Region 5 Faculty

Kay Bromert
Member of  Kansas City Chorus
Certified Arranger, International Music Arrangers Program Coordinator
Sweet Adelines International - Approved Music Judge
Certified Director



Biography:  Degree in Music - taught K-8 for a total of 11 years, Harmony Central Chorus music team,
Kansas City Chorus baritone section leader/music team









Area of Expertise/Strengths:

• Music Arranging
• Music Category/Interpretation/Performance
• Coaching quartets & small choruses
• Available to 'advise' on music choices and fixing arrangements
• Music choices/legal issues

Bev Hamilton
Associate Member of Metro Mix Chorus
Retired Master Director of Metro Mix Chorus
Retired Registered Nurse

Biography: Bev would be the poster child for Sweet Adelines International if they had one. Her entire music and educational training has been provided by the talented and respected International faculty of Sweet Adelines, as well as other outstanding chorus directors past and present. 
 
Having celebrated 50 years with Sweet Adelines, Bev was inducted into the Region 5 Golden Girls in 2017.  Throughout this time, she has gained experience serving and leading in Regions 19, 4, 7, 20, and 5. Bev sang bass in six registered quartets, with Starshine earning 16 top 10 international medals, including Silver in 1986. 

Beverly began her directing career with Harmony Central Chorus in Des Moines, where she served as director for three years.  After 26 years as Master Director of Metro Mix Chorus, she retired from the front line and continues as an associate member. Currently, Bev is the Region 5 Director's Coordinator.

Area of Expertise/Strengths:

• Quartet and small chorus coaching
• PVI's
• Help to improve/build Unit Sound
• Section Leader guidance  

Diane Huber
Master Director of River Blenders Chorus
Master Faculty Member for Region 5


Biography:  Diane was introduced to Sweet Adelines in 1972. Since that wonderful beginning, Diane has served on the regional faculty, the Regional Board of Directors, and the International Board of Directors. As a member of the International Board, she served as Secretary, President Elect, President. Diane has also served as Chair of the Education Direction Committee. 

Throughout her 45+ years as a Sweet Adeline, she has coached choruses and quartets throughout the world. Diane is the bass in the 1986 Queens of Harmony Quartet, Ambiance. She began directing the River Blenders Chorus in 1989.



Area of Expertise/Strengths:

• Coaching choruses & quartets
• Vocal performance skills
• Directing skills
• Vocal production / unit sound

Michelle Hunget
Certified Director for Kansas City Chorus
Master Faculty Member for Region 5

Biography: Michelle is a Queen of Harmony, reaching that Sweet Adelines peak in 2009 as the tenor of her quartet, Zing! She was the tenor of HEAT in 2014 when they became the 4th place International Finalist Quartet. She is a member of the Coronet Club Board.

At the Regional level, Michelle has won nine times singing in four championship quartets: Plaza Lights in 1992, 1993 and 1994; Fanfare in 2001; Zing! in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005; and HEAT in 2013.  She served as the Region 5 Young Women in Harmony Co-Coordinator with her daughter, Mary Duncan, and has been a YWIH Chorus director. Michelle and her husband, Grant, were half of the quartet. Date Night, which was the 2018 Mixed Quartet Champion of the Central States District of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Michelle joined Kansas City Chorus in 1986 and has served on the Leadership Team, the Music Team and the Choreography Team, and has been Tenor Section Leader and a Front Row member.  In 2016, she brought her musical passion to the position of Artistic Director. At the International level, she became an approved candidate judge in the Visual Communication category.
 

• Coaching choruses and quartets
• Vocal performance skills
• Directing skills
• Vocal production / unit sound
• Visual / choreography

Susan Ives
Director of Topeka Acappella Unlimited Chorus



Biography: Many years of music teaching experience, Director of TAU for 25 years, interest in promoting growth in the barbershop
craft for both groups and individuals. Two-time International Queen of Harmony (lead, Classic Edition and Zing!),
2017 International 9th place quartet medalists (lead, PIZZAZZ!)
 





