Saturday, August 15, 2009

Back in the US!

Hi all,

Yesterday, we flew from Tel Aviv to Kiev to New York City. After nearly eighty days of international travel, we have finally returned to the United States.

In two hours or so, we will continue our tour by driving to Maine and singing a concert there. For the next seven days, we will be performing around the northeast US.

To close out this blog, I plan to post a few more pictures and to write more extensively about various world tour issues and answer some frequently-asked-questions. If you have any suggestions, please email me at elliotjwatts[at]gmail[dot]com.

-Elliot
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

11 comments:

  1. 3rrubricsAugust 19, 2009 at 8:11 AM

    I've enjoyed your blog entries. More power to you and your fabulous group. How do you find time to study? I've ordered two of your latest CD's. I enjoy acappella and used to sing it myself, H.S., College, Navy Chorus and Barbershop groups/Master Chorales. I know how hard it is to sing without accompaniment. I don't write my blog anymore about the lack of music/performing arts in our public schools. I gave up. Bob Burgan

    ReplyDelete
  2. ElliotAugust 31, 2009 at 9:08 PM

    Thanks for reading my entries and supporting the Whiffs! Thankfully, we didn't have to study over the summer. During the year, when we also had a number of concerts, I just tried to budget my time accordingly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 3rrubricsSeptember 1, 2009 at 7:22 AM

    Thanks for reading and responding to my comments, Elliot. I'm guessing you guys are now fully back from your tour and concerts. I got an email reponse yesterday from James Warlick. I guess he and Michael Lavigne are in charge of getting out the CD orders. I'm still waiting for mine (4wks. now) I teach music when I sub and play acappella music, your CD's to my students as "good examples" of the basics of music/singing. I need your latest CD's of '09 and '08...all I have is "Whiffs in Space". Carry On! and "break a vocal chord"

    ReplyDelete
  4. 3rrubricsSeptember 16, 2009 at 10:52 AM

    Hi again Elliot, Just thought I'd let you know that I finally got the CD's of your group that I ordered back on Aug. 8th, check cashed on the 12th. I got the two I ordered plus an extra from Mike for my "inconvenience". They are all now "ripped" to my computer and I play them in my car. "Century" seems to only have two new 2009, the rest are "the best or favorites" from the other years. Right? Are they remastered by the current tour group? Are you the deep bass who sany "Minnie the Mermaid"? My fav so far is "Sept. Song" It says it all for me now. Thanks, and keep bustin' chords. Bob Burgan

    ReplyDelete
  5. ElliotSeptember 17, 2009 at 7:04 PM

    Hi Bob,

    The Whiffs of 2009 recorded all the songs on "Century." It includes two new arrangements, "Everything" and "Soon It's Gonna Rain"-- both done by '09ers.

    I'm the tenor who sang "Little Pony." Andrew sang "Minnie."

    "September Song" is one of my favorites, too. ( :

    Best regards,
    Elliot

    ReplyDelete
  6. 3rrubricsSeptember 19, 2009 at 9:48 AM

    All Right! Elliot,

    I like your "scat" singin' in "Little Pony". I'm enjoying all the Yale songs on the other CD's too. When our College Choir toured the East Coast we had a chance to visit Havard...I know, a bad word. I enjoyed the feeling I got with those old campuses. With my adult chorale, a few years back, we toured England, Scotland and Wales and sang at the Istedfod, an "Olympics of Choirs". We visited and sang at Oxford...same feeling...deep tradition. Sunday my wife and I are going to hear the Masters of Harmony here at our retirement community, Sun Lakes. They are the best in Barbershop/Chorales...International Champs many times over. I sang with them briefly. What a rush!
    Enjoy your Youth...and your ability to Harmonize...with ALL. I makes for a great life. I've enjoyed mine.
    Bob Burgan

    ReplyDelete
  7. 3rrubricsSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:54 AM

    Hey, Elliot,
    Hope I'm not buggin' you. More questions: Did you sing Little Pony on the 2008 CD? Doesn't sound like you. I noticed several of the 2009 songs are on 2009's CD. Right? Your group have much turn over? Probably every 4 years. Did you ever do the solo for "Midnight Train to Georgia"? It would fit since you are from there, right?
    Harmoniously, Bob Burgan

    ReplyDelete
  8. 3rrubricsSeptember 23, 2009 at 10:26 AM

    Sorry, Errata... several of the songs on the 2008 CD are on the 2009 CD...I'm practicing "I've Been Everywhere" for my 5th-6th Grade Classrooms I sub in. They don't get much music anymore...especially connected to the U.S.A. ie. Westward Movement, 49ers etc. Bob

    ReplyDelete
  9. ElliotSeptember 28, 2009 at 8:59 AM

    The group turns over each year: the Whiffs are only composed of seniors. In other words, none of the fourteen members of 2009's group sang on the 2008 album.

    ReplyDelete
  10. ElliotSeptember 28, 2009 at 9:01 AM

    And yes, I did solo "Midnight Train" in concert. In fact, the photo on this website's homepage is of me singing it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 3rrubricsDecember 15, 2009 at 7:54 AM

    Hey Elliot, are you still there? Do you ever check this old blog? I thought of you last night when "Sing Off" was on. Did you see it? You guys are so much better. I know, you are preparing for Carnegie Hall. When I was in college in Chicago, I got to go there and sing. What a thrill. Maybe next time, if there is one, you can sing on "Sing Off" OK? Bob Burgan

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)