[Harp-L] SPAH week 2020

[JERRY DEALL]

JOIN US!

SPAH Week 2020, August 12-15 is almost here! Details about the schedule, the performing acts, seminar presenters, and so forth are in Harmonica Happenings, arriving soon, as well as under the CONVENTION tab on the SPAH Website.

We wanted to make sure all members, sponsors, and friends of SPAH have all that you need to join in the 32 hours of musical performance and instruction. There is a lot to cover, but please read to the end so you have the best possible SPAH Week experience. So, here goes.
Joining us for SPAH Week
For you: We have set up a “Waiting Room” just for members. Just before the sessions start each day, you can go to the SPAH website to obtain the Zoom link for the shows and seminars. You should also download and configure Zoom before SPAH Week, if you have not already done so. Read the section at the end of this email for more Zoom details. There is no charge to use Zoom.
The Member Only Waiting Room is at: spah.org/spahweekmember. You will need to login to the SPAH website in order to see this page. Please help us manage Zoom attendance by keeping this link within your immediate family.
In advance of SPAH Week, please check to make sure that your SPAH login works! If you have any trouble logging in to your SPAH account, please send an email to info at xxxxx for assistance.

If you will be joining us for seminars on the Member Zoom link, please read the instructions below on how to set up your Zoom sound parameters before SPAH Week begins. A few simple steps will ensure that everyone can hear your instrument as well as your voice. Zoom suppresses “background noise” (including your harmonica!) unless you follow these simple instructions to allow music to shine through your microphone!

For all others, the general public: for anyone else, including your fans and friends, there is also a waiting room that will take anyone to a YouTube Live page to watch the identical daily performances and seminars. This YouTube link will allow everyone to enjoy the same shows and seminars available to members, but limits interaction with the performers to text chat.
The waiting room for the general public is accessible from the SPAH Website CONVENTION tab or using this link: spah.org/spahweek. Please share this link with anyone who you think may enjoy the shows!

We intend to save the daily videos on the SPAH YouTube channel after they are shown during SPAH Week, so you can watch at another time if it is more convenient, or if you just want to watch it all again!
Stay tuned to www.SPAH.org and the SPAH Facebook site for further details.

Helping out
First, please join SPAH in thanking SPAH Week sponsors: Hohner USA, Easttop, BlowsMeAway Productions, Seydel, Lone Wolf, Kongsheng, and Golden Bird.

While all are welcome to join us for the entire show at no cost, we ask each attendee to consider a recommended donation of $20 per session to help our artists during this difficult time.

You can contribute to the SPAH Week 2020 fund by going to https://www.spah.org/content.asp?contentid=156 or using PayPal.me/SPAHWeek. All funds donated before noon on Sunday August 16th will go to our performers and teachers, so please give generously.
SPAH Awards

You have already received an email from SPAH Awards chair, Winslow Yerxa, asking for your nominations. Please send in your nominations now so the Awards Committee has a breadth of candidates from which to choose. Then, join us for the annual SPAH Awards Ceremony, opening the evening music on Saturday August 15 at 6:30pm. The Awards Committee will meet in early August to select the award recipients from nominations received by July 31.
SPAH Annual General Meeting

On Saturday August 15, please join us for the online SPAH Annual General Meeting, which will be held during the afternoon at 3:30pm US Central Time.
All SPAH Members are invited to attend this important meeting by calling (551) 240-6216 at 3:30pm Central Time on Saturday. The agenda is as follows:
Call to order – Teleconference procedures
SPAH Board and Staff introductions
2019 AGM Meeting minutes (please open this link to read the minutes)
Financials
2021 Election for SPAH President and Vice President - candidacy
Membership
SPAH Week 2020
Questions
Adjourn
I look forward to seeing all of you on the SPAH Week site in just 3 weeks!
Until then, please be safe, wear a mask, wash your hands, and play music.
Michael D’Eath
SPAH President

ZOOM Instructions
If you plan to play an instrument during a SPAH Week Zoom seminar, this is for you!
Install Zoom
First, install the Zoom app on your device. You can download and install from here: https://zoom.us/download
Configure audio settings on Mac or PC
Open audio settings
By default, Zoom can treat music as background noise, which also disrupts the sound you want. These settings are more music-friendly.
Before your first performance, open the Zoom Client for Meetings. Then open the Settings page and select Audio settings. In the Zoom home screen, click on the icon in the upper right to open the popup menu, and then select Settings.
Alternatively, if you are already in the Zoom meeting where you will be performing, you can also access the settings. Move your mouse into the meeting window, and click the up arrow next to the microphone icon. This opens a popup menu where you select “Audio settings.”
Adjust the Zoom audio settings
The next screen controls all Zoom settings. Select Audio from the menu on the left.
First, if you have not already done so, set your microphone and speaker. You can use the popup menus to select your particular microphone input and speaker/headphone output. Test them by clicking the “Test Speaker” and “Test Mic” buttons. Make sure that “Automatically adjust microphone volume” is turned off.
Now, click on the “Advanced” button at the lower right. The next screen is where you optimize your sound. These settings bypass the audio processing that enhances speech in meetings but messes up music.
Do the following:
Check the box next to “Show in-meeting option to Enable Original Sound from microphone”
Original sound is what you want. It turns off the undesirable audio processing.
Under audio processing
Set Suppress Persistent Background Noise to Disable
Set Suppress Intermittent Background Noise to Disable
Set Echo Cancellation to Auto
At Each Zoom Meeting You Attend
Once you’ve enabled these settings, you will be able to turn on Original Sound when you join the Zoom meeting and the setting you’ve just changed will take effect.
Copyright © 2020 SPAH Inc., All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a current or recent SPAH member, or because you signed up. Thanks!
Our mailing address is:
SPAH Inc.
PO Box 551381
Dallas, TX 75355
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Thanks, Jerry Deall, SPAH Vice-President, 
Put August 11-15 on your calendar for “SPAH Week; online seminars, performances and more.