Hotel Info
How do I get to the hotel if I am flying in?
The 12TH Annual Lone Star Harmony Brigade will be held in Richardson, Texas on March 1-3, 2024 at the Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel! The hotel is located at 900 East Lookout Drive, Richardson, Texas. Unfortunately, there is no shuttle service from either Dallas Love Field Airport or Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. However, UBER is available and DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) has routes that will drop you off right at the hotel!
How do I get to the hotel if I am driving?
GPS address: 900 East Lookout Drive – Richardson, Texas 75082
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/to/us/texas/renaissance-dallas-richardson-hotel-372094120
How do I get to the hotel if I am flying in?
The 12TH Annual Lone Star Harmony Brigade will be held in Richardson, Texas on March 1-3, 2024 at the Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel! The hotel is located at 900 East Lookout Drive, Richardson, Texas. Unfortunately, there is no shuttle service from either Dallas Love Field Airport or Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. However, UBER is available and DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) has routes that will drop you off right at the hotel!
How do I get to the hotel if I am driving?
GPS address: 900 East Lookout Drive – Richardson, Texas 75082
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/to/us/texas/renaissance-dallas-richardson-hotel-372094120
Is this a good experience for my registered quartet?
While the brigade weekend is all about singing with many other guys who you have never sung with before (and this happens literally hundreds of times during the weekend) there is no doubt that your registered quartet participating within this framework will come away with not only a renewed set of skills for singing together but also with a instant new repertoire of 10 that you will be immediately be able to sing at a competition level.
Several chapters who have sent all four parts to a brigade who are not in an established quartet have found a high quality new quartet immediately in their midst and use them on shows singing at a far higher quality level than otherwise might have ever been expected.
While the brigade weekend is all about singing with many other guys who you have never sung with before (and this happens literally hundreds of times during the weekend) there is no doubt that your registered quartet participating within this framework will come away with not only a renewed set of skills for singing together but also with a instant new repertoire of 10 that you will be immediately be able to sing at a competition level.
Several chapters who have sent all four parts to a brigade who are not in an established quartet have found a high quality new quartet immediately in their midst and use them on shows singing at a far higher quality level than otherwise might have ever been expected.
The Brigade
Where can I learn about the other brigades and their rules and practices?
Go to www.harmonybrigade.org and click on any of the tabs that show the other brigades or check out Harmony Brigade FAQ.
Harmony Brigade FAQ.
Where can I learn about the other brigades and their rules and practices?
Go to www.harmonybrigade.org and click on any of the tabs that show the other brigades or check out Harmony Brigade FAQ.
Harmony Brigade FAQ.
The WeekendWhat is the agenda for the weekend?
Please see the weekend agenda on the Prospectus on our web site. It is also listed in the first few pages of the music package that is sent to you after you have been accepted to participate and paid your registration deposit.
What time should I arrive on Friday?
Plan to arrive between 3 and 5 pm on Friday
What time will we be done on Sunday?
After breakfast - there are no activities scheduled on Sunday except for the board meeting
What if I get to the brigade and find I cannot sing the songs up to the standards of my fellow quartetters?
You may be "fired" by your Friday night quartet members if you cannot carry your own part during the contest preparation time, at which time you may voluntarily withdraw with no refund. You might not be invited back next year.
What is the dress code for the weekend?
Appropriate dress for the weekend is casual except for the Saturday evening show uniform, which is black slacks, black shoes and socks and a white, long-sleeved shirt. The brigade will provide you a tie for the show based on your part.
Please see the weekend agenda on the Prospectus on our web site. It is also listed in the first few pages of the music package that is sent to you after you have been accepted to participate and paid your registration deposit.
What time should I arrive on Friday?
Plan to arrive between 3 and 5 pm on Friday
What time will we be done on Sunday?
After breakfast - there are no activities scheduled on Sunday except for the board meeting
What if I get to the brigade and find I cannot sing the songs up to the standards of my fellow quartetters?
You may be "fired" by your Friday night quartet members if you cannot carry your own part during the contest preparation time, at which time you may voluntarily withdraw with no refund. You might not be invited back next year.
What is the dress code for the weekend?
Appropriate dress for the weekend is casual except for the Saturday evening show uniform, which is black slacks, black shoes and socks and a white, long-sleeved shirt. The brigade will provide you a tie for the show based on your part.
What do I get for the registration fee?The first half of registration/deposit fee is required payment at the time your registration application is submitted. This to cover the music package which includes learning CD by the top learning track artists in our society and the charts. If your application is accepted and you have received the music package by mail or by downloading it this fee is not reimbursable in case of cancellation. Naturally, if you are not accepted for participation the money will be immediately refunded.
The balance of payment, required to be paid at least one (1) month in advance of the brigade weekend, covers meals at the hotel and your double room. Meals covered by the package are Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast.
Single room surcharges and the cost of a brigade shirt for new brigaders is extra above the registration fee and is refundable only in the case of cancellation in time to prevent the brigade from incurring this cost. Each reimbursement for these costs is individually adjudicated.
