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C indy Repasy |
Maggie has been directing
the IMAGE CITY SOUND chorus of Sweet Adelines International since
its inception in 1994. She has expertise and experience in vocal
and instrumental music. She has been a long-time member, renowned
director, and International and Regional music faculty member
of Sweet Adelines International. During her tenure of 23 years
as director of the Rochester Chorus of Sweet Adelines, she had
a reputation of getting the best out of her singers as they represented
their region at many International competitions. As director
of the IMAGE CITY SOUND chorus, she has led them to five Division
A, small chorus championships and a third place medalist position.
Maggie has also directed the Chorus of the Genesee, a male counterpart
and members of the "Society for the Preservation and Encouragement
of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. Inc."(SPEBSQSA). She was the first female director
of the 50 year old chorus and was one of only a few female directors
throughout their international organization. Since beginning
with the Chorus
of the Genesee in
January 1997, she directed them in six international competitions.
Maggie was introduced to barbershop harmony in college where
she sang in her first quartet. Since college she has been involved
in barbershop harmony in the Rochester community for 43 years.
She has been a musical director for 32 years, as well as having
sung in several medalist quartets, one of which earned semi-finalist
status at the International Competition in Hawaii. She has coached
numerous choruses and quartets throughout the country as well
as male and female choruses in Ireland and is the first recipient
of the Regional "Larry Dale Coaching Award." In addition,
she has composed and arranged barbershop harmony music and has
provided educational classes for Sweet Adelines, SPEBSQSA and
Harmony Incorporated, another International women's barbershop
harmony organization. She has scripted IMAGE CITY SOUND's annual
Christmas presentation and is co-founder and co-chair of the
annual Rochester "Barbershop at the Beach" festivities.
Maggie is also working with directors of school age young people
in harmony groups as well as helping facilitate the Young Singer's
Workshop at the annual New York State Music Educators' Conference
held in Rochester.
Maggie is committed
to quality performance and challenges the singer/performer to
individually work toward personal vocal and visual performance
growth. She finds their successes very exciting.
Maggie retired as a special education teacher from the Rochester
City School District in 1996 and has worked part time since then
as Chairperson for the Committee for Special Education. She has
been married for 30 years to Bill Swift, former medalist quartet
lead and several time quartet representative to International
Competition. He is a member of the Chorus of the Genesee. Their
daughter, Jennifer, is a graduate of the Rochester City School
District's School of the Arts, and Indiana Wesleyan University.
She resides in Rock Island, Illinois and is a music and arts
pastor at the Heritage Wesleyan Church in Molline, IL.
Maggie is grateful to all the barbershop singers she has worked
with over the years, for the shared experiences which fill her
life with wonderful harmony. She is looking forward to many more
years of this lifetime singing hobby
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