Columbus 2025 - Education | Sweet Adelines

Attend class with friends from around the barbershop world — and maybe win a prize!

Education is included with your All Events Pass — be here and enjoy our "Sweet Adelines World" all week long!

Columbus education kicks off Monday with a superb lineup of instructors, topics, and amazing prizes. Get there early, meet new friends, and fill your passport with stamps for a chance to win a prize! The fun starts the moment you arrive.

Columbus 2025 (Home Page)

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Education Schedule of Events

Columbus 2025 Education Events Schedule

Monday: Tabletop Rounds and "Tag-Outs!" with Queens

• Start your day strong with warm-ups — vocal with Anne Downton and physical with Renée Porzel.
• Next, grab your commemorative Sweet Adelines “passport” and make your rounds to Tabletop Discussions (with so many fabulous instructors) and "Tag-Outs!" with Queens — Lady A Cappella and LoveNotes!

Columbus Education Events Instructors

Attendees will receive a commemorative “passport” and the chance to win prizes!

For each 20-minute session you attend, you’ll receive a “passport stamp” that enters you into drawings for prizes, including an All-Events Pass for next year’s competition and VIP seats for this year’s competition!

Eight Stamps: Enter to win one grand prize of an All Events Pass AND a VIP seat for the 2026 International Convention.
Seven Stamps: Entry to win one of two VIP seats for the 2025 International Convention.
Six Stamps: Entry to win one of three future virtual coaching sessions.
Five Stamps: Entry to win one of four goodie bags from Sweet Adelines International Sales.

"Tag-Out!" with Queens of Harmony

In between Tabletop Discussion rounds, sing Sweet Adelines International organizational songs in “Tag-Out” sessions with 2024 International Champion Quartet Lady A Cappella and 2014 International Champion Quartet LoveNotes!

Learn Sweet Adelines International organizational songs before you arrive!

Here are the fabulous instructors and tabletop topics:

Breathing with Bec Hewitt and Patty Cobb Baker	Vowels with Kim Vaughn and Karen Breidert
Vocal Characterization with Peggy Gram and Joan Boutilier	Visual Characterization with Di Porsch and Renée Porzel
Performance Anxiety and Prep with Debra Lynn and Ryan Heller	Being a Responsible Ensemble Member with Kim Wonders and Glenda Lloyd
Vocal Health with Caitlin Castelino and Jamy Claire Archer	Behind the Lyrics: Utilizing the Song Assessment Tool with members of the DEI Council

All on Tuesday: Panels with Barbershop Experts

• Recruitment and Retention with Becki Hine, Heather Schouten Wilson, and Sharon Cartwright.
• Chorus Culture with Anne Downton, Kim Wonders, and Taylor Daniels.
• Voices in Action: Utilizing the Chorus Toolkit with Mary Cox and representatives from the DEI Council.

Barbershop Arranging with Jean Flinn and Suzy Lobaugh

• Harmony at its Best... A-"Chord"-ing to Barbershop is a class you won’t want to miss! Join Jean Flinn and Suzy Lobaugh on Tuesday from 9–10:30 a.m. and explore how to keep the composer happy by maintaining the implied harmony—all while using the right substitute chords in your arrangement.

Friday & Saturday: Classes with Champions!

Quartet Music Education with 2024 International Champion Lady A Cappella
Sing It Like You Mean It: Finding the Fun in Your Performance

Join Lady A Cappella on Friday morning for a high-energy master class focused on bringing your performance to life! Explore character development, emotional expression, and how to adapt your vocal delivery across a cappella styles—all while staying true to the music. Whether refining your artistry or rediscovering the joy of performing, this session will inspire you to connect with your audience and have fun on stage.

Chorus Music Education with 2025 International Champion North Metro
The “WHAT ELSE” Method: Exploring the Emotional Power of Visual and Musical Layering

Discover how to elevate your performance through North Metro Chorus's “WHAT ELSE” method—a creative approach to emotional and visual layering. On Saturday morning, learn how song selection, choreography, costuming, and staging work together to create a performance that audiences can feel and "see." From idea to execution, this class will show how every element can deepen impact and bring music to life.

All Week: Chorus Toolkit Advice Available by Appointment!

Sign up for a one-on-one session with a Chorus Toolkit team member to explore specific questions or challenges related to your chorus or region’s DEI journey! After you submit the online form, you’ll receive a confirmation with your scheduled time and location.
For more information, contact: chorustoolkit@sweetadelines.com

Sign Up for a DEI Session

Questions?

All education activities are included in your all-events registration.
If you have questions about education activities in Columbus, email our Education Department via education@sweetadelines.com.