Kalamazoo Music Men - Ringing those barbershop chords in Kalamazoo since 1941!

Kalamazoo Chapter

 

Ringing chords since 1941!

Keep the whole world singing!

 

This is Kalamazoo, Michigan (Pioneer District) located 1/2 way between Chicago and Detroit. Find us on the US map - click here

 

 

What is BARBERSHOP HARMONY?

BARBERSHOP HARMONY  is four-part, a cappella, close-harmony singing. The melody is carried in the second part, called the lead.  The tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the low notes, and the baritone sings the "other harmony," sometimes above and sometimes below the melody.

"Barbershop quartet singing is four guys tasting the holy essence of four individual mechanisms coming into complete agreement."
Meredith Willson
Author & Composer "The Music Man"
Honorary Member, Barbershop Harmony Society

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PIONEER DISTRICT

Barbershop Harmony Society

Sweet Adelines

Complete technical definition (from the Society's Contest & Judging Handbook) 

The historical roots of Barbershop Harmony. What is barbershop? How has it evolved through the years? A fascinating multimedia presentation by David Wright (click here) traces our musical roots.

To listen to the Barbershop music click here or go online and listen to the radio at Live365 Radio!
In a hurry - just try this one!

Ever heard about podcasting? There is one strictly barbershop - check it out (and you don't even have to have iPod to listen to it!

 

  CHORAL GROUPS IN KALAMAZOO, MI,  AREA

See 2006 Spring chorus lineup. Congratulations to this contest FIRST- TIMER - LIAM HICKEY! 1st row first on the left

Photo by Tony Dugal
Anthony Dugal Photography

Our Mission 

 Perpetuate the American Art form of barbershop quartet singing and encourage vocal harmony and good fellowship among our members. We seek to encourage and promote the education of its members and the public in music appreciation of barbershop quartet and chorus singing.

We practice on Tuesday nights from 7 till 10pm at SSJ Transformations  Spirituality Center at 3427 Gull Road (at the former Nazareth College campus). More here

                        ALIAS EMAIL ACCOUNTS -  promote your HOBBY, not your ISP!

Our newest and first CD "The Roads We Traveled" is being produced and cleared now. We expect to get it out before the end of 2006.

We now offer pre-sale at a  special price of $13 (normal price $15), which includes S&H. Click here

 

  UPCOMING EVENTS 

 
Saturday, August 19 Gazebo show in Allegan at 7PM, warm-up at 6PM - red shirt, khaki pants, dark shoes
Sunday, August 27 St. Catherine of Sienna Church, parish picnic, starts at 2PM, warm-up at 1PM
Saturday, September 8 Sacred Harmony - a quite dinner show at Ladies Library Association, dinner at 6PM
Sunday, September 17 St. Rose Church in Hastings - Charitable concert for the benefit of Sisters of St. Joseph, 7PM, warm-up at 6

Please click here and read wonderful article about Singing Valentines by Linda Mah from Kalamazoo Gazette - Musical messages of love are best delivered simply

Chorus Activities Plan for 2006 - click here or Chorus Events Calendar

CONGRATULATIONS TO PATRICK HALL!

2005 Barbershopper of the Year  (Gary Brown Award)
 

 

Patrick has been a Chapter member since 2002. His first exposure to barbershop came as a child when his father would “drag” him to barbershop rehearsals in Angola Indiana where Patrick would join in as a guest of the Pokagon Pitch Pipers. Since joining the Chapter Patrick has been blessed to find several quartets to ring chords with. They include EMT, The Bumps and Four Got to Shave.

He has been very active since the first day he joined and is currently serving in his second year as Chapter President

View all recipients of Gary Brown Barbershoppers of the Year here

On June 30, 2006 our former director - Chris Fenner has left for Louisville to continue his education and to get the Master of Arts in Worship degree at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

DAVID WOOLF, a music teacher in a local school and a former barbershopper is our next Chorus Director

  Meet Dave Woolf, our new Director starting July 1, 2006

Dave Woolf hails from Allegan, where he fell in love with barbershop harmony listening to a faculty quartet from Allegan High School, and listening to “Barbershop Showcase” on WKZO.  He started his own quartet in the freshmen dorm at Grand Rapids Baptist College (now Cornerstone University.  “The Boiler Room Four” toured the Midwest, bringing both barbershop and gospel to churches and other groups in the summer of 1982.  He received a BS in Education from Calvin College and a BA from Cornerstone University.

After teaching music in Arkansas for two years, he began graduate studies at WMU while also singing baritone in the Mall City Chorus and with the chapter quartet “The Keynote Address”  After teaching music in Ohio for two years, Dave returned to Michigan to complete his MA in Teaching at WMU and to teach at the Walkerville Rural Communities Schools.  Dave and his family moved to Kalamazoo in 1999 and is currently teaching vocal music for the Gull Lake Community Schools.  While not ringing chords, Dave performs with the Kalamazoo Pipe Band and sings bass in the Richland Bible Church gospel quartet. 

Dave and his wife, Melody, have three beautiful children, Sonnet, age 12, Jonathan, age 11 and Mark, age 8.

