What a difference a few years make.  A few years ago no one cared when we got to Convention.  It's 2010, and Paul is a District Big Shot, Rob's not far behind, and Cliff's the Secretary of Everything.  If you read this blog, you know that I like to be left alone.  At least some things never change.

I made it to Cliff's house around 7:30 am because Paul had to be at a meeting in Grand Rapids by 10.  While Paul attended his meeting, the rest of us checked in, ate lunch, and started singing the OlogyCat songs with anyone available. The people that sang with us knew the songs, so I started feeling the pressure - I was singing for judges, as I'm the bass of NickJimOlogy, a registered Quartet, and we've never sung together. 

 

Fate laughed at me the entire day.  Jim Hartman, the Bari in NickJimOlogy, showed up early, so we sang together - without our Lead.  Later in the day, Nick Roe, the Nick in NickJimOlogy, and I sang together too.  I call it "my quartet" because this is "my" blog.  Nick and Jim squashed the nervous gene, although not completely.  Mr. Nervous kept saying "Did you hear that Lead?  That Bari? And your Tenor is Westers ..... You should have practiced more."

 

Next came the QCA meeting and rehearsal.  Then more OlogyCat singing, this time with Mark Spear singing Lead.  HOLY COW, I thought, he's singing Lead in an Ology Quartet, and it's not my quartet.

I remember sitting in the warm up room waiting to go on stage with NickJimOlogy.  Nick and I chatted.

1. Spiz:  This is weird.  We're competing, and we've never sung together.
   

2. Nick:  (A teen or twenty something - I'm not sure) Don't worry, we'll be fine.
   

3. Spiz:  Yea.  Don't.  Worry.
   

4. 
   

Finally, about 20 minutes before we walked on stage, Nick, Jim, Spiz, and Pete finally met.  We sounded OK.

Before the contest and in the warm up rooms, there was Ology trash talk.

1. Ology guy:  Hey, don't worry, you've still got time to fix that.
   

2. Ology guy:  OK, quit kidding and sing it right. 
   

3. Ology guy:  Really??
   

 

According to the judges, this year's Ology quartets were the best ever.  I'm too modest to say which quartet won bragging rights - way too modest.

Pioneer's District quartet contest was exciting.  My favorites were Moxxy, Right on Q, and Tune Raiders, and I listed them in alphabetical order.  Right on Q were the judges' favorites, so they better get ready to realize what a difference a few years make - although Mark Slamka, their gold medal Baritone, could teach all of us a thing or two about anything and everything in barbershop.

Marie Brummett, amazing singer Kelly's wife, Matt Brummett, Kelly's son, and several other Brummetts, Kelly's grandchildren, were at the convention too.  Marie wore Kelly's Chordiology Letter Jacket, which was really cool, because I haven't seen it for years.

Marie/Kelly's grandchildren hugged us every time we met, proving that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  Since it's past wine time, I don't have a problem with writing:  Kelly's biggest influence on my life is the hug.  Spizarnys don't - didn't - hug.  Now they do, at least the Spizarnys that know.

The OlogyCat Chorus was excellent.  I think everyone appreciated Rob's directing talents.  I hope we continue this tradition.

Chordiology sang in the chorus contest with Motor City, and Motor City did fine, as we finished second.  Congratulations to us and mostly to Glenn Hipple, our director.  Well done gentleman.  

The highlight of my weekend came at the end of the weekend, in the hotel lobby, where we sang in quartets, octets, and various combo-tets.  Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a bride and her friends walking toward the lobby.  Her reception must have been in one of the hotel ballrooms.  I quickly started the OlogyCat song, "I Didn't Want To Fall", and when the group saw her, everybody could hardly believe their eyes.  Most of the time you find out about Gold Medal Moments after the fact, because someone tells you about the impact that the song had on their lives.  This was different, and we knew it.  We experienced real time gold, and I doubt that that happens often.  The look on the bride's face was precious.  She stopped, stared, and grinned like my daughter when she was 4 years old on Christmas morning.  She turned and stared at her friends in disbelieve, as if saying "Did someone arrange this?"

1. Singers:  "Wife and marriage, baby carriage, not for me at all...."
   

2. Bride:  Smiles, turns to her friend and looks astonished, then gets playful, clearly loving every minute of the attention..
   

3. Singers:  "So I guess we better dress to face the preacher man...."
   

4. Bride:  Shows off her beautiful wedding gown...
   

5. Singers:  "I can't wait to place a wedding band upon her hand..."
   

6. Bride:  Out comes her arm, showing off her new wedding ring...
   

7. 
   

And so it continued, for the entire song.  The more we got into the moment, the more she got into the moment.  While it was happening, my brain morphed into Paul's brain, meaning a zillion ideas filled my head at once.

1. Spiz's brain:  Cool.  It's easy to emote.  Look at Rob emoting!  Look at everyone emoting!  Look at the bride emoting!  Is this what Tom Metzgar (bass of Realtime and teacher of our HU class Owning the Stage) meant when he said that we should ask "Who are you singing too" about every song?  I hope this never ends.  I hope someone gets this on video.  It's great to be a barbershopper.  Gold medal moment, gold medal moment. 
   

When the song ended, there was an amazing let down, because I didn't want it to end - a performer's dream was over.  I looked around, hoping someone caught it on video or at least with pictures.  Where's Baribeau?  He's everywhere, all the time, right?  He's here, right?

Actually, it didn't matter, because it's locked in my brain, like all those really important things in everyone's life.  Like the look on Cliff's face after Chordiology was announced as the 2007 District Champions. 

OK, Cliff's face locked in your brain ...... Well, Halloween will be here soon, so the analogy makes sense, right?

Another District Convention is History.

Congratulations to Mountain Town and Right on Q - Well done guys, well done.