Masters of Harmony

The Barbershop Harmony Society’s Midwinter Convention is a showcase of barbershop harmony talent and the 2014 Midwinter, which was no exception, featured some of best groups ever assembled for the event. On stage were the current International Quartet Champion, Masterpiece, as well as other 2013 International medalist quartets, Seniors quartet competitors, and 20 youth choruses from around the country. The Masters of Harmony were especially honored to close the Friday night events with a four-song set that brought the late evening but still enthusiastic audience to its feet with thunderous applause. Other performers with an MOH connection included: The Velvet Frogs (Les Dergan, David Livingston, and C.J. Sams); Zachary Green and Ernie Reyes in the 3rd Street Sound youth chorus led by Carol Stephenson; Boom Town Chorus with Joey Buss and Jake Tickner; and the Cal State Fullerton’s Men’s Choir directed by Dr. Chris Peterson. In 1990, the Masters parlayed a successful performance at the Tucson Midwinter to International gold later that year in San Francisco. Current members hope for a similar springboard effect this summer in Las Vegas!

On February 15, Mark Freedkin’s passion for introducing young men from throughout Southern California to harmony singing in the barbershop style resulted in another highly successful Young Men’s Harmony Festival at Orange Coast College. This year, 148 young men from 20 Southern California high schools attended the daylong events. More than 75% were first-timers and several new schools were added to the mix. After warm-ups led by Dr. Chris Peterson, the young men received choral training from coaches with impressive performance credentials such as OC Times, Masterpiece and The Newfangled Four. Dr. Peterson told the choral music teachers in attendance how they could use barbershop harmony to attract more young men to their programs. The evening show featured performances from the youth chorus, several smaller ensembles, OC Times, The Newfangled Four, Masterpiece, and the Masters of Harmony. The finale featured over 320 singers filling the risers to overflowing for numbers that wowed the audience of nearly 250 parents, families, teachers and friends. Those attending this year’s event brought the 14-year event total to over 3,000 students who have participated in one or more of the festivals. This eagerly awaited festival is a unique opportunity to enhance the limited music education most of the young men receive. It can create a life-long desire to join groups with other like-minded singers – maybe in a barbershop chorus near you! After all, look what ringing chords did for a quarrelsome set of school board members who found both musical and personal harmony when they sang about ice cream (Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, 1957)!

President Ron Andreas’s innovative badging ceremony continues to enhance the spirit of MOH brotherhood. Family members and friends are invited to witness the presentation of the member’s name tag in front of the chorus. Immediate family members and other guests witnessed badge ceremonies held for Robert Shelton and Brandon McNabb. James Halvorson’s mother and father came in from Las Vegas to be with him for his special evening. James literally carries barbershop genes wherever he goes. His dad sings with the 2012 FWD Quartet Champion 95 North. As Ron noted, “Each new member we welcome into our family puts the breath of life into the sails of our chorus.”

The Far Western District’s Spring Convention, held at Riverside’s Fox Performing Arts Center, featured six different contests. Masters of Harmony singers performed in nine of the 27 quartets and eight of the 16 choruses. The FWD will be sending six quartets to Las Vegas this summer and two are MOH quartets – The Crush (Matt Gray, John Brockman, Paul Tabone) and Southeast Division Quartet Champion American Pastime (Graham Pence, Tom Moore, Matt Swann, Joe D’Amore). The following MOH quartets qualified for the FWD District Quartet Contest in Fresno this fall: Southwest Division Seniors Quartet Champion Blood, Sweat and Years (Les Weiser, Bob Cathaway), West 7 Four (Justin Miller, Jason Remley, Patrick Claypool), Southeast Division Novice Quartet Champion Flightline (Cody Littlefield, Kyle Williamson). More than 50 percent of the judges were MOH members. The Westminster Chorus, with several dozen MOH dual members, followed up its stunning performance at the Western Division of the American Choral Directors Association convention with another world-class performance to win the chorus competition en route to another try for gold in 2015.

In March, Erin Howden worked with the Masters over a two-day period to create a stunning, high-energy package for the Las Vegas uptune. New members quickly discovered why the word genius is not a misnomer when applied to Erin’s ability to create appropriate dynamic moves that blend sight and sound in ways that enthrall audiences. A highlight of the second evening with Erin was the badge ceremony for Aaron Jaramillo. Since Aaron’s parents were in Denver and his girlfriend had an important presentation to make elsewhere, it looked like Aaron would be the first to stand by himself for his special night. Well, Erin was not the only one who acted creatively that night. Members Ernie Reyes, Ryan Collins and Ron Andreas used FaceTime to create a video hookup with Aaron’s mother and she not only witnessed the ceremony in absentia but was able to witness the chorus’s run-through of Erin’s work!

Special congratulations go to Director Justin Miller who announced his engagement to Andrea Christensen. The couple plans a June wedding. The Masters family knows exactly the kind of gold that would make a great wedding gift!

Since the last report, we welcomed James Halvorson, Aaron Jaramillo, Brandon McNabb, Edgar Sandoval and Robert Shelton into membership and reinstated David Camp, Larry Johnson and Colby Stroud.