For more information, see: | https://www.southeasternharmony.org/dbpage.php?pg=view&dbase=events&id=215911 |
Since 1948, the Dixie District has enjoyed 76 years of harmony, fellowship, and camaraderie. We weren’t slacking on the singing either, with two chorus champions, three quartet champions, and at least four Varsity champions! We have always enjoyed this great hobby, even though we have seen quite a bit of change over the years, and while we have lost states (Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and later both Carolinas). This year, change was on the table once more. On October 1, 2023, the board of directors of the Dixie District voted unanimously to “form a task force to formulate a proposal that will help the district grow with Clay Hine being the chairman”. Several developments over several years led to this direction, including:
Over the next several weeks, we will be showcasing each one of these changes as they are all major changes that deserve a deep dive. We want to express our gratitude to all who have supported us, currently support us, and will support us. We are excited to start this new chapter in the district as the Southeastern Harmony District! |
Michaela Slamka JohnsonThe Big Chicken Chorus is proud to welcome Michaela as our new Musical Director. Michaela comes to us as a 4th genration Barbershopper and a 3rd generation quartet champion. Her grandfather (Jack), father (Mike), uncle (Mark), and second cousin (Don) were BHS 2003 International Champions, Power Play. Father (Mike) was also the Lead of 2009 International Champion Quartet, Crossroads. Her sister Madison Riviere is the Lead of the current Sweet Adelines International (SAI) 4th place quartet. Michaela is also a Queen of Harmony with SAI, as the Tenor of 2019 International Championship Quartet, Class Ring!. Class Ring began their winning ways as 2014 SAI Rising Star Champions. Michaela is also a member of Double Date (tenor), a two time (2014 & 2016) Champion of the BING! World Mixed Voice contest held annually in Germany. She is currently the Baritone of Dynasty, the 2024 2nd Place SAI quartet. In addition to her performance sucesses, Michaela holds degrees in Music Education and Music Theory and has taught elementary music for 5 years. Michaela is maried to Nathan Johnson, Baritone of 2022 International Champion Quartet, Quorum and fellow member of Double Date. |
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Hey y'all, I wrote the following last week while at Mid-Winter. Please read and stay tuned for more updates! Greetings! I am excited to be your district President for 2024! I think some of our best days as a district are just ahead. I am writing from Mid-Winter 2024 at the beautiful Sheraton at Times Square. We are getting ready to watch the Chorus Competition and Festival on this beautiful, but cold Friday morning! We have had several meetings with our District President's and EVPs, the BHS Staff and the Society Board of Directors. There has been open communication between all of these groups and there are some new things coming that we all can get excited about! On Saturday our District will be represented by two of our quartets, Deep Water and Quadraphonics. Congratulations to those quartets and we wish them much success! Stay tuned for an update soon from your Task Force. They have worked hard to interact with most of our chapters and help us gather ideas and ways that we can see our district grow and increase our singing and fellowship. I look forward to getting to know more of you this year. I hope to send these updates and notes out on a regular basis. If you have any questions please let me know. Jimmy Tompkins President, Dixie District president@dixiedistrict.org |
Quartet Rep to internationalEntourage Quartetspring chorus championAtlanta Vocal Project (AVP)sPRING CHORUS 2ND PLACERSVPSRPING CHORUS 3RD PLACEVoices Of The SouthMost Improved ChorusStone Mountain Chorusbarbershopper of the yearJimmy Tompkins (2018) presenting to David Murphree (2023) |
Friday nights scores will not be posted. All quartets in the contest will be singing on Saturday night, only the final score sheet will be posted. |
Please check our Facebook page the day of contest for the livestream of each session. https://www.facebook.com/DixieDistrictBHS |
For more information, see: | dixiedistrict.org/spring |
YES! Our 2022 Dixie Distrct Fall Convention will be live streamed. Please check our Facebook page on September 23rd and 24th! | |
For more information, see: | https://www.facebook.com/DixieDistrictBHS |
Nashville Metro Council recognized the Music City Chorus by proclamation on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 and congratulated MCC on the 2022 Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Championship. Members of the chorus were honored by the reading of the proclamation to the council. Rich Smith, President of the Nashville Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, expressed the chapter's and chorus's appreciation to the council. MCC then sang Circle of Life, from their award winning set, for the council, under the direction of Dusty Schleier. The chorus received a standing ovation from the council and those in attendance. | |
