Make plans now to attend the 30 th annual Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network Conference, July 18-22, 2012 to be held at the All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, OK and the DoubleTree by Hilton Tulsa Downtown . It will feature:

Daily choral repertoire reading sessions with music appropriate in UU settings, including the following categories, Easy-Unison, Medium-Difficult, UU Composers.
Conference Choir conducted by Tim Seelig , Artistic Director and Conductor of the Golden Gate Performing Arts and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
Workshop sessions on a variety of topics related to running a Music Program in a UU congregation
Daily recitals by participants
Friday banquet and variety show
Vendor area with lots of UU friendly music and related items
designated and undesignated networking times
Musical Source, Inc. will once again provide reading rep packets and will be staffing a table in the vendor area
Optional mentoring for first time conference attendees
Designated and undesignated networking times
Optional Professional Development Day, all day Wednesday July 18: Musician as Religious Elder by the Rev. Susan M. Smith, District Executive of the Southwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference

Important DEADLINES:

UU composers – March 1 is the submission deadline for self-composed music to be considered for inclusion in the UU Composers reading repertoire packet. Blind submission process will be used. Click here for instructions.
Workshop proposals – Jan. 15 is the submission deadline for possible conference workshops. All proposals must be submitted using the designated form. Click here.

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Welcome to the Sing Out at the OK Chorale

What a thrill to host the Unitarian Universalist musicmakers. Outline of state of Oklahoma
All Souls Unitarian Church, host church for the conference,is one of the the largest UU congregations. Hope Unitarian Church is among the smaller ones – but enthusiastic and growing.

The city of Tulsa is an Art Deco treasure, with wonderful buildings and museums. It was known as the Oil Capitol of the World back in the early oil discovery and boom days. The boundaries of three Indian nations meet near downtown: Creek, Cherokee and Osage. Tulsa is home to many faiths, and three popular casinos…

Our Host Church:
All Souls Unitarian

Rick Fortner, Director of Music at All Souls, and Susan S. Swatek, Director of Music at Hope, look forward to seeing you in Tulsa for this re-creational, re-freshing and recharging conference!

Tulsa Trivia

~ from visittulsa.com

“From our early days before statehood, the arts have been revered and fostered in Tulsa. In 1905, L. J. Martin, president of the Commercial Club said, ‘Of course, we did not have any sewers, street paving, parks or sidewalks and not much of a water system, but these facilities were luxuries and could wait, whereas an opera house loomed as an immediate necessity.’Today, Tulsa Opera is the 18th oldest opera company in North America - and just one of the gems that make Tulsa's cultural scene shine. Ballet, symphonic performances and other performing arts share the downtown spotlight with a myriad of cultural events, activities, architecture, and art including 18 of Frederic Remington's 22 bronzes.”

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General Information

PLENARY SESSIONS AND PLANNED WORKSHOPS

We are delighted to announce that UUA President Peter Morales will present a plenary session.

Peter Morales, UUA President

Other workshops and plenary sessions will provide tools for personal and professional growth.We will have sessions on the many aspects of conducting including rehearsal techniques and understanding the voice; we will provide workshops for:

building and developing a children’s music program;
deepening our understanding of integrating music into UU worship;
new repertoire for voice, piano, and organ;
an immersion in African American gospel music,

and many other opportunities for growth.

PLANNED NETWORKING

Large(r) and Small(er) church staff will have planned meeting times in Tulsa to network and discuss issues and ideas. Stay tuned for more information regarding specific meeting times and locations on the UUMN website.

NOONTIME RECITALS

There will be two opportunities for conference attendees to perform as soloists or in an ensemble. Sign up early. All music is welcome: classics, originals, secular, sacred. Deadline to sign up is May 30. Send Title, Composer, performer to Connie Jahrmarkt - .