Area of Expertise/Strengths:

• Coaching choruses & quartets
• Sound & Expression Coaching
• Studied JCDB Handbook of Judging Categories

Ann Keller
Choreographer for River Blenders 



Biography:  Ann joined Sweet Adelines in 1988 and has held many different musical and administrative positions throughout the years. Since moving to St. Louis in 1999, she has served in visual and musical leadership roles with the River Blenders Chorus.

Ann has many regional chorus championships under her belt along with a few regional quartet championships singing both lead and tenor.  She is currently the baritone of Hooked On Tonics quartet.




Area of Expertise/Strengths:

• Coaching choruses and quartets
• Visual product including expression and choreography
• Vocal performance skills

Rob Mance
Master Director of Vocal Standard Chorus
Master Faculty Member for Region 5

Biography: Rob is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting at the University of Kansas, where he has been conductor of the Oread Consort. He is also the Director of Music at the Shawnee Presbyterian Church in Shawnee, Kansas, the Director for Central Standards Barbershop Harmony Society men's chorus, and also maintains a private voice studio.

Rob has also sung professionally with such groups as the Kansas City Chorale under Charles Bruffy and the Westminster Symphonic Choir and Westminster Choir under Joe Miller. He is an active clinician for high school vocal ensembles, maintains a recording studio, and serves as an active barbershop coach and BHS judge.

Rob completed his undergraduate studies at McGill University in Montreal, QC in voice performance, and completed his graduate studies at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ in choral conducting and voice pedagogy.

• Coaching choruses and quartets
• Vocal performance skills
• Directing skills
• Vocal production / unit sound
• Voice pedagogy
• Personal vocal instructions (PVIs)

Annette Wallace
Director of Acappella Omaha Chorus
Master Faculty Member for Region 5



Biography: Annette's barbershop experience goes back to 1990. She has served as lead section leader and website administrator before stepping out front as director. Annette received many regional quartet medals while singing lead in Fever! Quartet.

Annettee has a B.S. degree in Music Education, is a Sweet Adelines Certified Expression Judge, served as the 2017-2018 Education Director for Region 5 and most recently the 2020 recipient of the Spirit of the Midwest Lifetime Achievement Award.




Area of Expertise/Strengths:

• Chorus and quartet coaching
• Vocal production / Sound / PVIs
• Expression Category
• Singing with Expression / Music Interpretation

Sandi Wright
Retired Master Director of St. Louis Harmony Chorus


Biography:  Sandi is a member of Sweet Adelines International, Harmony Incorporated, and the Barbershop Harmony Society.  As a baritone singer she has earned two Sweet International Queen of Harmony gold medals (Tetrachords in 1978 and Ambiance in 1986) and six regional quartet championships in Sweet Adelines and two silvers and one bronze medal in Harmony Incorporated international competitions. 

Sandi is the only person certified as a competition judge in every North American barbershop organization.  She is certified in the Visual Communications Category with Sweet Adelines International and the Performance Category in Harmony Incorporated and Barbershop Harmony Society. She is a certified international faculty member of Sweet Adelines International.

• Coaching choruses & quartets
• Teaching (extensive class list available at www.sandiwright.com)
• Judging Categories - You Be the Judge
• Visual and Vocal Performance skills
• Directing Skills
• Rehearsal/Section Rehearsal Planning & Implementation
• Training/Cultivating Music Leaders
• Grant writing
• Quartet Workshops
• Marketing to Women of Today

The Leadership of Region 5 is committed to providing all members with education through coaching, teaching, and other educational activities provided by Regional Faculty. We strive to offer every member consistently strong, high-quality teaching skills from our Regional Faculty. To that end, we've developed the Regional Faculty Program and are continuing to build on-going training and support to help enrich our faculty's knowledge, instructional abilities, and presentation skills.

Spirit of the Midwest Region #5 Faculty Development and Improvement Program information: click here