10 Highlights From Our 10th Anniversary

This month marks the end of our official 10th year as a chorus, and what a year it has been! To commemorate this achievement one more time, here are 10 highlights from our 10th anniversary year:

Voices leadership accepting Northern Division Chorus Championship trophy From L-to-R: Braden Lynk (President), Nick Gordon (Interim Director), BJ Hillinck (Interim Direct), and Gary Plaag (M-AD VP of Contest and Judging)

Sirens of Gotham winning Harmony Classic set in St. Louis

Voices & Sirens of Gotham “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” at Revelry!

1. We kicked off the year with a celebration! A banquet and afterglow at Twins Pub, where former and current members came to celebrate reaching this milestone.

2. We held our 7th Annual Tin Pan Alley Quartet Contest, where Park Slope Four won the open contest and Spicy Special won the novice contest as the first-ever mixed quartet to win the tin!

3. We were honored to win the Northern Division Chorus Contest in April under the direction of Nick Gordon and BJ Hillinck for our 2nd Division championship! The chapter also sent a record number of quartets to Prelims/Division--a whopping 8 quartets!--and taking home 1st Place (Midtown) and 2nd Place Division (Park Slope Four), 2nd Place Mixed (Spicy Special), 1st Place Novice (All of the Above), and 3 quartets (Park Slope Four, Madhattan, and Age of Flight) in the Top 10 of Prelims!

4. We shared the stage with hundreds of singers from all over the world at Lincoln Center for Total Vocal under the direction of Deke Sharon!

5. We announced the selection of Larry Bomback as Artistic Director in May and went on to lay the groundwork for the next 10-years of VoG, starting with a leadership retreat and core ensemble work. We then began developing our artistic leadership model and musical process, which was capped with a productive and wonderfully fulfilling chorus retreat in September.

6. We hosted our 10th Anniversary Show in June to a very enthusiastic audience with our friends ‘Round Midnight and Sirens of Gotham! The show featured some of our favorite songs from throughout the years and we were again fortunate to welcome back many or our fomer members to participate

7. We debuted our exciting “New York City” set for the M-AD audience at the Fall District convention, posting a qualifying score for 2019 International and taking home 2nd place overall! Our quartets continued a successful year, with Midtown taking home 1st Place, Park Slope Four taking 5th, and Age of Flight taking 8th.

8. We threw a rousing international debut send-off for Sirens of Gotham at the Sirens Sendoff Happy Hour! After flooring the audience with their incredible performance package, Sirens went on to win not only their division, but 1st place overall at the Sweet Adelines International Harmony Classic competition in St. Louis!

9. We welcomed 15 new members to the chapter, joining the more than 200 Voices who have been a part of its 10 years of existence! We also grew active membership by 27% overall.

10. We celebrated a successful year with our sold-out performance “Revelry!” with our friends Sirens of Gotham! Together, we premiered multiple in-house arrangements and joint pieces.

Voices debuting “King of New York” at Mid-Atlantic District Competition in Reading, PA

We are so thankful for all of those who were a part of this momentous decade! We wouldn’t have been able to do all of these things without your support. We have big things in store in 2019 with our return to the international stage and some new, dynamic songs planned. On the horizon for us are also some logistical changes as we work to find a larger rehearsal space and new risers.

We look to the future with positivity and determination, eager to overcome the challenges ahead! But it’s only possible with the continued support of our generous donors. If you would like to support Voices of Gotham, please take a look at our Give in the Seventh program here.

After a successful Guest Night last week, we are ready to hit the risers again with some fresh faces in our ranks. Here’s to the next 10! #liveintheseventh

Voices of Gotham Seeking Front Line Musical Director

Voices of Gotham is seeking a front line Musical Director. Please send all application materials or questions to directorsearch@voicesofgotham.org.

OVERVIEW

The Musical Director is responsible to lead and develop the music and performance program of the chorus, in consultation with the Music and Performance Vice President, the chapter’s Board of Directors, and other music team members, in a way that is consistent with our mission and values.

Application Deadline: March 1, 2018
Targeted Start Date: July 2018

Select candidates will be asked to lead a chorus rehearsal in a directorial capacity during April or May to gauge fit within the chorus culture.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The musical director’s musical knowledge, attitudes, and directorial skills greatly influence chorus growth and the quality of our musical program. He/She:

• Plans and executes all chorus rehearsals
• Directs all public performances of the chorus or delegates to an assistant director or other chorus members when necessary
• Develops short-, medium-, and long-term musical plans for the chorus in consultation with the Music and Performance Vice President
• Works with the Music and Performance Vice President in selecting all Music Committee members
• Attends all Music Committee meetings
• Supervises the activity of the Music Committee in their interactions with the chorus
• Helps determine the standard for membership in the performing chorus
• Participates in voice-placement and evaluation of new members
• Works with the Music and Performance Vice President to select outside coaches and choreographers
• As required, submits periodic musical director’s messages for publication
• Fosters development of aspiring director and arranger talent in the chorus at large
• Optionally, attends or participates in appropriate schools for chorus directors

QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior choral directing experience or similar educational study
• Experience with barbershop art form either in a quartet or with a chorus preferred
• Strong understanding of vocal pedagogy and ability to demonstrate effectively to a larger group
• Detail-oriented and able to communicate artistic concepts—both musical and visual—effectively and consistently
• Strong desire and ability to advance the chorus competitively within the Mid-Atlantic District and the Barbershop Harmony Society
• Strong interest in increasing the chorus’s profile within the New York City artistic community and beyond
• Ability to fully engage our members to meet our high standards through positive reinforcement and constructive criticism
• Ability to curate the membership of the Music Committee, identifying and encouraging potential new members as necessary
• Attuned to conversational phrasing
• Understanding of the importance of visuals to an effective stage performance
• Ability to be a spokesperson for the chorus and represent the core values of the organization
• Ability to support membership growth and retention of current members to maintain a strong, thriving, vibrant, singing organization

REQUESTED MATERIALS

Please send the following materials to directorsearch@voicesofgotham.org for consideration for the above position:

• Cover letter and resume
• Two video examples of either performance or rehearsal, not to exceed fifteen minutes, submitted as unlisted YouTube or other private video links.
• Two references from previous musical experiences 
• Optionally, any other relevant or supporting materials, such as published articles, musical writings, or letters of recommendation

For questions regarding the position, application materials, or selection process, please contact directorsearch@voicesofgotham.org.

Doug Brown
Chairman, Director Search Committee, Voices of Gotham