2022 Fall Area School Faculty
Sandy will be presenting:
Vocal Skills Mythbusters
Speech-Level Singing
Riser Placement using a demo group
and will be a member of the Judge Q&A panel
Sandy Marron
Sandy has been the Musical Director of Lions Gate Chorus since November 1st, 1991. Her extensive training in classical piano (Grade X Royal Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto), degrees in Psychology and Music Education from the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), and vocal jazz & classical choral singing and conducting have all contributed to her success as a leader in the barbershop world.
Sandy is a Master 700 Director in the Director Certification Program, the highest designation possible in Sweet Adelines, and is a Certified Sound Judge for the organization. She is a professional barbershop coach, travelling the world as a coach for both Sweet Adelines and the Barbershop Harmony Society. In 2021, she became a member of the Sweet Adelines International Education Direction Committee and the International Song Assessment Tool Committee and took over as Directors’ Coordinator on the Region 26 Management Team in May.
Sandy sings tenor with Brava!, 2004 International Quartet Champions, Canada's very first Queens of Harmony! All 4 singers in Brava are active members and leaders in Lions Gate Chorus. Sandy also co-founded Martini Quartet in 2008 with Shannon Harris, and sang with them for 3 years, achieving 3 top five international medals. She also sang with Glow Quartet for 8 years and achieved 5 international top-ten finishes with them.
Lisa will be presenting:
Visual Communication
and will be a member of the Judge Q&A panel
Lisa Greenough
Master Director of Gateway Chorus and Approved Visual Communications Judge, Lisa Greenough has been a member of Sweet Adelines International since 1989; a member of Region 26 since 1992; a Regional Education Faculty Member since 2003; and is now the Region 26 Education Coordinator.
An energetic coach and choreographer, Lisa’s approach to coaching is spirited and holistic – incorporating all aspects of the barbershop art form, from vocal production to characterization to performance. Known for her rapid pace and heaps of humour, her sessions leave the recipient laughing and breathless.
Always wanting to learn and better her barbershop knowledge, Lisa attends most every International Education event available, including Judge training camps, and is usually the resident photographer by way of the selfie stick.
In Lisa’s “spare” time she is an avid NASCAR fan and likes to drive fast to her job as a Communication Specialist at the Italian Centre Shop in the Great White North of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is a proud mom of 3, but her favourite child is Josie, her Great Pyrenees (shhhh…don’t tell the others!)
Yvonne will be presenting:
Beyond DEI: Creating a Culture of Belonging
Yvonne Meyer
Yvonne joined "Burnaby Chorus" [now Westcoast Harmony] Sweet Adelines in 1986. Affectionately nicknamed "Y-von" it slowly evolved to "Y" and always starts a conversation. Y's involvement in chorus and regional life has always centered around marketing and organization. She willingly participated in many years of Chorus Teamwork (Operations, History, PR & Marketing, Costuming, and Committees). For years you will have seen Y as your Internationally appointed Competition Coordinator and prior to that on the Steering Committee in several other positions. Y was very happy to serve as Marketing Coordinator for the Region from 2010 until 2017 and as the Regional Membership Director in the Pilot Program!
In 2021 Y became a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council for Sweet Adelines International where she is serving a three-year term. Yvonne also serves on the Region 26 Regional Education Faculty as an Administration Specialist in the areas of SA and Chapter Level Systems, Goal Setting, Positive Motivation, and Member Appreciation.
Jo-Anne will be presenting at the Alberta event only:
Storytelling Through Music
Jo-Anne Killips
Jo-Anne is the director and choreographer of the international award winning Rhythm of the Rockies Chorus. She is also the baritone of the competing quartet Zenergy.
Jo-Anne is a teacher by profession. She loves to receive education and share her knowledge with others. She is a good communicator and specializes in visual performance and performance preparation along with the musical product. Jo-Anne enjoys coaching and working vocal skills with choruses, quartets and individuals.
Cheryl will be presenting at the Saskatchewan event only:
the Aging Voice
Cheryl Pearce
Cheryl joined Sweet Adelines in 2001 and became the director of Magic City Chorus, Saskatoon in 2006. Under her direction, Magic City has placed in the top 5 at contest most years.
Cheryl has been part of the REF since 2015 and attends all of our annual competitions and all but one workshop offered by the region since joining the organization, She has been to quite a few international competitions as a spectator (always taking in any education offered).
Cheryl fell in love with this organization shortly after joining and continues to promote it for the fun, the things learned through education opportunities, and the friends met and made throughout the country and the world.
Patti will be presenting at the BC event only:
Music Theory for Barbershop
Patti Thorpe
Patti is a proud 30-year member of Westcoast Harmony who grew up in a noisy musical family and then married a professional musician so they could raise another noisy musical family. She teaches choir, band, and musical theatre at Langley Secondary and sings and plays low brass instruments. Patti is skilled at sight reading and music theory and really enjoys helping others learn new things, something she has been doing since she discovered in grade four that giving people the right answer was not nearly as fun as showing them how to get it for themselves. She is new to the REF but opinionated, passionate, encouraging, and more than willing to coach quartets or choruses at any level. She is a firm believer that everyone learns at their own pace and that every step forward is worth celebrating.