Handbook for Cast Members--Chapter 2

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The Art of Entertainment

At its inception the phenomenon called University Singers was an instantaneous success.  The continued popularity and growth of our dynamic entertainment organization is not simply a happy accident.  Distinct aspects of our way of doing things have withstood the test of time and stand as the Basics that are universally applicable and irrevocable as the keys to our success.  You’ll soon discover that there are well-thought-out philosophies and techniques behind just about everything we do.  In order to fulfill our role as representatives and ambassadors we strive to live up to these foundation concepts—teamwork, goodwill, quality, good taste, honesty, sincerity, and fun.  In addition we count on the support and cooperation of scores of people throughout the Ball State community, including our dedicated alumni and honorary cast members.

The Show

The houselights dim…the curtain rises…and the Ball State University Singers burst onstage in a fun-filled kaleidoscope of America’s favorite songs of faith and laughter and love.  Through more than three decades our audience has come to expect an exciting, high-quality, musical variety show.  But presenting the onstage singing-dancing-playing part of our show is only the tip of the iceberg.  Off-stage before the Show and Backstage during the Show we’re involved in other highly developed and specialized roles to insure "The Show Must Go On."Planning, promotion, logistics, and communication, not to mention rehearsals, travel, set-up, and strike, are all crucial to the success of the onstage show.  In a concept we long-ago borrowed from Walt Disney Company theme parks, we think of everything we do as "The Show."  So whether you’re onstage presenting the show or backstage preparing the show, the role you play is important.  YOU are an integral part of the University Singers cast.  Your personal, caring attention to detail is always a vital ingredient in the success of "The Show."

University Singers Philosophy

So how can we avoid the fate of useless expenditure of our valuable time, energy, and money?  We each have the opportunity every day to check our plans and activities against the high standard that is set by our underlying Basic Philosophy.

Quality.  Our Number One Commitment is to giving the best possible effort to maintain the highest possible standards.  Quality is evident in our organization and administration, in our public relations and self-image, and in rehearsals and performance.  Of course we make mistake… everybody does.  But our network of encouragement and support allows each cast member the creative freedom to strive and sometimes falter.  The sooner we admit mistakes, the sooner we can get on with producing The Show.

Good Taste.  Giving people what they want is often held up to ridicule, but as representatives of Ball State University and the state of Indiana, we’re responsible for providing people with the kinds of things which set them at ease.  Our Brand Of Entertainment Must Appeal To Everyone, so we work with the universal concepts like Patriotism, Hometown Pride, Nostalgia, Faith, Laughter, and Love.  Even when we touch the exotic and progressive we don’t forget our underlying purpose…audience enjoyment.

Honesty.  The Ball State University Singers show is essentially a theatrical experience.  We’re engaged in every known technique for creating wonderful illusion—offstage as well as onstage.  We want to entice our audience into a world of positive, happy, make-believe, but we never want to strike a false or phony note.  We’ve never allowed ourselves to develop that kind of contempt you sometimes find in show business; particularly in beginners who affect attitudes and actions they think of as "professional" or "seasoned." Our fresh, wholesome, friendly image may stretch the acting abilities of some of our cast, but that’s our role, and it’s never played grudgingly or as satire!  Singers, dancers, instrumentalists, technicians and staff projects the elusive-but-real "Something Special" that has attracted and inspired our loyal audience.

Sincerity.  All the things that have been achieved over the years by the University Singers have been accomplished through the dedicated efforts of people, whatever their role, who believe in our philosophy of Quality Entertainment.  It’s an indisputable fact of life in show business: If there is no audience, there is no show.  Everyone in the audience and everyone in the cast can sense and be disappointed by a bored, ho-hum, here-we-go-again attitude by and one of the performers.  What an insult!  If you don’t do your best, the show must still go on…somebody else just has to pick up the slack.  Our Show is a person-to-person production.  Cooperation, support, and caring among singers, dancers, instrumentalists, technicians and staff projects the elusive-but-real "Something Special" that has attracted and inspired our loyal audience.

Fun.  Finally, simply, we take our work seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.  We can’t create Fun for the audience if we can’t find some Fun in our own roles.  When you think about it, all our hard work, and all the time and money in the world would do us little good if we can’t continue to offer Quality, Good Taste, Honesty, Sincerity, and Fun to our audience.

Teamwork

The success of our organization depends on maintaining crucial balance among our many production and promotion activities.  Every facet depends on every other facet; no one stands alone.  In order for The Show to work many minds and hands and hearts and voices must collaborate every step of the way.   There are no stars in our show.  Any given moment on stage is the result of a cooperative effort by the entire team.  Every good idea is the result of another idea.  Each idea is influenced by everyone’s creative input and modifications before the audience shares it.  We’re all willing to throw our best ideas and effort into the stew without worrying about who-gets-credit-for-what! Producing the best possible Show is everyone’s responsibility.  Everyone of our roles is vital to The Show, and we all have equal opportunity to contribute.  We are, after all, a Company of Friends.  Remember that the other person has problems too, that he may need our help, and is just as important as we are.  The result of our caring and sharing is Teamwork.  "All for on and one for all!" 

The very fact that The Show has an audience at all is the result of someone else’s contribution long before any of us were given a part in the Cast.  In fact, our current team is just a part of a bigger team whose members have long since made their invaluable contributions to our success and gone on.  Their best-possible effort became the foundation of University Singers.  Now, we must strive together to keep the confidence they worked so hard to earn… to give the audience the Quality they’ve come to expect.

