Competition 101

By Evelyn Lowry

To prepare for competition we will be working on our competition package a
lot. You will be able to sing those two songs and do choreography in your
sleep. However, sleep is important. Be sure you get enough. Be sure and
practice choreography too. You will want to feel comfortable with the moves
so you won't have to worry and can really show how talented and expressive
you are in your face.

I am going to list an approximate schedule without being time specific. Each
competing chorus' name is put in a hat and drawn. The order drawn is the
order we compete in. The only exceptions to this is that a chorus may opt to
sing first. Also, choruses that get their registration materials in late get
placed first. Singing at the beginning of the competition means you do not
have much of an audience. It also means the judges, being human, do not have
much to compare you to. It is a tougher place to sing, not impossible, just
tougher. The disadvantage of going later, for new people especially, is that
we only get to hear the groups that come after us. If we are at the end of
the competition, we will not be able to hear anyone else.


Competition weekend rough schedule:

Friday: 

• The mass sing will likely be in the morning. This is an opportunity
  to sing those regional songs or just listen and sing the ones you know. The
  mass sing consists of everyone in the region (available at the time. It is
  usually near or in the hotel.

• Dinner: on your own (or with your chorus friends)

• Quartet Competition will be Friday evening. The time depends on how many
  quartets are competing. Sometimes it is early. You may want to grab a snack 
  before you go if you don't feel like having dinner.  Heaven forbid we should 
  miss a meal you know!  You don't want to miss the quartet competition. It is a 
  great chance to cheer our chorus quartet on and to hear some great -- and not 
  so great -- barbershop singing. You will really see and hear what those 
  directors out front are talking about.

Saturday:

• Breakfast- West Hills has breakfast together on competition morning.
  It is usually around 7:30 a.m. (Depends on the order we are in). Even if you
  don't want to eat, you must come to breakfast. I do recommend eating though.
  We do not have time for lunch other than snacks in the room. We try to have
  lots of protein and grains at breakfast. 

• We exchange our final Secret Sister gifts of the year at breakfast and finally
  reveal ourselves to our Secret Sister.  We will also exchange names a few weeks 
  before contest for a "Contest Secret Sister" and exchange these gifts at breakfast 
  as well (approx. limit on gift:$15).  This is an optional, but fun, activity.

• Linda often does our warm-ups after breakfast in the breakfast 
  room.  Sometimes there is time to have your hair done and maybe a base make-up 
  put on before breakfast (depends on the order we sing).

• The next step will be to go back to the room for another layer of make-up,
  finishing hair touches and relaxing a little . . . maybe.  We will probably
  schedule a brief rehearsal somewhere.  It is fairly low key but please be on
  time.  It will be brief.  If we sing early, there will be very little time to
  get the rest of the make-up on, get checked by make-up/hair people and get
  your costume on. If we are later, there will be more time.  I recommend bring
  snacky stuff for your room (talk to your roommates).  There is definitely
  not enough time to go to the restaurant. Plus you won't want anything heavy.

• We will meet in the lobby, get our picture taken, go to a warm up room or
  two and then proceed to the stage to strut our stuff.  You will be given a
  very specific schedule of what will be happening. Don't worry about
  asking for help. Some of us have done this 15-20 times already.

• After competition we will be seated.  We get to listen to the remaining
  choruses, relax and enjoy.  We will be having dinner together, to listen to
  our tape, discuss results and enjoy each other.  There is a Show of Champions
  Saturday night.  If we place in the top 3, we will be singing in it and will
  have to return to our rooms to re-don our costumes (so DON'T wash off your 
  makeup!).  If not, we will just go and enjoy the show, afterglow or whatever 
  you want to do.

There are not scheduled events on Sunday (other than your trip home).