Feeling "On Point": Barbershop International Competition!
- Taylor Despars
- Jul 11, 2023
- 2 min read
This summer has been rewarding and full of lots of amazing things, and I have so much to update you all on! First, though, I have something exciting: I am officially the new tenor of On Point! For the last four years I've been watching them rehearse, compete, and perform all around Jacksonville, and now I am so happy to be a part of the group. Let me show you what we've been up to as a quartet this summer!
Every year, the Barbershop Harmony Society has an international competition in a different area of the country. This year, it was in Louisville, Kentucky! The four of us decided to go and enjoy the convention and watch some amazing quartets and choruses compete for the first place title. Little did we know that it would bond us as a quartet and as friends!
As we got to Louisville and checked into our room, we were greeted by so many tag circles (people singing barbershop tags in 4-part harmony) and people the guys haven't seen in years! On Point used to compete regularly, so though it'll be a first for me, the guys are ready to get back into the game. Everyone was so friendly, and I met so many wonderful people that I'll see at many more conventions in the future! (Our room also got super upgraded, so that's a plus!)
Before the competitions, we were able to explore a little bit. This brought me to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, where I was able to walk through and see how bats are made for specific MLB players. I even got to hold a few bats, like Babe Ruth, Joey Votto, and a softball player's bat! It made me realize how much I miss the sport. Holding a bat and acting like I was still on the field was one of my favorite experiences from Louisville. I'm a softball girl at heart. You can take the girl out of softball, but you can't take the softball out of the girl. ♡
Then, we walked to the arena where the competition was being held. There were thousands of people there, and they were just as excited as we were! We got pretty good seats and saw a ton of amazingly talented quartets and choruses. Some choruses even built whole sets for their performance, like the Singin' Buckeyes Chorus from Columbus, Ohio!
The experience was absolutely fantastic. I stayed up until 3am singing barbershop tags, met so many talented people, talked with the quartet champions and geeked out, and even got some ideas for contest for our chorus, The Big Orange Chorus. We compete in the fall, and I just know that we'll do well! :)
If you'd like to learn more about the Barbershop Harmony Society, On Point, or the Big Orange Chorus, click the links below!
Feeling taggy,
Taylor.
Comments