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BHS International Charlotte 2022Music City ChorusCongratulations to the Music City Chorus for winning the chorus competition at BHS International Chorus Contest in Charlotte on July 9, 2022. Music City Chorus is under the direction of Dusty Schleier and scored a 95.7 to win the gold.Sound of TennesseeCongratulations to Sound of Tennessee, under the direction of Brandon Guyton. They placed 12th in the chorus competition with a score of 84.7.PremierePremiere Quartet, from the Cleveland TN chapter, competed in the Next Generation Barbershop Varsity Quartet Contest and finished 7th with a score of 76.7. Congratulations guys!WildfireCongratulations to Wildfire for making the 20. They finished 17th with a score of 81.8.EntourageCongratulations to Entourage who finished 27th with a score of 79.1.cityScapeCongratulations to cityScape (CAR), we claim them, for their 43rd finish with a score of 76.5.B-ListOur comics of song and entertainment appeared in the Quartet Festival and received a rating of Outstanding. Congratulations guys, great to see you entertain the audience and receive two standing ovations. |
Congratulations to our Dixie District representatives to the BHS International Contest in Charlotte!Next Gen Varsity - Premiere Choruses - Music City Chorus and Sound of Tennessee Chorus Quartets - Wildfire |
For more information, see: | facebook.com/dixiedistrictbhs |
In late 2019, our Board of Directors received a request by one of the members we serve to investigate the possibility of changing the name. In 2020, we opened discussions amongst the board about this subject. After several long discussions and debates, we decided to send a survey to our members to get the pulse of the district in regards to this. There was quite a bit of resistance to the idea of it, with 48% of the respondents being either Against or Strongly Against the change, while 37% were For or Strongly For the change. This sparked another round of conversation in the Board, who were also divided on the matter, so it was eventually decided to create a task force to investigate whether or not the name should be changed. After several very productive conversations, the task force recommended that the name be changed. The Board then accepted the recommendation and delivered it to the delegates of the chapters ahead of the House of Delegates meeting on March 20. We asked the delegates to have conversations with their respective chapters and to be prepared to vote on the matter at the upcoming meeting. A motion was made that the name should be changed (without any suggestions as to a new name) and a roll call vote was taken. There were 17 votes against, 15 in favor, and 1 abstention, so the motion failed. A further breakdown shows that the Board members voted 7 to 6 against, with chapter delegates voting 10 to 9 against, 1 abstention. With the failure of the motion, we continue to be the Dixie District. The task force is officially disbanded as its original directive was completed and the failure of the motion means that no more directives will be given. We want to thank the task force for their diligent work and contribution to the discussion. |
he March 2022 issue of the Dixie District online newsletter, The Dixie Town Crier is a must read.
The Dixie Town Crier is YOUR chapter’s opportunity to share information and photos about your chorus, quartets, shows, and activities with your fellow barbershoppers. Each chapter is encouraged to appoint someone to report YOUR chapter news! Submissions and questions should be directed to towncrier@dixiedistrict.org. | |||
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The Dixie District Board of DIrectors met in July 2021 to discuss the business of the district and prepare for the upcoming House of Delegates meeting. Not pictured: DC Nash, Jim Sams, Bob Davenport, and Steve Callahan. |
During our District Board meeting this weekend, we discussed ways to safely hold our 2021 Fall Contest in Oxford, AL. Unfortunately, after reviewing multiple scenarios, we decided that it would be in the best interest of the District if we do not hold convention this year. We are continuing to monitor trends as we navigate this difficult pandemic, and hope to bring good news soon about our Spring Convention in Alabaster, AL. Our President, Paul Blazek, will go into more detail on our decision in the next Town Crier.. |
Greetings Barbershoppers!One of our Dixie District arrangers, Clay Hine, has a song for us to sing when we return this fall for our Dixie District Fall Convention, September 24-26, 2021 in Oxford, Alabama. (Details for the even will be posted in the coming months.) "It's the Music that Brings Us Together."Encourage YOUR chapter to participate! That includes...Ordering the FREE music and FREE learning tracks from the Society. TTBB https://shop.barbershop.org/its-the-music-that-brings-us-together-ttbb-arr-hine-download/ SATB https://shop.barbershop.org/its-the-music-that-brings-us-together-satb-arr-hine-download/ SSAA https://shop.barbershop.org/its-the-music-that-brings-us-together-ssaa-arr-hine-download/ It comes in all THREE versions (SSAA, TTBB, SATB). Help promote and LEARN the music. Get YOUR CHAPTER to Oxford, AL, in September AND then SING WITH US! Our VP of Events, James Donaldson, is working on the final details concerning the preparation and performance of this song at the convention. DO YOUR PART NOW so that we can see that we have maximum participation! Contact Jimmy Tompkins, vp-music@dixiedistrict.org, with any questions or assistance with this music for your chapter! |
The chapter officer training sessions were initially delivered online in January of 2021. The playback of these sessions is now available on the Dixie District YouTube Channel. Use the links below to view these sessions.These links will open a new page on your browser and take you to the YouTube video.