 

Watch video of Chris conducting the chorus practice on June 20, 2006 for the last time as chorus director. Chris Fenner's bio.

Our chapter supports The National Anthem Project and will strive to be the best local performer of the National Anthem. Please contact us to sing at your event.
Listen to The Bumps on WKZO, February 9. 2005 7:55am. Click  on the heart

 

Power Play at Jane Paulley's, Read the article in Detroit News  story image 1 Power Play in WMU, September 25, 2002

"Four Part Harmony" (article by Mike Nolan)
"Forbees", Singing Valentines on WKZO, February 7, 2003
Easy Chord Construction Formulas
Sight-Read Any Music! Ten Amazing Free Tips.

  Weekly Practice Chapter Quartets Scores
  Pioneer District BARBERSHOP HARMONY SOCIETY Music Champions
  Other Chapters  Worship Singing Marketplace Scrapbook  
  Press Releases Arrangers    

 

RECENT HISTORY

 

2006

Sunday, August 13 Worship singing at Lacota United Methodist Church - service at 10:30, warm-up at 9:30AM
Sunday, July 30
    Kindleberger Park Celebration 3pm performance, meet at 2pm, red shirts, blue pants, white shoes. SIGN-UP  -  Song List
Friday, August 4   Kalamazoo King's Game Performance #4  6:35PM King's Stadium, Dress - red shirt, khaki pants/shorts. Warm-up starts at 5:35PM. For tickets ask Doyle Lyles
Friday, July 21
   Kalamazoo King's Game Performance #3  6:35PM King's Stadium, Dress - red shirt, khaki pants/shorts. Warm-up starts at 5:35PM
Sunday, July 16
Church Performance #3 9:30am Mass, St. Mary Catholic Church, 929 Charlotte Ave. Directions. Article in Kalamazoo Gazette about the Church. Song list. Performance was a hoot and Dave Woolf got us his first standing O!
Sunday, June 25
        Church Performance # 2 10am, Trinity Reformed Church, 326 W Cork St., Kalamazoo. For sing-up list click here Dress code: white shirt, red tie, black pants. Warm-up at 9AM
Wednesday, June 21
  Plainwell Music Society's Concert in the Park 6:30PM. The concert was in Middle School and was the last public performance by Chris Fenner. Watch for photos and video of the concert
Saturday, June 10     
Kalamazoo King's Game Performance #2. Game starts at 6:35PM. warm-up @ 5:35PM, red shirt & khaki pants/shorts
May 27, 1:05PM
         America The Beautiful & National Anthem at the opening game of Kalamazoo Kings. All pictures by Ronald White (Kalamazoo Kings). Click on the picture to see it in full size.
May 21, 10AM 
         Sunnyside United Methodist Church. For directions to the church click here

March 28, 2006       
 Open Guest Night
at Transformation Spirituality Center (on the campus of former Nazareth College from 7 to 10p.m.. We invite  ALL men from sixteen to ninety-six who love to sing to mark their calendars and join us for a night that could change their lives.
Click for Mapquest driving directions, map or driving instructions.
March 18, 2006       Comstock Community Auditorium, 3:00PM & 7:30PM - Annual show "How To Lose a Girl In 10 Days" featuring Mall City Barbershop Chorus, chapter quartets and guest quartet - ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, 2004 & 2005 Senior Bronze Medalist! Comstock Community Auditorium is located at 2107 North 26th St, Comstock, MI - just one block East off Sprinkle Rd. Then North on 26th St. from E. Main St. or South on 26th St. from H Ave. For directions click here.

Tickets are $8 for the Matinee show and $15 for the evening show and can be purchased at the door

Read the article by Elizabeth Clark in Kalamazoo Gazette about the Show - here
February 6 @8pm         
Performance at the IAAP 60th Anniversary meeting in Heritage Hall (2238 E Main St, Kalamazoo). Meet at 7pm for warm-up. For directions click here. What a show - SO after "I Got A Gal In Kalamazoo"!
February 14, SINGING VALENTINES  all day - everywhere! If you still want to order one please call our hotline at 269-345-7227

2005

2004

Mall City Barbershop Chorus is a member of Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.  You can also find us on  Michigan Logo for MichiganWeb  
Google
WWW http://barbershopharmony.org

Keep The Whole World Singing! 
Singing is life, the rest is just details...


 Business Office (John Fair):

730 Lake Street
Kalamazoo MI 49001-3021
 Phone:    269-488-7227
Fax:        269-345-9948 

This page was updated  on 17 August 2006 23:08:31


 

As one of the Kalamazoo local performing group, our page is linked to Kzoo Group and to myKalamazoo.com 

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Many programs in the Pioneer district are made possible in part with the support of the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.


© Kalamazoo Barbershop Harmony Society 
Page resumed in 2000. Page design and content by Alexander Boltenko. 
Chorus logo design by Chris Fenner. 

Quartet design by The Sound of Illinois Chorus of Bloomington, Illinois (http://www.soundofillinois.com), used by permission.

Barbershop Harmony Society
logo designed by Daniel G. Delaney

Please, direct any questions, comments/concerns or suggestions to aboltenko@barbershopharmony.org  or call my cell number  269-501-SING (7464)

 

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