Frequently Asked Questions

We are a women’s acapella chorus which sings four-part harmony in the barbershop style. We are a chapter of Harmony, Inc (HI), which is an international women’s barbershop organization. We were formed in November, 2023 and chartered, officially joining HI as a chapter, in May, 2024.

No. Holt Church of the Nazarene is kind enough to allow us to use their building for rehearsal space, but we are not otherwise affiliated with the church.

We sing a variety of songs ranging from old barbershop classics to more contemporary pop music, all in 4-part acapella harmony. We try to sing music that is fun for audiences to listen to and fun for us to sing.

All women are welcome! Please see HI’s Statement on Inclusion.

No! We are open to singers of all skill levels, from musical professionals to people who have previously only sung in the shower or their car!

No! While reading music is a useful skill, we use learning tracks to allow music to be learned by ear. Reading music is not mandatory.

We sing in a variety of places around the community including assisted living facilities, fairs, farmer’s markets, and other events. We also travel once a year in June to the HI Area Contest and Convention (AC&C) where we perform in the area contest. If we do well enough at the area contest, we may be invited to perform at the next level, at the International Contest and Convention (IC&C) in November.

AC&C will be located in Normal, IL (just outside Bloomington) for the next several years. IC&C moves, but this year it is in Hershey, PA (2025). After this year it will go to Louisville, KY (2026), to Niagara Falls, ON (2027), back to Hershey (2028), and then to Halifax (2029).

Traveling and participating in contest is not mandatory, but we encourage members to do so. The convention brings us together with fellow singers from throughout HI – singing with other women from around the US and Canada is a fantastic way to turn strangers into friends. There are also lots of different classes on singing, performing, and other topics. It’s a great way to build skills, and it’s a lot of fun!

There are upfront fees which vary based on the time of year you join, but are usually around $100. This registers you as a member of HI. The chorus collects monthly dues, which allows us to pay for music, costuming, and other expenses, as well as covering your HI dues after the first year. There are also travel costs to attend the conventions each year. If the cost is a concern, talk to us. We have ways of helping!

Rehearsal takes place on Thursday nights from 6:45-9:00pm. It will occasionally go until 9:30, but those nights will be announced ahead of time. When we have performance opportunities, we survey our members to determine who is able to attend. The conventions are two long weekends, one in June and one in November. Time is also necessary outside of rehearsal to learn and practice music. That said, we all have lives outside of chorus and we understand if other commitments mean that you can’t attend every event.

Come visit us at any rehearsal! We can give you access to learning tracks and music (for a small deposit). Once you’ve attended two rehearsals, you’ll have the opportunity to audition when you’re ready.

Once you decide to audition, you’re given your choice of one of our two contest songs to learn and sing with a quartet of section leaders. The section leader for the section you’re singing with will sing with you, and you’ll have an opportunity to practice before auditioning. We’re not looking for perfection – we want to see that you can match pitch, and can hear if you’re off. We understand that auditioning can be stressful, but we try to make it as easy as possible!