CONFERENCE BOOKSTORE

We hope to have a vibrant and busy bookstore area at the 2012 conference. We will have options open for vendors, for UUMN members attending the conference who have a small number of items for sale, for UUMN members attending the conference wishing to bring free promotional or educational items for display, and a music / book swap area for items you are no longer using. Details about this and an application for bookstore participation will be posted on the UUMN website home page when available.We ask that you send in the requested information by June 8, 2012 so that we may adequately plan our bookstore space. Space is available on a first come, first served basis.

FRIDAY BANQUET

The conference banquet will be held on Friday, July 20, beginning with a cocktail hour at 6:30pm.As always, we look forward to the fellowship of having a meal together and the sharing of a different kind that takes place at the Variety Show. Consideration for performances at this yearly event is given to newcomers at the conference and others who haven’t participated previously – remember we are looking for fun (silly) light entertainment, and please keep your act to a maximum of 3-4 minutes. More information on this will be forthcoming and will be posted on the UUMN website.

CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS

There are a limited number of full ($855)
and partial ($295) conference scholarships available, with preference given to first time conference attendees. Click here for a printable scholarship application. Application deadline is May 1. For more information contact Sonja Johnston (952-894-2759, )

CONFERENCE MENTORS

For several years, we have matched firsttime attendees with veteran conference participants in order to help them meet other members and to have their questions answered. First-timers and mentors are invited to arrive at the opening reception at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 18, so that they can get acquainted and meet the other firsttimers before the rest of the group arrives at 6:00 pm. If you would like to be assigned a mentor OR if you are willing to serve as a mentor, please check the appropriate box on your registration form.

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CHORAL READING SESSIONS

There will be three choral reading sessions in Tulsa:

UU composers and publishers
Unison to Easy SATB
Medium to Difficult

Below are instructions for submitting repertoire for the three sessions:

UU Composers

This year the Conference Planning Committee will select 15-20 self composed UU choral pieces for inclusion in the UU Composers Choral Repertoire packet using a BLIND SUBMISSION process.

Composers may submit no more than two manuscripts (MS).
Five high-quality copies of each MS must be submitted and received by March 1, 2012.
Composer’s identity must NOT be on MS.
MS must be accompanied by a cover letter giving the title of the work as well as the composer’s name and contact information (including home address, e-mail address, and telephone number).
MS must be accompanied by a signed statement giving the UUMN permission to produce enough copies to be included in conference repertoire packets.
MS must be in a clear, readable form; preferably in a professional music notation format (e.g., Finale, Sibelius).

Send your submissions, postmarked by March 1, 2012 to:

Donna Fisher, UUMN Executive Administrator
2208 Henery Tuckers Ct.
Charlotte, NC 28270

Other Repertoire

For our two other reading sessions, we are looking for new repertoire that has not been sung at a conference before (please check the member section of our website for a comprehensive list of previous conference repertoire) and would appreciate submissions by March 1. We are looking for repertoire in the following categories.

Unison to Easy SATB Session - Music that would work for some youth choirs as well as for choirs that have fewer resources and people
SATB and beyond - Intermediate to difficult music that is better suited to choirs with more resources and people

A committee of UUMN members, including members of the newly forming Repertoire & Standards Committee, will decide which pieces to include, focusing on newer releases.

Please send repertoire suggestions for the Unison/Easy and Medium/Difficult reading sessions to Mark Vogel – . Include title, composer, publisher and catalogue number.

Mark Vogel
UU Congregation of Fairfax
7 S. Irving St. Arlington,VA. 22204

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Choral Clinician

Tim Seelig

Artistic Director and Conductor of Golden Gate Performing Arts and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus

Photo: Shawn Northcutt

Tim Seelig,
Choral Clinician 2012

Tim Seelig is conductor, singer, teacher and motivational speaker. In addition to becoming Artistic Director and Conductor of Golden Gate Performing Arts and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, he manages an extremely busy guest-conducting schedule throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. He is Conductor Emeritus of the Turtle Creek Chorale which he conducted for 20 years. He was the founder of The Women’s Chorus of Dallas and Resounding Harmony. He served on the faculty of Southern Methodist University for 14 years. In addition, Tim was the first Artistic Director in Residence for the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA).

