Master Director Carolyn Schmidt, serving as Musical Director of the award-winning Hickory Tree Chorus since 1993, has been an enthusiastic member of Sweet Adelines International since she graduated from college. Carolyn's introduction to barbershop music was through her mother, still a member of the chorus, and the family's musical experience extends to a third generation as both Carolyn's daughters have sung and competed with the chorus and in youth quartets.

As a Certified Music Arranger, a title held by only 22 of 26,000 Sweet Adeline members, Carolyn is known for her many creative musical arrangements, many of which have been published for both young and adult women's voices. A member of the International Music Arrangers Coordinators from 1991 to 1996, Carolyn helped develop arranger education programs responsible for providing singable 4-part arrangements in the barbershop style.

Our quartet has been in existence for over 20 years in some form or another. Through many personnel changes, it has evolved to what it is today, and the 4 people in it have been together as a unit for over 10 years. We started out singing different parts, and through the years, "discovered" our true barbershop voices. Except for our bass, who will always and forever remain a great bass.

We have three teachers in our quartet - Jodie Rowland, tenor, who teaches for Haldane School District in Special Ed, Carole Argulewicz, baritone, who teaches special ed in the Kingston City School district, and Linnea Acton, bass, who teaches homebound students in the Poughkeepsie City School district. Special Education would be lost without these three ladies. Our lead, Sue Koppenhaver, is a health care administrator in Dutchess County, NY.

Xclamation! has been a regional quartet winner, and consistently places in the top 3 spots at our regional contests. We enjoy singing with each other, and constantly striving to be better at this amazing craft we practice. Carole is a Musical Director, Linnea and Sue are Assistant Directors and section leaders, and Jodie and Carole are Chorus Management team members. We are all very busy with both chorus and quartet duties, and Carole has been very involved with the Regional Management team as director Coordinator as well.

Ron is a retired high school teacher of physics and math. He joined the Barbershop Harmony Society in 1967, started singing in quartets right away and hasn't stopped yet!

Along the way he has sung in three district champion quartets (The Regents in 1972, Curtain Call in 1983, and Free Trade Agreement in 1998) and one International Champion quartet- The Regents, 1974. In 1977, he started directing a chorus, an activity he pursued until he retired from directing in 1998. Now he spends most of his time coaching choruses and quartets, that is, when he isn't playing golf.

Ron has served the Mid-Atlantic District (M-AD) on the Scholarship Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Hall of Honor Committee, as District Music Educator, and as District Vice President - Chorus Director Development. He is Chairman of the District Education Committee and has served as Dean of the M-AD mini-HEP school (Harmony College East) since 1994. Ron has been the coordinator of the Top Gun Coaching Day since the inception of the program in 1998. He is presently serving again on the Hall of Honor Committee.

On the Society level, Ron was a member of the Society Chorus Director Development Committee for four years, acting as Vice-Chair for Director Certification in 2000 and 2001 and Vice-Chair for Director Recruitment in 2002 and 2003. He has served on the faculty of mini-HEP schools in many Districts and served on the faculty at Harmony College/Directors College (now Harmony University) from 1985 until 2007. In 2001, Ron rejoined the Society COTS faculty, teaching classes for chorus directors. He had previously taught in the Music Vice President track.

Alexis graduated in 2006 from Manhattanville College with her BA in Dance & Theatre. She is trained in West Coast Swing, Jazz, Modern, Afro-Caribbean, Hip-Hop, & Broadway style dance.

Her primary theatrical training is in the creation of original experimental theater and ensemble building, but she has gotten to be well acquainted with Playback Theatre as well as lighting design, and adores them both.

As an active Sweet Adeline, Alexis wears several hats. She is the Young Women in Harmony Coordinator for Greater New York Region 15 and is also a member of the regional faculty. She proudly dances, sings bass, and is an Assistant Choreographer with the award-winning Harmony Celebration Chorus. She is particularly proud of their 12 th place international finish in Seattle because not only was it her first appearance on the international stage but the chorus's as well. It should also be said that she isn't much happier than when she's singing with her quartet, Cultured Pearls.

Alexis believes that all singing, and barbershop in particular, is a full-body sport. She is a firm believer that movement serves to enhance and free the voice in performance. She has worked with Young Women in Harmony Choruses and several Youth Harmony Festivals and Camps and loves bringing the joy and performance of barbershop to young singers. "Almost every barbershopper I've ever met wishes they had found it earlier. I was lucky enough to find it when I was 21 and I still wish I had found it when I was in high school or college. Between the camaraderie, musical excellence and performance opportunities, barbershop can't be beat."