The Surprising Mental, Physical, and Social Benefits of Joining a Vocal Group

Article by Rufus Massey, AVP Past President.

Some men spend their free time on golf courses, tennis courts, hiking trails, or in workshops and garages. Those are all great pursuits. But many men are missing something they didn’t even know they needed: a place to raise their voice and sing with others.

For many of us, singing slowly disappeared somewhere along the way. We sang in church, school, or maybe in the car with the radio turned up. Then life got busy. Careers happened. Families happened. Years passed.

What many people don’t realize is that singing is much more than entertainment.

One of the unique things about the Barbershop Harmony Society, the non-profit arts organization of which we are a chapter, is its membership Code of Ethics. These nine statements are printed on the back of each one of our singers' official membership cards when they join. They help to guide our behavior and decisions to ensure we are maintaining a harmonius environment internally while making a positive influence externally. Below is the full text of that Code of Ethics.

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Where did it come from? How is it arranged and sung?

You’ve joined the Barbershop Harmony Society. You might have instead joined a church choir, a symphonic chorus, or musical theater group… but here you are in a barbershop group! What have you gotten yourself into? What kind of music will you experience, how do you distinguish it from other vocal music, and where did it come from? And why does it matter?

The basics

Barbershop harmony is generally considered to be one of the few uniquely American-born musical styles, alongside jazz, with which it shares origins. The simplest definition of barbershop centers around:

Admit it: the go-to image in your mind of barbershop music is four guys in striped vests and boater hats. From the Dapper Dans serenading Disney World park attendees to Jimmy Fallon’s Ragtime Gals juxtaposing off-color pop songs with the squeaky-clean image of the barbershop quartet, the notion of the barbershop singers certainly is iconic. But barbershop is so much more than that!

African American Roots, Jazz Flavorings

Can Anyone Learn to Sing With a Vocal Coach?

- by Zack Dunda, VP of Marketing -

Many people grew up believing that singing is a binary trait: you are either born with a voice, or you aren’t. This myth is reinforced by televised singing competitions that focus on raw, unpolished discovery stories. However, if you look at the reality of high-level choral and solo performance, you will find a different story. Singing is an athletic and cognitive skill, and like any other discipline, it is accessible to anyone willing to follow a structured process.