47 DAYS to the International Stage ... but who's counting!!!!!!

In the spring of 2012 we became the Region 16 Champions. How excited and honoured were we!!! The anticipation of representing our wonderful region on the Sweet Adeline International stage in Hawaii in November 2013 has been electric! What a journey so far!!

And they say it's all about the journey! Well it has been one heck of a ride so far! We picked up Joe Connolly at the very beginning of our journey to Hawaii and he immediately became a household name. He has brought renewed energy and confidence to our already fantastic chorus - no ... that's not bragging - it's just a fact :) - and he and Sandie, our master director extraordinaire, have become a power house team. To round off our coaching team we welcomed back the absolutely amazing world class coach and motivator Erin Howden.  With a team like that, how can we go wrong!

So picture Friday night, September 20th -- the hall is decorated Hawaiian style (thanks to Wendy Haycock and her team) ... the chorus risers are up and ready for the singers before 7 pm (thanks to Wendy Haycock and her team) ... the refreshment table is ready and enticing (thanks to Danielle Ethier and her team) ... the sound system is up and running (thanks to Mary Leat and her team) ... and my iPod is connected and ready for physical warm-up! We are all on the risers by 7 pm and in comes coach Joe and Sandie ... and the room roars! We are so excited to see him again and we can hardly wait for him to work his magic! His smile lights the room and the electricity can be felt throughout the room. I lead the  physical warm-up - ROAR by Katy Perry (our theme song to contest) and we rev the energy up to a champion level! A comprehensive vocal warm-up by Janet Cadman follows and then .... we are all Joe's!! 

We show off our contest package! We are putty in Sandie's hands - she shapes and moulds us with every chord - we swell - we show off our skill and we show Coach that we've done our homework since last we coached with him in June! Our hearts are pumping and we are beaming by the end of the uptune. In anticipation, we stand baited breath waiting for Coach's feedback! He is wowed!! We were killer good in June he said but this is world class! More roaring from the risers!! Can you say excited!!

This of course set the tone and level at which we were coached for the balance of the weekend. Saturday was extraordinary - electric - exciting - energetic - enormously gratifying! There is not one singer on those risers that does not believe that a second night performance is an absolute possibility! There won't be much sight seeing during contest week my friends!!! And how fantastic is that!!

We now continue with the homework and prepare for Fall Music School in a couple of weeks. We have already had our first night costume check done - our dresses are stunning - and on October 1st we costume check our pantsuit. We will have one more coaching session with Sandie on October 19th and friends and family night on October 22nd. Our final rehearsal in our rehearsal hall is on October 29th and travel plans kick in from that point on! 

We are pumped, we are confident and we are oh so ready!! 

So much more than a hobby - it's a passion!! J'adore, j'adore cette passion - ya that's right! I LOVE my hobby!

Jeanne d'Arc (JD) Crowe