Welcome to the Region 15 Young Women in Harmony Web Page

The Young Women in Harmony (YWIH) Program, sponsored by Sweet Adelines International, offers music educators a means of including the study and performance of barbershop harmony in school music programs. The aim is to provide materials, training and performance opportunities for this American musical art form.

This program, approved by the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), is designed to encourage young women at all educational levels to participate in quartet and chorus singing of four-part harmony in the barbershop style. It supports the vocal music goals of the "National Standards for Music." The music is voiced especially in ranges appropriate to student musicians and includes selections in a variety of difficulty levels. We are committed to the support of vocal music and its role in the musical education of every child.

My name is Alexis and as the YWIH Coordinator for Region 15, I invite you to take part in the two big events our Region sponsors each year. They are:

Regional Young Women in Harmony Chorus: Friday, March 25, 2011 - Philadelphia, PA
Young women (25 and under) are welcome to participate. All singers will receive learning tracks and music for the three festival songs ahead of time, so they can arrive in Philly with them all learned and ready to sing! The chorus rehearses Friday morning and then has the afternoon to explore Philadelphia before coming back to the hotel and taking their VIP seats for the Region 15 Quartet Contest. The YWIH Chorus will perform two songs at the end of the contest; it is joined by all the competing quartets in the region for the final number.

Festival of Harmony:
This event is for male and female high school singers. For this full day workshop/festival, two songs are chosen for the gentlemen, two for the ladies and a third song is sung together by both choruses. Music and learning tracks are sent out and worked on prior to the event. The day of the festival is spent in rehearsal with accomplished teaching quartets and culminates in an evening performance.

I have personally participated in/attended both of these events, and so I can tell you that they are something young singers will not want to miss out on. It is always exciting to share barbershop harmony with someone new, but there is nothing more exciting then sharing its education and joy with young singers!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at all. I am more than happy to be a resource to you.

In harmony,
Alexis DePersia-Norelli