Dr. Seelig holds four degrees, including the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas and the Diploma from the Mozarteum in Salzburg,Austria. He has produced numerous books and DVDs on choral technique including best-sellers The Perfect Blend and The Perfect Rehearsal. Other publications include The Perfect Choral Workbook, Quick Choral Fixes and The Music Within. In 2011, the new book and DVD,The Language of Music, will be released.

Dr. Seelig’s early training was as a singer. He made his European operatic debut at the Staatsoper in St. Gallen, Switzerland and his solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall. He has two solo recordings, Everything Possible and Two Worlds. He appeared as soloist in world premieres of composers including John Corigliano, Conrad Susa and Peter Schikele (P.D.Q. Bach).

Dr. Seelig conducts frequently at Carnegie Hall and is slated to direct the world premiere of James Eakin’s Flowers on the Grave of War in 2012. His Lincoln Center conducting debut took place in June 2011. He also conducted the European Premiere of Sing For the Cure at the Southbank Centre in London. He is a frequent presenter and conductor at state and national American Choral Directors Association and Music Educators National Conference conventions.

Known for his enthusiasm and sense of humor, Grammy Magazine says,“Dr. Seelig takes eclecticism to new heights.” Fanfare Magazine says he raises singers from “the ranks of amateur choir to one receiving wide recognition for excellent performances of appealing, fresh repertoire.” The New York Times calls Seelig an “expressive performer,” and the Fort Worth Star Telegram quips,“Seelig slices a thick cut of ham.”

He and his partner, Shawn Northcutt, are the proud grandfathers of their amazing new granddaughter, Clara Skye.

Tulsa Trivia

~ from visittulsa.com

Tulsa has “not one, but two symphony orchestras. The Tulsa Symphony is a renowned musician-run orchestra whose home stage is Tulsa's Performing Arts Center in the hub of downtown's entertainment district. In addition, the elegant VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education comes alive throughout the year to the sounds of the Signature Symphony, Tulsa's professional orchestra in residence at Tulsa Community College. Now in its 28th season, the Signature Symphony, along with its world-famous guest artists and Director G. Barry Epperley, make each performance a passionate night to remember.”

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2012 Professional Development Day
UUMN Conference, Tulsa, OK
Pre-conference session July 18, 2012
DoubleTree Downtown Tulsa
$50 fee – separate registration required

Musician as Religious Elder

by Rev. Susan M. Smith, District Executive of the Southwestern UU Conference

Through our Unitarian ancestors, we can trace our Congregationalist heritage directly to the puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and our current practices to their Cambridge Platform of 1648. Therefore we are meant to be led by a circle of lay and ordained elders working Picture of Susam Smith together to teach the faith and keep the covenants. This commission of the musician to serve as Teaching Elder can seem a daunting task far removed from providing music for worship. To function as this kind of leader in a congregational system requires self-differentiation and a sense of one’s own authority. Our time together will explore the historic and modern roles of congregational elders, systems thinking and professional boundaries.

Rev. Smith has been District Executive of the Southwestern UU Conference for five (six by the time this event comes around) years and previously worked as an emerging congregations consultant for the Florida UU District. She has served as parish minister to congregations in Texas, Michigan and Florida. She has been Chair of the UUA Commission on Social Witness and President of two district chapters of the UU Ministers Association. She is a magna cum laude graduate of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University where she was recipient of the B’nai Brith Award in Social Ethics. Besides her M.Div., she also holds a B.A. and M.A. in speech and theater. She lives in her hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana with her husband and adult daughter.