Amounts of these fees can be found on the Registration page.
The balance of payment, required to be paid at least one (1) month in advance of the brigade weekend, covers meals at the hotel and your double room. Meals covered by the package are Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast.
Single room surcharges and the cost of a brigade shirt for new brigaders is extra above the registration fee and is refundable only in the case of cancellation in time to prevent the brigade from incurring this cost. Each reimbursement for these costs is individually adjudicated.
Amounts of these fees can be found on the Registration page.
Roommate
What happens if I do not want an assigned roommate?
All rooms are doubles unless you elect to pay for a single (includes bringing your own non-singing partner.)
Please note: A "single" room (with or without a non-singing partner) is an extra charge. Please see the registration form for this year’s single room charge.
If I pay for a single room and have someone staying with me, Can my nonparticipating roommate come to the Brigade events?
Friday night contest - Yes
Meals – No, unless you have paid for their meals
Saturday night show - Yes, if they buy a ticket
Saturday night afterglow - Yes, all attendees at the afterglow will be asked for a donation to cover refreshments.
What happens if I do not want an assigned roommate?
All rooms are doubles unless you elect to pay for a single (includes bringing your own non-singing partner.)
Please note: A "single" room (with or without a non-singing partner) is an extra charge. Please see the registration form for this year’s single room charge.
If I pay for a single room and have someone staying with me, Can my nonparticipating roommate come to the Brigade events?
Friday night contest - Yes
Meals – No, unless you have paid for their meals
Saturday night show - Yes, if they buy a ticket
Saturday night afterglow - Yes, all attendees at the afterglow will be asked for a donation to cover refreshments.
Learning MusicHow do I get "practice time" with other singers going to the Brigade?
Throughout the brigade practice time, from about the middle of December through May, various participants offer to host practice events at their homes. These offers are communicated through the Brigade news-group to all registered participants so anyone interested is informed and can participate.
Do you have "Tips" for learning all this music up to standards?
Please go to the “More” Area on our web site and click on the "Learning Tips and Tools" link. You will find quite a number of tested resources that will help you learn your music. Of particular value is a document in the "literature" listing (towards the bottom of the list of resources), called "How To Learn Your Music, by Duane Henry".
If I can sing my part with the Learning Tape, will I meet the standards of the other singers in my quartet?
There is no hard and fast rule as to how you can know if you can "meet the standards" other than singing your part on all the songs with three other guys. Having said that, some of us use the following three guide posts to measure our learning process:
· First - can you sing the song, off the charts with the balanced rendition of the learning tape?
· Second - can you sing your part without the learning tape - just solo - record it and is it letter perfect (words, notes, breaths and interp) when you play it back?
· Third - can you sing it with three other parts, keeping your place, not losing your place or stumbling when others make mistakes?
When you get to the third level, you are ready for the brigade weekend - not before.
Throughout the brigade practice time, from about the middle of December through May, various participants offer to host practice events at their homes. These offers are communicated through the Brigade news-group to all registered participants so anyone interested is informed and can participate.
Do you have "Tips" for learning all this music up to standards?
Please go to the “More” Area on our web site and click on the "Learning Tips and Tools" link. You will find quite a number of tested resources that will help you learn your music. Of particular value is a document in the "literature" listing (towards the bottom of the list of resources), called "How To Learn Your Music, by Duane Henry".
If I can sing my part with the Learning Tape, will I meet the standards of the other singers in my quartet?
There is no hard and fast rule as to how you can know if you can "meet the standards" other than singing your part on all the songs with three other guys. Having said that, some of us use the following three guide posts to measure our learning process:
· First - can you sing the song, off the charts with the balanced rendition of the learning tape?
· Second - can you sing your part without the learning tape - just solo - record it and is it letter perfect (words, notes, breaths and interp) when you play it back?
· Third - can you sing it with three other parts, keeping your place, not losing your place or stumbling when others make mistakes?
When you get to the third level, you are ready for the brigade weekend - not before.
Miscellaneous Tips and FAQ
How do I get "practice time" with other singers going to the Brigade?
Throughout the brigade practice time, from about the middle of January through May, we encourage participants offer to host practice events at their homes. These ‘sing-thrus’ are communicated through the Brigade Google group to all registered participants so anyone interested is informed and can participate. Singing along with the tracks may not enough preparation. Make the effort to host, or attend, a local pre-Rally get-together.
Do you have "Tips" for learning all this music?
Please go to the “More” Area on www.LSHB.org and click on the "Learning Music" link. Duane Henry, co-founder of the IHB and member of Intl. quartet Anthem, offers his suggestions in "How to Learn Your Music”.
If I can sing my part with the Learning Track, will I meet the standards of the other singers in my quartet?
There is no hard and fast rule as to how you can know if you can "meet the standards" other than singing your part on all the songs with three other guys. Having said that, some of us use the following three guide posts to measure our learning process:
What is the purpose of the LSHB Group? Isn’t email and Facebook enough?
