7QUESTIONS+PLUS

Del Meyer, a member of the Dairy Statesmen. The oldest of three boys, Meyer tells us everyone in the family has been involved in music. The family even used to have some strum-a-guitar-and-sing-around-the-campfire gatherings. His father was a sportscar mechanic, so he grew up appreciating the fun of driving those funny little foriegn cars. He also taught elementary school for 37 years and retired at age 57 — that’s something you can’t do anymore.

Del Meyer will now take your questions ...

How did you get interested in singing barbershop music? In about 1971, I was involved in scouting and they needed somebody with some knowledge about Native Americans to put together a dance group. I had an academic interest but was far from an expert in dancing so I hunted around until I found a fellow by the name of Dick Holm. That’s when I found out how little I really knew. Well, Dick was a member of the local barbershop chorus and invited me to a guest night. And the rest, as they say, is history. How long I’ve been singing in general goes back to when I was taking lessons at Congdon Consevatory when I was in second grade.

What is the most requested Barbershop selection? Probably the most often-asked-for-song in my experience is "Lida Rose" from The Music Man.

Are there standards that every barbershop group must do? Must? Not really but there is a list of songs that, if you know them, it makes it easy to find three other guys to sing with at conventions and such. It’s known as the BarberPoleCat list. Generally each chorus has its repertoire and you learn that.

Are there any women Barbershop groups in Wisconsin - on anywhere else in the country for that matter? Oh, yes. There are two international organizations for women, Harmony Incorporated and Sweet Adelines. And they have local chapters nearby.

Why is it called “Barbershop” music? Some trace the term back to the middle ages but I doubt it was anything like what we have today. The general thought is that the barbershop was kind of a hangout for men and there would always be a few instruments hanging on the wall. So, when they’d solved all the problems of the world, somebody would start a song that was popular at the time and somebody would harmonize a tenor part and another would put in a bass and a forth would find some notes to fill in the chords and soon the time would come to go home.

What types of events do you sing at? Any favorites or odd events in your experience? We’ve done the Flag Day ceremony at Navy Park and a lot of corporate banquets. We’ve appeared on fund-raisers for the schools as well as added variety to some of their concerts. We’ll be singing on MGV Harmonia’s show this spring (that’s the German men’s chorus) and going out to Wilmot for their spring concert. We deliver singing Valentines and go aound to the homes of shut-ins at Christmas time. We’ve also been active in fund-raising for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Racine and Kenosha. We’ll be putting on our own Spring show at Parkside on May 17th.

Is there a stereotype about barbershop singers you’d like to dispel? There used to be a stereotype that people had of four red-nosed guys hanging onto a lamp post and howling at the moon. But I don’t think anybody has that picture in their mind when they hear ‘barbershop’ anymore.

Why do you think barbershop is so appealing to some people? I suspect that it has to do with the type of songs we sing. They are usually very melodic and people feel they’ve heard them before even though it might really be the very first time they’ve actually heard a particular song. The harmonies are natural and don’t hit you with a lot of surprises

Is barbershop music your favorite genre? What other types of music do you listen to and recommend? I guess you’d have to say yes, barbershop is my favorite but I don’t listen to it very much. Barbershopping is a participant sport. Just like any other sport, doing it is more fun than watching it (or listening to it). And the level of a guy’s ability has nothing to do with the enjoyment he might have. I’ll bet I had as much fun playing sandlot baseball as as a kid as any big leaguer. I also like singing ‘doo wop’ and am in a gospel quartet that does a lot of southern gospel. We don’t belong to any specific church or anything, we just enjoy singing Gaither Vocal Band and Cathedrals old standards.

What is the status of barbershop music in this area? Is it a dying art, and how much will the Barbershop Harmony Society’s move affect the city? I wouldn’t say that barbershop singing is a dying art although the size of many local groups has gone down lately. This is true nationally as well. There are choruses in Kenosha, Racine, and Lake Geneva. They’re all smaller than the 70 to 100 members they were at one time but are still enjoying themselves and hoping to find more guys to share the fun. I have no idea of the economic angle of the move. I do know that people who sing barbershop, not only in America but from Germany to England to Sweden to Australia to Japan, all know where Kenosha is. In my opinion the biggest loss is that of not having some of the most talented men in the country come here to work at Harmony Hall anymore. Luckily, some of those men have decided to stay in this area. I feel exceptionally priviledged to have gotten to know these men and call them my friends.

What’s the secret to perfecting the barbershop sound? Books have been written about perfecting the barbershop sound. I guess the simplest explanation is that you must sing in perfect tune and balance with vowels that match.

What’s your best advice to someone who wants to try barbershop singing? Is there formal training? You get the training as you go along. There isn’t a formal class or anything. If somebody wants to try singing barbershop there’s only one thing to do: Get up off the couch and find a chorus in your area. They will welcome you with open arms. And, since every group has its own personality, if you don’t like the first one you visit, find another.