Recommended reading (required for MLCP candidates), with UUA Bookstore links:

The Cambridge Platform: Contemporary Reader's Edition

Introduced By: Alice Blair Wesley Editor: Peter Hughes

http://www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=763

Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What

Author: Peter L. Steinke

http://www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=409

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Conference Planning Committee:

Donna Fisher, UUMN Executive Administrator; Director Children’s Choir, UU Church of Charlotte, NC

Rick Fortner, Music Director, All Souls UU, Tulsa, OK

John Hubert, (Committee Chair), Director of Music, First Universalist Church, Denver, CO

Connie Jahrmarkt, Music Director, UU Congregation of Phoenix, AZ

Bea Ann Phillips, Director Children’s and Youth Choirs, UU Church of Arlington, VA and Conference Planning Consultant

Susan Swatek, Music Director, Hope Unitarian Church, Tulsa, OK

Martha Swisher, Music Director, Unity Temple UU Congregation, Oak Park, IL

Mark Vogel, Director of Music and Arts, UU Congregation of Fairfax, Oakton, VA

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Travel & Hotel Information

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

Plan to arrive Wednesday afternoon, July 18 and depart on Sunday, July 22, no earlier than 1:00pm so that you can enjoy the entire conference. If you will be attending the Professional Leadership Day on Wednesday, you will need to arrive on Tuesday, July 17.The UUMN Board of Trustees should arrive on Sunday evening for Monday meeting and ML Credentialing candidates are reminded to arrive for Monday evening reception/orientation and Tuesday classes.

TRANSPORTATION

The hotel provides complimentary transportation to and from the Tulsa International Airport .There is a courtesy phone at baggage claim to call for transportation. If you have questions, please contact Bea Ann Phillips; .

HOTEL INFORMATION

Our conference hotel in Tulsa will be the Doubletree Hotel Downtown, located in downtown Tulsa approximately 3 miles from All Souls.The hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.The group room rate is $132 plus tax for single and double occupancy; $142 for triple occupancy and $152 plus tax for quadruple occupancy. These rates include complimentary breakfast and complimentary internet access in guestrooms.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

Conference attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations and may do so online (click here), or by calling 1-918-732-3614 or 1-800-838-7914. When calling, be sure to mention the UUMN conference in order to get the special conference rate. When registering online, be sure to enter Group Code UUM under "Special Accounts and Rates" when confirming your travel dates.

Doubletree Hotel Downtown

Please note: a one night’s deposit is required to guarantee your reservation and will be charged at the time your reservation is made.This amount will be applied to your total bill at the end of your stay. Deposits are refunded for cancellations made at least 72 hours prior to your arrival date. If you have any problems making your hotel reservations, please contact Bea Ann Phillips, . The cut-off date for making hotel reservations is June 10. After this date, or when the room block fills, we can no longer guarantee room rate or availability.We urge you to make your reservations as soon as possible. Looking for a roommate? Contact Donna Fisher at . Please include your arrival and departure dates, and any smoking/non-smoking, gender or other restrictions.

MEALS

Lunches will be provided at the church Thursday, Friday and Saturday for conference attendees. Dinners will be on your own except for the Friday banquet (A separate registration required for the banquet.)

A Word about Staying at the Conference Hotel

A Word about Staying at the Conference Hotel The rates we negotiate with conference hotels are based upon an estimated number of rooms to be utilized and services used. In exchange, we receive complimentary meeting space and other perks that benefit all conference attendees and would otherwise cost a great deal of money.This allows us to keep our conference registration fees very reasonable.

If we do not fulfill our room block obligation at the conference hotel, we risk significant penalties which will ultimately show up in increased registration fees and potentially even member dues.

We understand that cost is an issue for all of us and we do our best to keep the costs of this conference as low as possible without sacrificing quality.We encourage you to consider sharing a room to contain costs rather than staying elsewhere. Not only will this help UUMN and its members moving forward, staying at the hotel allows you to maximize the value of this conference through informal networking and socializing that are difficult to achieve if you stay elsewhere.

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