Our bass, Patti Britz, was able to mic-test the chorus contest with her chorus, Shoreline Sound, and have many of her fellow chorus members in the audience all week. Patti has been competing for 16 years with SAI and she had more family in the audience at the 2005 contest than any previous year. It was awesome for her to share the week with her youngest son, Jordon, 19 years old, who loves to sing and enjoys Barbershop. He was her special guest at the quartet's Champion Dinner on Friday night and was also invited to sing with the Queen's Men on the Coronet Club Show.

Our lead, LeAnn Hazlett, was also thrilled to have her parents see her compete for the first time at an international contest. It was even more unique because she directed her chorus, Spirit of Detroit, in addition to appearing with SPOTLIGHT. The chorus was so supportive all week while LeAnn split her time and energy between chorus rehearsals, quartet sessions, Coronet Club activities and then…the emotional high of winning with the quartet on Friday. Some may not know that LeAnn is now a two-time Queen having won with Swing Street in 1991.

This was a wonderful time and place for Tenor, Kendra LaPointe, to win. Detroit was the first Sweet Adeline International she attended at the age of nine back in 1983. Another thrilling part of the win was that 2005 was the 30 year anniversary of the win of (her mother) Vicki Gibson's quartet – The Front Office Four. In attendance in Detroit was Kendra's husband and two pre-school age boys who enjoyed seeing Mommy emerge from behind the curtain each time the quartet performed. Kendra's father was beaming all week partly because he wears a silver medal from the Barbershop Harmony Society earned with The Vagabonds, a quartet who never quite made it to the coveted Gold. He now has two Queens in the family to keep him humble.

Kerry Denino, baritone, had only been singing with SPOTLIGHT for 10 months prior to the win in Detroit. She had been a long time Sweet Adeline and quartet competitor with two-time Top Ten Finalist Quartet Success Express. Kerry had the privilege of having her husband and daughter in the audience for her win as well as her mother, Char Gurney, a Master Director and SAI judge, Kerry's husband is also a Barbershop quartet medallist having placed 2nd twice in the Barbershop Harmony Society with Uptown Sound quartet.

This past year the quartet has enjoyed travelling around the country to perform on several chapter show both for Men's and Women's Barbershop choruses. SPOTLIGHT has also had the honour of attending and performing at the Men's International Convention, IES and at the Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, OH. The quartet is thrilled to do their first over-seas trip by attending Reg. #31's Regional Competition to perform and teach in May of 2007. This will truly be a wonderful experience and a time for the quartet to make many new friends!

After recording our first CD the quartet was pleased to be selected as a nominee for the 2007 Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards. The album, "In The SPOTLIGHT" has been nominated for 'Best Barbershop Album' with the winners to be announced on April 1, on www.casa.org. For online ordering of the album, to see pictures of SPOTLIGHT, or to leave us a message, go to: www.harmonize.com/spotlight

SPOTLIGHT looks forward to visiting your Region this spring and looks forward to getting to know as many individuals as possible. We also love to sing with anyone who wants to jump in so get some songs ready and we will sing for as long as you can!

With Love, SPOTLIGHT Kendra, LeAnn, Kerry and Patti