The Business Side of Show Business

Many aspects of the  teamwork so necessary to the success of The Show are never seen by the audience.  In fact sometimes current cast members are unaware of the multifaceted backstage planning and preparation that goes on all around us al the time.  Countless people within the university are dedicated to the success of The Show.  In addition to financial and moral support their administrative units perform specific tasks in association with University Singers.

Personnel, records, registration, and grade reporting are handled through the office of the director of the School of Music.  Most questions can be taken care of at "the window" on the second floor of the Music Building.  Maintenance of our state-of-the-art sound system and electronic instruments is an on-going project of the School of Music.

Fiscal management occurs in the office of the Dean of the College of Fine Arts.  Funding for University Singers activities comes from many sources including the President of the University, the Dean of Fine Arts, the Director of the School of Music, the Alumni and Development offices, and the Ball State Foundation.  School and College administrative offices maintain records and monitor costs and revenue for each project we undertake.

Bookings and travel arrangements, too, are handled by the School of Music.  Contracts, schedules, transportation, meal allowances, and other tour logistics are the responsibility of our Artist/Ensembles Manager.

Effective promotion and public relations are essential to the success of University Singers.  The Music Services Coordinator is responsible for all promotions, publicity, special events coverage, radio and TV spots, newspaper and magazine ads, and billboard advertising.  Music Services works closely with the Ball State Public Information Bureau, University Publications and Print Shop, Photo Services, and Display Services to insure our activities are always in the public eye.

In all these ways and countless others, people in Accounting, Purchasing, Physical Plant, Administration, and everyone else on campus join to produce and maintain the quality of the show called University Singers.

Honorary Cast Members

In recognition of exemplary service, encouragement, and support, and acknowledge leadership in the field of entertainment, through the years the cast has welcomed these honorary members.  Their behind-the-scenes dedication has insured our success!

Alumni

The story of the University Singers success is the story of individual success.  Organizational growth has been achieved through personal growth.  The innovations for which our organization is famous are the result of each cast member’s creative thinking and imagination.  In every case it is people who have made the difference.

Starting with the very first rehearsal in 1964 our cast has established an admirable record of achievement, loyalty, dedication, and service.  They first dreamed of the dreams that led to greatness.  Some former members of our Cast have used their performing skills to reach notoriety in television and films, on Broadway and in Grand Opera, and in theatres and concert halls around the country.  Others have gone on to successful careers in business, industry, education, and the arts.

Everywhere we go, every place we perform, someone who once proudly wore the University Singers Nametag and navy travel blazer is watching.  They are our most enthusiastic, most critical, and most deserving audience.

Indiana’s Official Goodwill Ambassadors

No amount of publicity, no amount of flash or noise, or anything else can equal what the name Ball State University Singers instantly communicates to the people around our state.  For nearly four decades they have come to expect fresh, wholesome, honest entertainment  presented by bright, friendly, enthusiastic student performers.

The world of entertainment encompasses all of life and the full range of emotions.  Entertainment may serve to introduce new ideas, broaden horizons, or deepen understanding.  Admittedly, music can be used for political comment, social criticism, or as an outlet for frustration and despair, but University Singers have a very different goal.  We are in the business of creating a positive, happy experience for our audience.

Traditions

Fads come and go—and we’ve embraced our fair share of crazy fads—but certain things hit just the right note for generation after generation of our cast.  Our traditions represent the collective effort of countless students to make membership in the Ball State University Singers a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for every cast member.  Some of our traditions will resonate immediately and others will have to grow on you.  Whatever the case, know that through our University Singers Traditions we seek to welcome you to our circle.

Fight Song.       Fight team, fight for Ball State, we must win the game.

                       Onward now you Cardinals, bring glory to your name (Rah! Rah! Rah!)

                       Here’s to both our colors, Cardinal and White, Praying for a victory so

                       fight, fight, fight! Ball State!

Alma Mater.  Dear Alma Mater hear our vow of faith and trust in thee, thy spirit hovers near us now and through eternity.  Thy colors true of red and white shall e’er exalted be.  We’ll honor thee both day and night, Dear Alma Mater we love thee.

Dear Alma Mater hear our cry of laud and praise to thee, To bring thee honor e’er we’ll try , no matter where we be.  Fond memories we e’er shall hold of Ball State U so dear.

                   Though years may pass and we grow old, May Alma Mater still be near.

Fire-Up! 

Before each performance the University Singers gather to join hands, arms crossed right over left, for our traditional pre-show "Fire-Up."  Nobody seems to know where it came from, but everybody seems to remember it, so we often welcome former cast members into our circle.  Its one way of focusing attention on the show and getting the right amount of adrenaline pumping.  The Company Managers usually leads the cheer as the rest of the cast follows:

“Vim, Vigor, Vitality, Drive, Desire, Determination, Sparkle, Shine, Glitz, Lines.  What are we gonna do? We’re gonna ROCK!”

A hand-squeeze passes the pulse from member to member, until it travels around the circle.  Then the leader begins a new chant and the cast joins in: 

“Gimme a yell, gimme a yell, gimme a great big hairy yell.  And when we yell we yell like [censor!] and this is what we yell:  Alabam, Alabam, Alabambeago, San Diego, Hocus Pocus, Sis Boom Bah, Singers Singers Rah Rah Rah!  Go Singers! [hand claps] Go Singers! [hand claps]  Let’s go! Let’s go Singers!  Let’s go Singers!”

There are even appropriate hand signals for the last part—just one more of those traditions you’ll learn as a Ball State University Singers member!

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