Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg
I have been singing Sacred Harp for nine years and have served on the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Community Inc. Board as President for the past two. I also serve as an Alternate Director on the Board of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company, the organization that prints our tunebook. During the past two years the Board has attempted to serve the needs of singers in our community in a low-key and supportive capacity, by following and attempting to support the needs of Western Mass singers, rather than leading with our own initiatives.
I would be happy, if elected, to continue serving on the WMSHC Board. There is a chance that I will move to a different part of the country in about a year. If this were to happen, I would resign my position in time for a replacement to be elected alongside the two additional Board positions that will be voted upon at the 2010 annual meeting.
Deidra Montgomery
My name is Deidra Montgomery. I have been a Sacred Harp singer for about 3 now. In the past year, I have served as secretary of our annual singing convention and vice chair of the Young People?s Singing. While I am currently a senior at Amherst College and will likely be moving to New York City next year, I consider the Western Massachusetts community my home, and I will continue to support it and sing within it as often as possible. Though I am relatively new to singing, it is one of the most important aspects of my life. I would be honored to contribute to the efforts of the WMSHC board and to continue to learn about the inner workings of a singing community and convention. Thank you for your consideration.
Jeremy Galvagni
After only a few Tuesday nights two and a half years ago, I knew I would be shape note singing for the rest of my life. The community of wonderful singers is as much a reason for this as the singing itself. I have enjoyed informally helping out at our singings and conventions. Now it is time to do so in a formal way.
Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg (Convention Chair)
I have been singing Sacred Harp for nine years and I travel to upwards of 25 all day singings and conventions around the country each year. This October, I served as Chairman of the New York State Convention. I have also chaired the Albany-area All Day Singing and have served as vice-chair of the Berkshire Foothills All Day Singing and as the secretary of the Albany-area singing. I have served on arranging, resolutions, and locating committees at many singings in the Northeast and around the Country.
Our singing convention is one of the largest in the country and is our opportunity every year to welcome singers from around the world to our community and to express our gratitude for the singing tradition in which we participate. The convention is also an opportunity for us to learn: by singing and talking with the many visiting singers who bring their lifetimes of experience with them, and by taking on new roles as officers and committee members to help run the convention. I would be happy to help facilitate this process and to represent our convention at singings around the country as Chair.
Julian Damashek (Convention Vice Chair)
Though I've only been singing for about 2 years, Sacred Harp now plays a very important part in my life. Not only is it a source and spiritual, musical, and physical fulfillment, but it has provided me with a group of close friends with whom I will most likely stay close with for the rest of my life. I had the pleasure of being the secretary for the Young People?s singing earlier this year, and through that role got a glimpse of what it is like to organize and run an all-day singing. Being the vice chair of the Western MA Convention this year would give me an opportunity to learn even more about how to put on a big singing, which I would be happy to learn how to do. I would like to try to expand the Western MA community to include a larger proportion of people from Amherst College, and have started co-teaching singing schools to achieve this goal; learning how to organize a convention would permit me to spread Sacred Harp singing in an even more functional capacity. Additionally, the responsibility that comes with this role would both bring me closer to some of the individual people in the community, and make me feel like a more integral part of the community itself, both of which I would cherish. I am honored to be nominated for vice chair this year, and would be honored and excited to fulfill the role.
Christine Geisler Andrews (Convention Secretary)
My name is Christine Geisler Andrews. One and a half years ago, I finally fulfilled a promise to myself and came to a Tuesday night singing at Smith College. I first heard sacred harp singing many years previously when I stumbled upon the convention in Northampton and was blown away by hundreds of voices raised together in joyful harmony. Learning to sing sacred harp has been one of my greatest pleasures, especially in the company of such a strong community with so many remarkable singers. And what a delightful surprise it has been that my eight-year-old daughter, Mary, has taken up sacred harp with passion, singing along with recordings at home and pleading that we go to singings at every available opportunity. We have both gotten so much out of participating in this community, and I would be honored to give something back in serving as Secretary. As a newcomer, I would relish the chance to get to know the community better and to learn more about sacred harp. As someone who has been moved and inspired at past conventions, I would give my utmost to support the Chair and Vice-Chair to ensure that the event continues to be a great success.