All past attendees are members of the LSHB Google Group, unless they ask to be removed. Additionally, all members of the of the upcoming rally will be added to a “rally-specific” Google Group, eg. LSHB, 2022 or LSHB2023. The rally-specific group will be utilized for all official communication and notices. Please note, sometimes your notice that your addition to the Google group can go to your spam folder so check it occasionally.
How do I send a message to all the other LSHB members?
To send a regular email to registrants for the upcoming rally, send an email to this address: [email protected]
I hate email. Can I TALK to somebody?
You may call Tony Stafford, LSHB President, at 214-684-5663.
How do I get "practice time" with other singers going to the Brigade?
Throughout the brigade practice time, from about the middle of January through May, we encourage participants offer to host practice events at their homes. These ‘sing-thrus’ are communicated through the Brigade Google group to all registered participants so anyone interested is informed and can participate. Singing along with the tracks may not enough preparation. Make the effort to host, or attend, a local pre-Rally get-together.
Do you have "Tips" for learning all this music?
Please go to the “More” Area on www.LSHB.org and click on the "Learning Music" link. Duane Henry, co-founder of the IHB and member of Intl. quartet Anthem, offers his suggestions in "How to Learn Your Music”.
If I can sing my part with the Learning Track, will I meet the standards of the other singers in my quartet?
There is no hard and fast rule as to how you can know if you can "meet the standards" other than singing your part on all the songs with three other guys. Having said that, some of us use the following three guide posts to measure our learning process:
- Using your part-predominant CD learning track, adjust your stereo to play only the Right Track (this removes your part from the mix). Can you sing the song, off the charts with the balanced rendition of the learning tape?
- Can you sing your part without the learning tape - just solo - record it and is it letter perfect (words, notes, breaths and interp) when you play it back?
- Can you sing it with three other parts, keeping your place, not losing your place or stumbling when others make mistakes?
What is the purpose of the LSHB Group? Isn’t email and Facebook enough?
All past attendees are members of the LSHB Google Group, unless they ask to be removed. Additionally, all members of the of the upcoming rally will be added to a “rally-specific” Google Group, eg. LSHB, 2022 or LSHB2023. The rally-specific group will be utilized for all official communication and notices. Please note, sometimes your notice that your addition to the Google group can go to your spam folder so check it occasionally.
How do I send a message to all the other LSHB members?
To send a regular email to registrants for the upcoming rally, send an email to this address: [email protected]
I hate email. Can I TALK to somebody?
You may call Tony Stafford, LSHB President, at 214-684-5663.
Unable to Learn MusicWhat if I just don't have time to learn all the songs letter perfect? or What happens if I find the music is too hard for me?You should withdraw from the brigade in writing to LSHB President at [email protected]
Being unprepared is not an option, but let’s be clear. You have no idea which three other guys you'll be matched with for the Friday evening contest, so your job is simply to COME PREPARED. You will also sing in a chorus of over 100 good solid singers which can be the highlight of the weekend for many; however the chorus is not what the Brigade is all about. It's about making new friends, adding joy to those singing with you, and singing in one more quartet. That's why being unprepared is NOT an option.
Every brigade has adopted procedures to insure that singers who do not or cannot hold up their end of the bargain are not admitted or not asked back. The quality of any brigade experience is totally dependent on every singer being able to add value to every one of the many quartets he will sing with during the weekend. This allows us to continue to present the highest value singing experience to all participants.
Being unprepared is not an option, but let’s be clear. You have no idea which three other guys you'll be matched with for the Friday evening contest, so your job is simply to COME PREPARED. You will also sing in a chorus of over 100 good solid singers which can be the highlight of the weekend for many; however the chorus is not what the Brigade is all about. It's about making new friends, adding joy to those singing with you, and singing in one more quartet. That's why being unprepared is NOT an option.
Every brigade has adopted procedures to insure that singers who do not or cannot hold up their end of the bargain are not admitted or not asked back. The quality of any brigade experience is totally dependent on every singer being able to add value to every one of the many quartets he will sing with during the weekend. This allows us to continue to present the highest value singing experience to all participants.
What happens if I have to cancel - for any reason - after having paid my fees?You should withdraw from the brigade in writing to membership at [email protected]
The half payment of registration/deposit fee is non-refundable and you keep your music If you have received a shirt that is also non refundable. If you do not have your shirt yet that money can be refunded.
The final half of registration fee, if already paid, is refundable up to one (1) month in advance of the event start. After that time the brigade is obligated to the hotel for those reservations and it is not refundable.
The half payment of registration/deposit fee is non-refundable and you keep your music If you have received a shirt that is also non refundable. If you do not have your shirt yet that money can be refunded.
The final half of registration fee, if already paid, is refundable up to one (1) month in advance of the event start. After that time the brigade is obligated to the hotel for those reservations and it is not refundable.