What the heck is Barbershop? You know, the four guys with the red and white striped vest with the straw hats and canes. I’ll explain.Let me first start out by saying I am not trying to be egocentric by writing a story on myself; I am just sharing my fantastic hobby with everyone in hopes to find students who enjoy singing barbershop harmony or just singing in general as much as I do.
I sing Barbershop, which is just another style of music, like rock, jazz, blues, classical, etc., but barbershop is sung a capella (without music accompaniment), and is sung in four different harmony parts: Bass, Baritone, Lead, and Tenor. I sing tenor.
These four harmonies are sung so they form what is known as barbershop harmony. The chords that the four voices create are very tight and ringy. It’s a very amazing and moving sound.
I began singing when I was in high school and found out about barbershop singing my senior year and joined The Delta Kings Barbershop Chorus after I graduated and have been singing with them ever since. There are different barbershop choruses and quartets throughout the world, and we are all a part of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
We sing a variety of songs that ranges back to the late 1800’s to songs by the Beach Boys, but a lot of songs barbershoper’s sing are the good old songs with amazing new arrangements by modern barbershop arrangers. I like singing these simple songs, because just hearing the beautiful harmonies around the lyrics put a lot of depth to the song, and it just amazes me every time I hear it.
People who don’t have a clue about what barbershop music is might think it’s just four old guys singing a boring song. They are half right. Seriously barbershop has come a long way. I may be the one of the youngest singers in my chorus, but there are plenty of younger singers that love to sing barbershop just as much as I do, and it’s not just for men. There is a also barbershop society for women.
If you would like to know more about barbershop, would like to sing barbershop, or would like to just talk to me about singing or music, give me a call at (513) 349-7285 or email me at Deltak8@cinci.rr.com, or if you recognized me on the RWC campus, feel free to just walk up to me.
Anyone who likes to sing should know that I’m trying to form a barbershop quartet, and need three more guys to complete it. Hope to sing with you soon.