Here's my itinerary:
Tues,13 October, 11:15 am - Fly from Sydney to LA to St Louis
ST LOUIS:
Tues, 13 October - Sun, 18 October - staying in St Louis with Sharon and David Brinkman, along with Mary Schultz and Betty Fuller
Thurs, 15th October - dinner and rehearsal
Frid, 16th October - tech rehearsal
Sat, 17th October - River Blenders Show "All Keyed Up"
Sun, 18 October, 11 am - travel by bus from St Louis to Nashville
NASHVILLE:
Sun, 18 October - Sun, 25 October -staying at Hilton Downtown, Nashville (sharing room with Sue Gourdie)
We have rehearsals on Tuesday and Wednesday, and compete on Thursday in the chorus semi-finals. We are number 2, after Waikato Rivertones. On Friday we'll watch the quartet competition, and on Saturday the finals of the chorus competition.
KIWI EXPRESS (with the ladies of the Waikato Rivertones):
Sun, 25 October - travel by bus from Nashville to Roanoke, Virginia
Sun, 25 October - staying at Fairfield Inn, Roanoke
Mon, 26 October - travel by bus from Roanoke to Washington, DC
Mon, 26 October - Thurs, 29 October - staying at Fairfield Inn, Manassas, Virginia
Thurs, 29 October - travel by bus from Manassas to New York
Thurs, 29 October - Sun, 1 November - staying at Springhill Suites, Newark, New Jersey
Sun, 1 November - travel by bus from Newark to Boston
Sun, 1 November - Wed, 4 November - staying at Springhill Suites, Andover, Massachussetts
Wed, 4 November - travel by bus from Boston to Philadelphia
Wed, 4 November - Thurs, 5 November - staying at Staybridge Suites, Malvern, Pennsylvania
Thurs, 5 November - travel by bus from Philadelphia to West Virginia
Thurs, 5 November - Fri, 6 November - staying at Springhill Suites, Morgantown, West Virginia
Fri, 6 November - travel by bus from West Virginia to Louisville
Fri, 6 November - Sat, 7 November - staying at Springhill Suites, Louisville, Kentucky
Sat, 7 November - leave the tour, and fly from Louisville to St Louis
Sat, 7 November - Sun, 8 November - staying in St Louis
Sun, 8 November, 4:55 pm - fly from St Louis to LA
Sun, 8 November - Fri, 13 November - staying in LA
Fri, 13 November - Fly LA to Sydney
Sun, 15 November, 8:25 am - arrive home, and Pete picks me up from the airport.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Internal Revenue Service
From the funds CKC has raised for our Nashville trip, we're paying for two coaches to take us from St Louis to Nashville, and also a chorus breakfast in Nashville. Normally we would pay sales tax, but Sweet Adelines International has provided the documentation that allows us to claim sales tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, so I've been trying to work out how to do this by going to the US IRS website and the Tennessee government website.
Sales tax is different in each US state, and city, and county. In Tennessee I think it's mostly 7%, but 5.5% on food, plus 2.25% additional tax for Nashville.
Unfortunately, payment is supposed to be with a CKC cheque or credit card, and we have neither. So we have messages out to the hotel and the bus company to ask whether they would accept payment by travellers cheque, and whether they will give us sales tax exemption on this basis.
The buses are about $3000, so our saving would be a few hundred dollars - worth making the effort to find out, anyway.
Sales tax is different in each US state, and city, and county. In Tennessee I think it's mostly 7%, but 5.5% on food, plus 2.25% additional tax for Nashville.
Unfortunately, payment is supposed to be with a CKC cheque or credit card, and we have neither. So we have messages out to the hotel and the bus company to ask whether they would accept payment by travellers cheque, and whether they will give us sales tax exemption on this basis.
The buses are about $3000, so our saving would be a few hundred dollars - worth making the effort to find out, anyway.
Southern hospitality
While we stay in St Louis we're staying with members of the River Blenders chorus. We've all been waiting eagerly to hear from our hosts, and I received a lovely email from Sharon on Friday introducing herself. She's also having Mary and Betty to stay, and she's going to pick us up from the airport as she lives 5 miles out of town, in the country. Sharon is not working the week we're there so she's offered to take us sightseeing - and shopping!
She's suggested a trip on the Mississippi River, and I'd also like to visit the Gateway Arch. It would be fun to hear some live blues music, but I think we're busy nearly every night with a welcome dinner and then rehearsals.
She's suggested a trip on the Mississippi River, and I'd also like to visit the Gateway Arch. It would be fun to hear some live blues music, but I think we're busy nearly every night with a welcome dinner and then rehearsals.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The story so far ...
I sing in a women's barbershop chorus called Circular Keys Chorus, based in Sydney, Australia. In June 2009 we were invited to represent Region 34 (Australia) at the Sweet Adelines International Convention in Nashville Tennessee in October 2010. This is because Melbourne Chorus, who placed first at our Regional Competition in Hobart in 2008, decided not to compete, and we were the chorus who came second.
When it was put to members, the majority wanted to go to Nashville, even though it was a big commitment of time and money for each of us. For the past twelve months we've been working hard, both on our performance (with several weekend workshops with international coaches), and on raising money to get there.
We also had an invitation from River Blenders chorus in St Louis, Missouri to visit them and perform on their show the Saturday before Convention.
And I took up an invitation from members of Waikato Rivertones chorus in New Zealand, who are also competing in Nashville, to join their 'Kiwi Express' tour after Convention. The tour is covering Tennessee, Virginia, Washington DC, New Jersey, New York City, Massachussetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky - all in 14 days!
So now it's only 30 'sleeps' until I fly out, along with most of the rest of Circular Keys Chorus, and assorted family and friends. I enjoyed keeping a blog when I went to International Convention in Hawaii last year, and aim to do it again this time. I'm taking along my Asus EEE netbook and my camera.
When it was put to members, the majority wanted to go to Nashville, even though it was a big commitment of time and money for each of us. For the past twelve months we've been working hard, both on our performance (with several weekend workshops with international coaches), and on raising money to get there.
We also had an invitation from River Blenders chorus in St Louis, Missouri to visit them and perform on their show the Saturday before Convention.
And I took up an invitation from members of Waikato Rivertones chorus in New Zealand, who are also competing in Nashville, to join their 'Kiwi Express' tour after Convention. The tour is covering Tennessee, Virginia, Washington DC, New Jersey, New York City, Massachussetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky - all in 14 days!
So now it's only 30 'sleeps' until I fly out, along with most of the rest of Circular Keys Chorus, and assorted family and friends. I enjoyed keeping a blog when I went to International Convention in Hawaii last year, and aim to do it again this time. I'm taking along my Asus EEE netbook and my camera.
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