Meet Todd Lamson - Director
Manchester Silk City Director from Together in Song on Vimeo.
The Manchester Silk City Chorus has shown great improvement and achieved measured success over the last four years having won three five Yankee Division Chorus Championships (over choruses from Connecticut and Poughkeepsie, NY). In addition, the chorus has followed up two 4th Place finishes in the Northeastern District Chorus Contest in 2004 and 2005 with two 3rd Place finishes in 2006 and again in 2007 in Lowell, MA. As the competitive climate improved and many chorus' have raised the competition bar, the SCC has continuted to achieve!
Not coincidentally, this is the seventh year of Todd Lamson’s tenure as chorus director. The chorus’ improvement is due in large part to Todd’s ability to teach, communicate, coach and coax energizing us to continually strive for better singing techniques, better interpretation of each song, improving the complete performance of each song, and doing it all with artistry and feeling.
Todd is a long-time member of the chapter having joined in 1986 at the age of 11. He was very active in the Manchester High School music program, playing saxophone in the various bands and ensembles, singing in the choruses including the select Roundtable Singers, singing in a barbershop quartet of his own formation while also performing in many theatrical performances at the high school including “Barnum”. He subsequently earned a BS in Music Education from Plymouth (NH) State University and a Masters in Music Education from the University of Illinois.
Returning to the chapter after college in 1998, Todd got involved in the Young Men in Harmony (now Youth in Harmony) program serving as the chapter as a YMIH advisor and then as the District Vice-president – YMIH for the Northeastern District from 2002 through 2005. He has also been the chapter’s Program Vice-president (1998) and was Lead Section Leader and Associate Chorus Director from 2001 through 2003. In addition, Todd has sung lead in two Northeastern District Very Large Quartet Champions (Six Pack in 2003 and Manchester United in 2004) and was the lead in Board of Directors which competed in the 2006 Northeastern District Quartet Championship.
Todd continues to improve his knowledge and craft while also sharing his knowledge and experience across the entire Barbershop Harmony Society. He has twice attended the Society’s Director College in Missouri where he took the highest level courses the Society offers its top directors. He is a certified instructor for a Society-wide program, “Directors of the Future” and has nearly completed the training requirements to be certified as an instructor in the Society’s “Chorus Director Workshop Intensive” program. Todd’s talents are recognized by all who have experienced the joy of singing under his direction and are attested to by the growth in chapter membership over the last two years.
We trust you will enjoy the fruits of his musical skills during this year’s annual show.