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Dixie District 2021 Leadership AcademyAbout this EventThe 2021 Leadership Academy will focus on the following classes.
Questions? Contact Bob Davenport, DIX VP of CSLT – tenorbob@comcast.net or 615-331-7377. Classes will be 3 hours, general assembly will begin at noon via Zoom. | |
For more information, see: | https://www.dixiedistrict.org/dbpage.php?pg=view&dbase=events&id=124136 |
After lengthy discussions and careful consideration, the Dixie District Board of Directors has decided to cancel our upcoming Spring Convention on March 20-22, 2020. The novel coronavirus has been spreading quickly through our communities, and disproportionately impacts the immunocompromised and individuals over 60. Due to this, we want to take every precaution to keep our members and their families, friends, and communities safe. After reviewing options, we agreed that the best course of action was to not gather at this time. We are currently coordinating with SCJC and BHS to come up with options for our quartets that intend to qualify for International, and will deliver the information as soon as we finalize a plan. We will do all that we can to maintain the qualification process. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we are working to come up with a solution for later in the year. Details will follow in the coming weeks, so please keep an eye out for them. Thank you everyone for working with us through this complicated issue. Yours in Harmony, Your Dixie District Board of Directors UPDATE 3/13/2020 For those that have already registered for contest next weekend, we are working with Eventbrite to get your registration fee refunded. We will send you an email with details soon. For those who have booked hotel rooms, please contact your hotels to cancel your reservations. |
David Murphree Town Crier Editor Dixie District BHS www.dixiedistrict.org |
Greetings!
Town Crier Editor Dixie District BHS www.dixiedistrict.org |
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Pelham (Headquarters) 260 Cahaba Valley Road Pelham, AL 35124 Rate: $119 plus tax per night Call 205-987-8888 to make reservations by phone For on line reservations BARBERSHOP GROUP BOOKING LINK Sleep Inn Pelham Oak Mountain 200 Southgate Drive Pelham, AL 35124 Rate: $99 plus tax per night Call 205-982-9800 to make reservations by phone No on line reservations PLEASE NOTE: The cut-off date to make reservations is Friday, February 21. The contests will be held at: Thompson High School Performing Arts Center. 1921 Warrior Parkway Alabaster, AL 35007 |
2020 Spring Quartet Qualifier
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Dateline: January 16, 2020 The time is upon us to gather for the 2020 Dixie Spring International Quartet Prelims and Chorus Convention/Contests. This convention will be held March 20-22, 2020 in Alabaster, Alabama. HOTELSThe headquarters hotel is the Holiday Inn Express, 260 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham, AL 35124, 205-987-8888. And we are using Sleep Inn Pelham Oak Mountain, 200 Southgate Dr., Pelham, AL 35124, 205-982-9800. An additional hotel, Comfort Suites, may be added for overflow depending on the registrations. The distance between hotels is 0.3mi. VENUEThe contest site will be at the Alabaster City Schools Performing Arts Center on the campus of Thompson High School, 1921 Warrior Pkwy, Alabaster, AL 35007. The distance from the hotels to the ACS PAC is 10.2 miles (21 min) via US-31 S. Buses will be available for chorus transportation. CONTESTSWe will have an International Quartet Prelim (2 rounds), a District Chorus Championship, and a Most Improved Chorus award based on chorus scores from last spring. You have SIX WEEKS to enter the contests of your choice. The deadline for contestant entries will be midnight Friday, February 28, 2020. