Sacramento Valley Chorus

Sacramento Valley Chorus Leadership

Sacramento Valley Chorus thrives because of the energy and style of the people who have stepped up to lead. Here are a few of the people that make our ensemble tick:

Lynne Erickson - Director

Sacramento Valley Chorus is proud to introduce their CERTIFIED DIRECTOR, Lynne Erickson.

Lynne started in Sweet Adelines over 30 years ago, in Anchorage, Alaska, at the age of 16. Over the years she has been a member of the Anchorage Cheechako Chapter, Camellia City Chorus Chapter (in Sacramento), and most recently, Sacramento Valley Chorus. She began assistant directing while in Camellia City Chorus and continued after moving to Sacramento Valley Chorus.

In April of 2007, Lynne became the director of Sacramento Valley Chorus. Under her guidance and the strong support of her musical leaders and every member on the risers, the chorus has prospered and grown musically and in membership. Each year the leadership strives to improve the expectations, guidance and direction of the chorus and it seems to be working because the chorus keeps coming back each week and meeting or exceeding those expectations! They work hard and go home fulfilled and happy with what was accomplished. No wasted time here! Directing has opened a whole new world and Lynne truly loves the opportunity for growth in the directing arena while working hard to make this a fun, exciting and rewarding experience for everyone!

Over the years, Lynne has won several quartet medals including two 2nd place medals and a wildcard placement on the International Stage. Not having an outlet for her own singing (since the coaches keep telling her to stop singing while directing!) is more than she can stand. So, Lynne also sings lead in a quartet called Premium Blend.

Lynne works for the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Budget Analyst. She is married to Dan, her wonderful husband, who is an awesome support system to Lynne, as well as the chorus. (He puts up and takes down our risers every week, as well as hauling them to retreat and shows.) She has two sons, John and Matt. Their youngest son, Matt, recently completed his bachelors degree at California State University in Communications and Marketing/International Marketing. He is also an event planner, DJ and dance instructor, while he looks for a career in his new field. John works as a computer technician in the Natomas school district. He and his wife Edith have two beautiful children, Jenny (12) and Jonathan (5). She's a happy grandma!

A highlight for all of us is the yearly show. Lynne loves the challenge of helping create a great show. Teaching and interpreting the music, as well as working with a show theme and script, pulls it all together! It's a lot of hard work but the end product just gets better each year. The chorus learns several new songs each year, so no one has a chance to get bored! The yearly competition brings a whole new focus. Competition is a wonderful learning and growing experience. All the information gleaned from coaches, in preparation for competition, is nearly as much fun as the competition itself! In Lynne's words, "This is one of the things which set this awesome organization apart from any other. Through competition, we learn, we grow, and we improve. We’re always reaching for the higher rung…." She lives her life the same way, so being the Director of Sacramento Valley Chorus is a match made in heaven.

Vicky Lampe, Assistant Director

Vicky has been singing in Sweet Adelines since 1986 when she joined Camellia City Chorus in Roseville. In 1991, she moved to Fremont and joined San Jose Chorus (later called BASC - Bay Area Showcase Chorus). With that group, she had the pleasure of competing at International 5 times. Vicky sang with BASC until 2001, when she moved back to the Sacramento area and joined Voice of the Valley Chorus. Vicky has also sung with many quartets since joining Sweet Adelines; more than she can remember.

Vicky has always been involved in music in some way. Her mother used to joke that Vicky sang herself to sleep in her crib long before she could say the words, but her mother always recognized the tune. Vicky's first public performance was at the age of 3, singing The First Noel at church. She hasn't stopped singing since!

In high school, she sang in all the choirs and was selected to the All State Choir - 4 years in a row! However, after high school, Vicky's life took a detour from music. She went to college and got a degree in a totally unrelated field, but she did continue to sing in her college choirs. After graduation, she joined the Army. Eventually, the music bug bit again and she returned to college to get her BME (Bachelor of Music Education) degree - with an emphasis on Voice. She taught Music at a junior high school in South Dakota before moving to California. She currently volunteers as a music director in a local elementary school in Roseville.

Terrie Carrozzella, Assistant Director

Terrie joined Sacramento Valley this past July, but she's been singing barbershop since 1996. She has been involved in music since elementary school and learned to play several instruments. She attended Shenandoah Conservatory of Music from 1983-1985, where she majored in in music composition. She later pursued a career in marketing and design, but needed an outlet for her music, so she found Sweet Adelines to be a perfect fit!

Terrie started singing with the Merrimack Valley Chorus chapter in Wilmington, Massachusetts and a few years later joined Profile Chorus in Manchester, New Hampshire. She competed with them at the 2007 International Competition. She has had numerous opportunities to grow her barbershop education, including singing in two competitive quartets called "Wild Pitches" and "Nuance". She served on the Region 1 Management Team for 7 years, became an Assistant Director for the Profile Chorus in 2008, and became a Certified Director in 2010! Terrie is very proud to now serve as an Assistant Director in Sacramento Valley Chorus!

Off the risers, Terrie is an online marketer and graphic designer. She lives in Placerville with her fantastically supportive husband, Michael, dog Molly, and two talking parrots.

Carrie Clarke Melashenko, Assistant Director-In-Training

Our Music Team

Director: Lynne Erickson

Assistant Director: Vicky Lampe

Prospective Assistant Director: Terrie Carrozella

Director-in-training: Carrie Melashenko

Administrative Assistant: Adrienne Wright

Coaching Manager: Adrienne Wright

Visual Coordinator- Pamela Johnson

Quartet Promotion Manager: Sandy Cope

Evaluations Manager: Sandy Cope

Advisors to the Team: Kirby Cass