Singing has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. From participation in a youth choir at the age of eleven to church and community choirs and then discovering barbershop harmony, I cannot imagine life without song. My barbershop experience began in 1992 at the age of forty and through extraordinary luck, I soon found myself in a top district quartet, subsequently winning the Ontario championship within two years. A second champion quartet result happened only two years later. As one of the original members of the Toronto Northern Lights chorus a few years later I knew the joy of competing at the highest levels in the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Work took me outside of North America for several years, but I was able to continue singing with choirs in the Middle East and North Africa. Repatriation in 2015 meant that I could resume my more typical barbershop career and compete in district quartet competitions once again. When my wife and I became “snowbirds” I was able to continue singing year-round as a member of the Sunshine (Florida) district as well. Over the years, I was privileged to be able to do some coaching in our hobby and found great satisfaction in trying to help others achieve a more enjoyable singing experience. I had no formal training, however.

When the global pandemic eliminated close contact for singers, everything seemed to simply grind to a halt. “Zoom” meetings via computer were a nice diversion, but definitely not as satisfying as the joy of ringing chords in-person with friends. 

Early in 2022, I made the decision to attend the Barbershop Harmony Society “Harmony University” held this year at Loyola University in New Orleans. They had introduced a new “coaching” stream as part of their many classes and it seemed that I had found my path to obtaining more tutelage. As a retiree, the cost of the tuition and airfare was a major decision for me, but I knew that the time was now if I were to improve my coaching skills. I applied to Sing Canada Harmony for a scholarship and was absolutely delighted to learn that I had been awarded cash to cover the tuition. The faculty for my program included experts from the US, Canada and New Zealand and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to learn from these selfless instructors.

I discovered many years ago that singing is a wonderful thing for mental health. I have pointed out many times to several people that “you can’t be unhappy while you are singing.” It has made a dramatic difference in my life and I sincerely thank Sing Canada Harmony for helping me improve my coaching skills. I hope to be able to put those abilities to effective use for many years.

Dave (Wally) Wallace

Harmony University 2022
By: Sarah Laham
This past July 24^th– July 31st, I was able to attend Harmony University, put on by the Barbershop Harmony Society. It was in New Orleans at Loyola University and I couldn’t be more excited to have gone. After two years delay due to the pandemic, I couldn’t have been prepared for what lay in store for me when I arrived. At the airport, not only was I greeted by warm and enthusiastic staff, I was surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared common goals: learning more barbershop, and the love and dedication we have for this art form.

There were so many classes to choose from this year, which made it very hard to experience everything that we all have been craving to experience for the past few years. I feel that I excelled at gaining better knowledge in my role as a lead singer, performance and vocal; as well as leadership towards bettering myself in my quartet and chorus. From Principles of Physicality– led by Donya Metzger; to How To Be A Great Lead– led by Theo Hicks, the education I received during this week was truly inspirational and take-home worthy.

Within the seven days on campus, you experience so much. From class at eight in the morning, until eight at night; and then singing tags and songs until midnight with ice cream, the enriched and open-hearted environment and culture of barbershop embeds itself into your core. You want to be the best singer you can be and experience that connection with others who share the same enthusiasm and excitement.

One thing BHS has rooted into their culture is tags. Familiar with tags and know how fun and beautiful they can be, I’m not well-practised. I was quite intimidated, with every night having hours of tag singing: Would I be able to learn fast enough? Was I good enough to participate? Would people possibly get annoyed with me if I messed up more than anticipated?

These questions prevented me from fully participating in tag singing. So I was very excited when I learned about the course Tag Zone with Manoj Padki. This was a one-hour class, every day, that taught you 3-4 tags each day. In a smaller group of people that were like me, in search of better learning about tags, it was less stressful to learn. Manoj was beyond welcoming and supportive when it came to learning. Needless to say, I conquered my fear and was singing tags into the morning, each and every night.
To say that your life can change within seven days is an understatement.

I left HU with a better understanding of not only my role as a lead singer but a more deep-rooted understanding of myself as a performer and person who loves to sing! I thank Sing Canada Harmony for their financial assistance, in allowing me to attend. It was enough assistance to allow me to focus my energy on singing, rather than finances, once I returned. Excited to return next year, there are only 333 (sic) days to go!

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