The Music Men chorus is the premiere men's singing group in North San Diego County. We have a great time performing throughout North County including the communities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Vista, San Marcos, Fallbrook, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, and Poway as well as southwest Riverside County including Temecula and Murrieta. We specialize in close a cappella harmony, singing songs in a variety of styles including the genres of adult contemporary, jazz, pop, barbershop, gospel, and traditional choral music.

We're always looking for singers; membership in The Music Men chorus is open to male singers of all ages. We would be delighted to have you come by any Tuesday evening and join us in the truly enriching musical experience of blending your voice with the rich sound of well-tuned harmony in the contemporary, jazz, pop, barbershop, choral, and gospel styles. 

How does a person join the chorus?  

First, some important background information: The Music Men chorus is the performing ensemble of the San Diego North County Chapter, an affiliate of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

As such -- you will be joining as a member of the chapter. We ask that you attend 3 regular rehearsals as a guest before presenting your chapter membership application.

As a chapter member, you must qualify to sing with The Music Men. To do this, you will need to demonstrate that you know the music, words, interpretation, and any choreography that is used for our performance repertoire.  It is also imperative that your voice fits the ensemble sound that we are striving for.

To achieve this ensemble sound, we specialize in close a cappella harmony. One of the signature parts of our style is the use of careful vowel matching in all vocal parts and the use of a chord structure that lends the music to the feature of "expanded sound". One notable difference in our performance style that sets us apart from other choral groups is that we "perform". This means that all performances are from memory. We concentrate on the entire entertainment program extending from what is seen and heard as well as the script for the performance.

What do The Music Men do?  

We enrich lives through singing. We love to sing and perform. The Music Men are often asked to sing at community and civic events, participate in local performance series in a variety of area venues, and retirement communities. Our quartets get similar requests, and are often asked to sing at special birthday and anniversary celebrations. On a formal basis, every spring we present an Annual Show that includes a special quartet from outside the area. Our annual holiday shows in December feature the wonderful sounds of the season in a concert of sacred and secular musical favorites.

Each year our quartets deliver Singing Valentines to individuals all over the North County area. The Singing Valentines event is special because we are given the chance to respond to a variety of personal requests ranging from an elementary school class to a marriage proposal to a hospice setting. 

It is really true -- "we love to sing". We strive to deliver entertaining and pleasing performances to our audiences and, to assure that this happens, we have weekly rehearsals. It is there that we hone our craft, enjoy the fellowship of the group, and just plain have fun! 

What about singing in a quartet?  

Many of our chorus members also sing in quartets. Not all members are comfortable in a quartet situation, so they sing only with the chorus. We encourage quartet participation, but choosing to be in a quartet is entirely optional and a personal decision.

What can you expect at your first meeting?

You will be greeted by our Membership Chairman. He will introduce you to a “buddy” who will assist you in getting a guest book of music so that you will be able to participate in the rehearsal. You will be given a brief orientation about what to expect during the conduct of the rehearsal. Your buddy will be available to give you guidance during the meeting.

On any given rehearsal night, the chorus may be learning one or more new songs for next year’s annual show or it may be rehearsing current repertoire in anticipation of an upcoming performance.

Halfway through the rehearsal, we take a break for a brief business meeting and then have a few minutes to take care of individual chapter business or to join in some impromptu quartet singing.

How much does it cost to be a member?  

Adult dues are currently $171 per year. Student dues are $115.50. In addition, there is a one-time initial enrollment fee of $10. The chapter provides most of the required uniform components, including black tux pants, red, black, and white tux shirts, a reversible vest, a white tux jacket, and black and white shoes. Please note that we occasionally ask our members to purchase a certain shirt or pair of pants to complete a costume ensemble. 

We hope you are interested

 

To learn more about singing with The Music Men, call Ken Burns at 760-747-2535.

 

And a final reminder -- The Music Men  meet every Tuesday evening (excluding holidays) from 7:00 to 10:00 PM at

. Visitors are always welcome.