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONWe will also offer a “Score for Evaluations” only session, INVITATIONAL, for ALL choruses/quartets who do not wish to compete and to all singing groups (Seniors quartets, Mixed quartets, Female Quartets, Female Choruses, and Mixed Choruses) who would like to receive your personal score sheet and up to a 60-minute coaching or a 30-minute evaluation-only session. We just need YOU there to participate! There will be something for everyone! ALL male/female/mixed quartets MUST be BHS members EXCEPT FOR youth quartets (mixed, male & female) from college-age down. JUDGESHere are the judges who are on the Official Panel: BARBERSCOREIf you have any trouble filling out the Barberscore entry for your chorus or quartet, PLEASE contact me ASAP and allow me to walk you through the process. Again, I am available to help you fill out your Barberscore entry if needed. Quartet admins can login at barberscore.com. I will be sending out weekly reminders as to our progress and to help light fires under some of you who like to procrastinate. And we want you to have a grand experience at this 2020 Dixie Spring Convention. Bring your family and friends to enjoy the very best that DIXIE DISTRICT has to offer! ****************** COMING-FALL 2020-Start planning NOW!! *******************
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Hey, folks! Like youth singing barbershop? You're in luck! The BHS Next Generation Junior Division quartet and chorus contests are today and tomorrow at Midwinter in Jacksonville. Dixie District is well represented this year: Here's a schedule: TODAY, Thursday, January 9, 4:00 - 5:30 EST Next Generation Quartet Contest. Sonic Sound Quartet is a mixed foursome from Marietta High School, Marietta, GA is singing sixth. 3:1, a mixed quartet from Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School, Nashville, TN is singing eighth. TOMORROW, Friday, January 10, 11:00 - 8:30 EST Next Generation Chorus Contest (held in conjunction with Seniors Chorus Contest). MLK HS's Bella Voce women's chorus is scheduled to sing at 11:48. Georgia Spirit mixed chorus is scheduled for 12:58. MLK HS's Bro Re Mi men's chorus is scheduled for 7:34. You can catch all contests and shows LIVE on FloVoice (flovoice.com). If you're not in attendance in Jacksonville, tune in. All these groups have worked very hard and our moral and financial support goes a long way! Thanks! Lee Frnaks |
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Location change for Spring Contest 2020The Dixie District Spring Contest 2020 will be held in Alabaster, AL, The date remains March 20-22, 2020. More details will be released in the coming weeks. 1/5/2020. |
The Dixie 2020 Leadership Academy will take place on Saturday, January 4th 2020. The location will be the Morris Hill Baptist Church at 1804 Morris Hill Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421. The sesion will run from 12:00 noon until 4:00PM EST. Classes will be available for new and returning chapter leadership positions:
The Healty Chapter Initiative class will also be presented by a certified HCI facilitator. Dean of the Academy is Bob Davenport. If you have questions, please contact Bob at tenorbob@comcast.net. |
Latest Town Crier After serving much of the last decade as the editor of the Dixie Town Crier, David Belden has decided to retire. While he plans to continue to sing with the Music City Chorus, the time has come to retire from the extra duties associated with the district newsletter editor position. David is a retired teacher and prin-cipal originally from Ohio. In addition to his career in education he spent 23 years as a reporter, photogra-pher, columnist, and editor for The Leader Enterprise in Montpelier, Ohio. David has also spent much of the decade as editor of The Huzzah, the Nashville Chapter newsletter, a position from which he is also retiring. David and his wife Barbara will use some of their extra time making trips to Ohio to help to care for Barbara’s father and step-mother. A new editor for the Dixie Town Crier is expected to be named soon. Watch the Dixie District webpage for upcoming information. | |||
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Ringgold, GA, Oct 4, 2019 Congratulations to the new Dixie District Quartet Champions - Wildfire. The Dixie Novice Quartet Champions are Goodness Gracious. The Dixie Senior Quartet Champions are Silver Ring. The Dixie Super Seniors quartet champion is Rock City 4. The DIxie Chorus representative to BHS International in 2020 is the Sound of Tennesee chorus from Cleveland TN. The Dixie Seniors Chorus performed and recieved a score of 73.3%. |