... and why is it so rewarding?

We sing Barbershop music

Barbershop music is a unique style of a cappella 4-part harmony. This energetic music can blow you away with its rich sound – it is pure a cappella and offers the singer little opportunity to hide – not even behind sheet music, because barbershoppers frown on them (at least during performances) 😉 The incomparable rhythms and harmonies create sounds rich in overtones and trigger a wonderful feeling of goosebumps.

Different voice ranges
Barbershop harmony's four voice parts are still called by their traditional names - tenor, lead, baritone and bass - whether referring to men's or women's vocal groups. The Tenor is the highest voice and harmonizes above the melody. The Lead part sings the melody line. The Baritone part sings the next lowest part and completes the chord, usually below the lead. The Bass part is the lowest and supports the chord. Each of the four parts has its own role.

One of the distinctive qualities of barbershop harmony is that the melody, sung by the lead voice, is below the tenor harmony. This follows the pattern of many early American hymns written for men and women, with the melody in the male tenor voice and the women singing harmony above. The barbershop harmony of today is a highly stylized art form requiring the same high degree of singing skill as other types of choral music.

Barbershop music is also about presentation - with choreography and sometimes props being used to enhance the score’s message and entertainment value. The ultimate aim of a great modern barbershop performance is to achieve a level of total believability between the performer and the audience.

Singing for everybody
As the popularity of barbershop harmony has grown, so has the type of participation. Barbershop singing is no longer restricted to male quartets; there are many women's quartets, and both men's and women's choruses now enjoy this unique art form. Choruses ranging in size from 15 to 150 or more members have found this singing style a challenging and exciting musical experience.

Deke Sharon - one of contemporary a cappella's movers and shakers (singer, arranger, producer of TV show "The Sing Off" and the movie "Pitch Perfect") had this to say about the skills and benefits of singing barbershop.