy that I think they're adding to this movement, to this art form, and to the community.
[0:50:55] JA: Yeah. It's energizing work, I'm sure. Yeah. So, thanks again. And if you want to learn more about Northern Voices and even attend one of their concerts or perhaps audition, check out northernvoicesac.org. As always, you can find those links and more in the episode description and on our website, creativegutspodcast.com.
[0:51:12] BB: You can also find us, Creative Guts Podcast, on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Discord. If you are not on social media, but you want to stay in the know about what we're doing, join our newsletter. We are on Substack. And you can find the link to sign up on our website.
[0:51:27] JA: A big thank you to our sponsor, Kennebunk Savings Bank, for your support of our show this year. And we also want to thank the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts for their support of the show.
[0:51:35] BB: Hey, you know what's coming up, Joe?
[0:51:36] JA: What's that?
[0:51:38] BB: New Hampshire Gives.
[0:51:39] JA: Oh, okay. Yeah.
[0:51:40] BB: And while I think this episode of Creative Guts will be airing perhaps after New Hampshire Gives, did you know, dear listener, that you can make a tax-deductible donation at any time? Your fiscal support is really, really helpful for us with our editing process, but also really with the events that we offer. Being able to bring so many different creatives together, being able to help people in our community foster their creative expression and try something new. It really helps.
So, if you love listening and you want to help support us, you can make a donation, leave us a review. You can also interact with our content on social media, purchase some merchandise. We've got some really awesome stuff online. Also, some really awesome aprons. I think I've said awesome about 12 times there, but it is awesome. So, whatever you are able to do, we truly appreciate it.
[0:52:29] JA: Thank you for tuning in. We'll be back next Wednesday with another episode of Creative Guts.
[END]