Jo Oosterhoff Receives Ann Gooch Award

Type of post:	Region 34 news item
Sub-type:	No sub-type
Posted By:	Michelle Neller
Status:	Current
Date Posted:	Fri, 30 Jul 2021

We’re thrilled to share the news that Jo Oosterhoff, Master Director of A Cappella West Chorus, has been honoured with the 2020 Ann Gooch Award!

Established in 2001, the Ann Gooch Award was created in recognition of Ann's lifelong dedication to Sweet Adelines International and the advancement of barbershop around the world. The award continues to be given annually to non-North American members who have contributed significantly to the furtherance of barbershop in the worldwide arena.

Previous Region 34 recipients of the Ann Gooch Award are:

2001 – Cathy Rainey, Western Australia
2009 – Lea Baker, New South Wales
2010 – Linda Wareham, New South Wales
2016 – Carole Macintyre, Western Australia
2020 – Glenda Lloyd, Australian Capital Territory

Our region and its members have benefited from Jo’s expertise as a musical educator for many years. Her barbershop journey started in 1993 and her leadership and teaching prowess commenced with Perth Harmony Chorus as Section Leader, Assistant Director and Vocal Production Coach. Jo was invited to join the Regional Education Faculty in 1999 (and is still on the faculty today), served on the Regional Management Team as Education Coordinator (2004), and worked with Lindsey Dyer (co-director of A Cappella West) on the Music Leaders’ Program. Jo is now managing the online program and ensuring all modules are current. Jo was instrumental in the development and presentation of the content of these modules, as well as developing the platform on which the course runs.

Jo was a co-director of A Cappella West (ACW) with Lindsey Dyer for 11 years. Jo and Lindsey became Master Directors in 2015, after winning first place at regional convention in Hobart; they then took the chorus to the Sweet Adelines International competition in 2016 in Las Vegas. After ACW won gold again in 2018, Jo took the chorus to international contest again in 2019, this time as a solo director. From 2019, she stepped up to take the solo direction of A Cappella West after our tragic loss of Lindsey to breast cancer. Jo took the chorus through grief, loss and COVID-19, and was a truly supportive leader.

Jo has continued taking ACW down the path of musical excellence, and her own musical excellence is unmistakable, having sung in many successful quartets and being a seven-time gold medallist with champion quartets Hi Jinx (2011–2017) and Enchant (2018).

Jo is a most worthy recipient of the Ann Gooch Award, as she continues to share her love and knowledge of our art form across the West Australian community, Region 34, and other regions of Sweet Adelines International.