Grosse Pointe Pitch Pipe

Well, with this issue of the Pitch Pipe we usher in a changing of the guard. We wish farewell to our long time Pitch Pipe editor Harold Keys and his wife Maryann. No, Harold is not leaving the chorus, but he did announce his intention to retire as our Pitch Pipe editor, so that he could devote more time to his lovely wife and family matters. I'd like to thank both of you for 8 years of dedicated service. For the last 8 years we watched you ensure that all our chorus events were photographically documented to show the best side of the chorus. You have been there every month to gently nudge my memory that it was time for another President's Corner. And you have been a big help to everyone with making sure our upcoming events are in the Pitch Pipe. Oh and let's not forget all the Email blasts giving us regular updates on everything. Harold you've been a true friend and hard worker to the chorus. You have been great all these years and have left some big shoes to fill.

And with that said, it's time to introduce our new editor, James Gean. James, in the last 3 years since you joined the chorus, you've made it clear this is where you want to be. You've jumped in to every aspect of our group. You joined the board after your 1st year. You took over as marketing V.P., and you have helped on numerous events. You are always ready with your energy and enthusiasm. I'm looking foreword to your tenure as our new Pitch Pipe editor as you put your energy and stamp on it. I think I speak for all of us when I say welcome aboard. And thanks in advance for all your hard work.

At our March 21st rehearsal, we had three membership renewals. The first was Tony Jones (a.k.a. Nevaeh) who is now in his fifth year. He shared one of his favorite barbershop moments with us; He recently had the incredible opportunity to meet and sing with Tim Waurick. Many of us know Tim Waurick as the guy who produces “Tim Tracks” and helps us learn our parts to various barbershop favorites. After singing a few songs, Tim complemented Nevaeh on his vocal range; and to receive a compliment from Mr. Waurick is really saying a lot. When one member of our chapter receives such a compliment , we consider it a compliment to the entire chapter, so thank you, Tim, for recognizing the talents of one of our singers. And, thank you, Nevaeh for five years of dedication.

Our second membership renewal was Chris Psotka who is now in his sixth year. Chris absolutely loves singing baritone for our group. And, as many barbershoppers are, he is multi-talented. One of his talents is cooking. He recently graduated from the culinary arts program at Macomb Community College and is now employed as a chef at a local restaurant. Chris occasionally cooks for our gatherings and did an amazing job at our Valentine's Day Dinner show. Watching Chris sing, one can easily see that he enjoys singing immensely. His facial expressions tell the whole story and reflect the emotions of the songs we sing.

Our third renewal was our fearless leader and President, Mr. Dave Czupinski. Dave is now in his 24th year. He shared with us how he was formerly very shy and needed to overcome his fear of speaking in public and interacting with groups of people. Part of his decision to join our chapter was that it would help him overcome his shyness. After 24 years, I think he's finally got it. Dave has been our president going on three years now. And, despite a very busy work schedule and family life, he still finds time to keep us all organized and on task. In addition to his duties as president, he also contributes to the publication of this newsletter. Thanks, Dave for 24 years of exceptional service.

At our March 28th rehearsal Gene Bulka had a membership anniversary. We are so thankful to have Gene with us. He is one of those guys who always has a smile (or grin) on his face. (Sometimes it makes one wonder what he's up to). We would have recognized his anniversary the week before but Gene had a slight accident on his way to rehearsal. It seems someone was speeding down a side street, failed to stop at a stop sign and t-boned Gene's car. The good news is, other than being quite shaken up, Gene walked away without a scratch. At the time of this writing, your humble editor does not remember how many years Gene has been signing Barbershop, but according to the BHS roster, he started in 1962.

Director: Steve Pauling
President: Dave Czupinski
Manager: Kevin Wolf
Treasurer: Tony Schulte
Secretary: Kevin Hayes
VP Membership & Youth: Doug Wheeler
VP Marketing and PR: James Gean
VP Program & Music: Carl Uridge
Keeper of the Mug: Bill Wasilina
Past President: Rudy Brieling
Uniforms: Don Willoughby