MHBQA: CHINA - WORLD HARMONY EXCHANGE, INC.

Promoting Barbershop in China

the "Dragon Fundraiser"

(Last modified: $Date: 2002/05/08 15:24:33 $)

As explained in other areas on this section of the MHBQA website, there is a huge swell of interest in China regarding singing barbershop, especially on the college level. When the request first appeared for some instruction in singing barbershop harmony, MHBQA (represented by founders Kim and Jerry Orloff) combined Ed Pio of Edward Pio Travel in trying to meet the need. The enthusiasm quickly ran far ahead of the ability of the Orloff and Pio personal pocketbooks, so while continuing with plans to provide top-grade education along with sponsorship for Chinese quartets to attend educational opportunities in the U.S.A., plans were also made for establishing a non-profit organization to handle raising funds to support these activities. Thus World Harmony Exchange, Inc. was born.

The "purpose" as stated in the Articles of Incorporation of World Harmony Exchange are: "The specific purpose for which this corporation is organized is to further international communication through music by establishing music exchange programs with countries around the world. These exchange programs will consist of teaching and presenting American music to people in other countries as well as bringing music from other countries to America for the purpose of sharing with Americans. The exchange programs will include but not be limited to marching and concert bands, school choirs, Dixieland jazz, and barbershop quartets and choruses."

Ed Pio, the manager of the Watsonville Community Band for over 30 years (long before he got into the travel business), has been taking small and large band groups into China for several years. Last year Ed introduced the concept of a high school marching band to high schools in China, arranging for and accompanying the North Monterey County High School Marching Band (and parents) on a two week never-to-be-forgotten trip. So our "area" of music to share will include both bands and barbershop, and probably in the future, choirs. Jerry and Kim are the "barbershop" representatives on the Board; Ruth, Kay and Ed are "band" representatives, and Todd and Teresa are the general travel representatives. No one on the Board receives any remuneration for their time and efforts regarding this non-profit organization, nor do any of the National Advisory Council members. There are no travel expenses to meetings, etc.

World Harmony Exchange is not limited to any particular area of the world, but at this time the primary focus is on China. In future years we intend, as time and funding allows, to focus on requests from areas of the world where the particular American music form requested is not yet practiced, or has just been introduced and is not yet fully understood. All contributions will be earmarked for a particular type of music (currently barbershop or high-school band), according to the designation of the contributor. The "Dragon Fundraiser" is intended specifically for barbershop uses.

Current guidelines for specific use of funds collected are:

• Funds may be used to cover the cost of sending qualified instructors to local groups which have requested instruction in a specific American music form, for a specified period of teaching. Groups must be in areas where the particular American music form is not yet practiced, or has just been introduced and is not yet fully understood. Qualifications of "instructors" is to be approved by those Board members considered expert in that area of music; instructors will initially be recommended by members of the Advisory Board as well as the WHE Board members. The primary purpose of the trip must be for teaching, with the majority of the time spent teaching.

• Funds may be used for purchase of music and other educational materials such as manuals, which will be used during the teaching. This includes paying for the creation of arrangements tailored to the novice group, learning tapes made in their language, and payment of copyright fees on any music used which requires copyright clearance. For examples, see materials used in the April 2001 and March 2002 barbershop classes in Shiajiazhuang & Beijing, China.

• Funds may be used to bring new "students" of the specific American music form to the U.S. for further instruction and exposure to performances of that music form. This may be at American-run educational events, such as SPEBSQSA's Harmony College or Sweet Adelines IER, or at such competition/performing events as SPEBSQSA's International Competition or the Monterey Dixieland Jazz Festival. The selection of students for these opportunities will be made by audition and interview. Final determination is to be made by the American instructors in that art form who have worked with the particular students, based on (a) which student will be the best representative of his country, (b) which student will be enriched the most by the opportunity, and (c) which student will be able to take back what he/she has learned and share it with his home musical community.

Our organizational structure on the Board is as follows: President, Ed Pio (Global Music Exchange founder, co-owner of Edward Pio Travel); Vice-President, Kay Burtness (co-owner of Edward Pio Travel); Secretary-Treasurer, Kim Orloff (co-founder, MHBQA); Board Members: Jerry Orloff (co-founder, MHBQA), Ruth Gronroos (Watsonville Community Band member, host on several China band trips), Todd Hurlburt & Teresa Silvia (travel assistants & tour leaders, world-wide trips.)

Our National Advisory Council is composed of some of the best people in the barbershop and band worlds. You may recognize a few - here are some notes on each, in the order that they are listed on the letterhead:

• Holly Beck (Dallas, Texas) - sang tenor in Hao Yu Chi Singers (along with husband Brian Beck) in the original teaching quartet that went to China in 2001. She is the Executive Secretary for the Association of International Champions (AIC) of SPEBSQSA, tenor in the Champion Mixed Quartet Kindred Spirits, and a member of the Richtones Chorus, several times Sweet Adelines Chorus Champions. She was also a part of the gold-medal teaching team to China in 2002.

• Kenneth G. Bloomquist (Northport, Michigan) - former head of the Music Department of Michigan State University, he is now retired with the title Conductor Emeritus, Michigan State University Bands. He has conducted Community Band of America trips for Edward Pio Travel on cruises.

