Barbershoppers earn award of Excellence

Barbershoppers William Aiken, Rangana Bartlett, Tedd Byers, Will Davis, Michael Garrett Jr., Remi Godard, Nareus Hardin, Dontay Hardnett, Grant Heineman,  Berlyn Phillips, Gerald Shazor, James Smith and Garrett Vandall, with Vocal Music Director Jesse Lange.

The 13-member Heights High Boys Barbershoppers earned an Excellent rating and the prestigious Presenter’s Award at the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Youth Chorus Competition in San Antonio, Jan. 19–22.

At the conference, students attended master classes, joined other vocalists in a chorus rehearsal and performance, attended performances by groups of youth and senior citizen singers, and performed for audiences and judges. They also received instruction from renowned musician Francisco J. Núñez, founder of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, international guest conductor and founder of the Social Change Through the Choral Arts Initiative.

Among the skills they honed in the master classes were using breath support and posture to emphasize specific lyrical content.

Heights High Vocal Music Director Jesse Lange was proud of the students and the feedback they received from the judges. “Throughout the trip, the boys were fine examples of young men,” he said. "They were professional and poised, as well as enthusiastic and energetic. One set of judges called the group ‘fearless,’ recognizing their ability to sing without a director, the intricacy of the arrangement and the difficulty of the song.”