• Col. John R. Bourgeois (Washington, Virginia) - retired conductor of the U.S. Marine Band (The President's Own) and White House Music Director for five presidents. He has been to the Caribbean, Europe and China with Ed Pio, directing Community Bands of America. (He's been to China twice, and is extremely enthusiastic about sharing music in China.) He is also the President and CEO of the John Philip Sousa Foundation, one of the most influential organizations in the instrumental music world.

• James Christensen (Villa Park, California) - a prolific arranger and composer of band music, he has worked for Disney Corporation for over 30 years. He has guest conducted all over the world, including a Community Band of America trip to Russia with Edward Pio Travel last year.

• Jim Clancy (Dallas, Texas) - a prolific arranger of barbershop music, an inspirational coach and teacher of the barbershop style, he is the Director of the Dallas Vocal Majority, premier men's barbershop chorus in the world (SPEBSQSA Chorus Champions 10 times!) He directed the Alaska Millennium Magic Barbershop Cruise Chorus in 2000, and will direct the Hawaiian Harmony Barbershop Cruise Chorus in August of 2002, both Edward Pio Travel adventures.

• Terry Clarke (Boston, Massachusetts) - bass of SPEBSQSA International Champion Quartet Boston Common (1980), advertising executive, and former president of the AIC. He was part of the gold-medal teaching team to China in 2002.

• Kenny Hatton (Louisville, Kentucky) - lead of SPEBSQSA International Champion Quartet Bluegrass Student Union (1978), current AIC Marketing Director and Special Projects Coordinator, and music director of the 2001 and 2002 Barbershop Chorus of America tours to China. He was the leader and music organizer of the 2002 gold-medal teaching team to China.

• D. L. Johnson (Castroville, California) - immediate past president of the California Music Educators Conference, and Director of Bands at North Monterey County High School in Castroville, California (30 miles from San Jose.) His bands went to China in March 2001; he is now a big fan of China.

• Ma Kuan Chi (San Francisco, California) - known as "K.C.", Mr. Ma is President of Asia Holiday Travel (based in San Francisco & New York), and is our primary contact with the government officials of Hebei Province who make our teaching possible. K.C. makes all our China travel and performance arrangements, interprets, etc. He's also a member of SPEBSQSA's Frank Thorne Chapter (and a pretty fair barbershop lead!)

• Silvester McElroy (Santa Cruz, California) - present conductor of the Watsonville Community Band. A retired music educator with over 40 years of teaching high school music, he is also a major band judge in California.

• Scott Werner (Alexandria, Virginia) - former director of SPEBSQSA International Champion Chorus, the Alexandria Harmonizers (also famous for five appearances on the Kennedy Honor Awards), he was music director of the Bermuda Barbershop Cruise Chorus with Ed Pio and the Orloffs in 2001.

Those of us who put together this fundraiser, and are administering the teaching trips to China and the sponsored quartet trips to the U.S.A. this year consider this is our "contribution to world peace" - friendship built upon the harmony of singing together. If you would like to share in this project, you can obtain more information by writing World Harmony Exchange at P.O. Box 10261, Salinas, CA 93912, U.S.A. You may also telephone W.H.E. President Ed Pio at (831) 757-1232, or email Board Member Jerry Orloff at orloffs@ix.netcom.com for more information.

Please phone, write or email (info above) for the form to accompany your contribution - give your mailing address, so we can send it to you. The proper form will insure that your contribution will receive the proper credit.

There are several levels of contribution. A Dragon's Egg contribution ($25 to $99) will be acknowledged with thanks and a tax deduction letter, plus acknowledgement in the 2003 AIC Show Program (unless contribution arrives before 5/15/02.) Smaller contributions (less than $25) can be designated as part of the following groups: SPEBSQSA member, Sweet Adelines member, HI member, MHBQA member, or general barbershop. If you can share more, the following levels of participation are available:

• Bronze Dragon contributions of $100 to $499 will be acknowledged by a tax deduction letter, acknowledgement in the 2003 AIC Show Program, a Bronze Dragon lapel pin, and a compact disc of the performances in China by the 2002 teaching quartets and ensemble, plus the student quartets.

• Silver Dragon contributions of $500 to $999 will be acknowledged by a tax deduction letter, acknowledgement in the 2003 AIC Show Program, a Silver Dragon lapel pin, a compact disc plus a 1-hour video of the performances in China by the 2002 faculty quartets and ensemble plus the student quartets.

• Gold Dragon contributions of $1,000 to $1,999 will be acknowledged by a tax deduction letter, acknowledgement in the 2003 AIC Show Program, a Gold Dragon lapel pin, a compact disc plus 1-hour and 2-hour videos of the performances in China by the 2002 faculty quartets and ensemble plus the student quartets.

• Diamond Dragon contributions of over $2,000 will be acknowledged (after we recover from our shocked delight) by a tax deduction letter, acknowledgement in the 2003 AIC Show Program, a Gold Dragon lapel pin with an embedded diamond, and a compact disc plus 1-hour and 2-hour videos of the performances in China by the 2002 faculty quartets and ensemble plus the student quartets.

This page is maintained by Tom Arneberg ( toma@arneberg.com)
(Last modified: $Date: 2002/05/08 15:24:33 $)
For more info about MHBQA, email Kim Orloff at korloff@ix.netcom.com