Sunshine District Services
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Music & Performance

Vice President of Music & Performance – Steve Culpepper

The Director of Music and Performance coordinates all music activities, including schools, clinics and seminars and regional festivals within the district that will improve and expand the musical knowledge and performance abilities of the membership which includes:

  • Formulating and submitting an annual plan and periodic reports
  • Coordinating and hosting all Society music visitations to the district
  • Procuring ribbons and trophies for all contests held at the Spring and Fall conventions
  • Providing guidance to chapter vice presidents of music and performance
  • Coordinating the District Standing Ovation Program (SOP)
  • Coordinating the District Coaches Guild

Coaches Guild

The Sunshine District Coaches Guild is comprised of men that currently coach or that have a great deal of Barbershop Harmony experience that can communicate their knowledge within a coaching situation. The Guild aims to earn the respect of our district choruses and quartets, therefore, it’s necessary that each coach embody the spirit and knowledge of Barbershop Harmony. Our mission is to offer excellent coaching at a reasonable cost and to provide the organizational network to help our District groups connect with these coaches. The coaches are limited to those that the Sunshine District Director of Music and Performance invites. The process of consideration for coaches into the Guild is somewhat stringent. Members must meet a minimal level of qualification and coaching experience.
How does it work? Since January 1, 2009, the District offers Guild services to up to 20 groups per year. Chapters and quartets may submit an official Coaching request form (available below) to the District Director of Music and Performance. He will review the request and consider the groups current performance level and match their skill set and requested area of expertise (music, singing, and presentation) to an available coach. The District will offer a $100 honorarium to the coach and the Chapter/quartet will be expected to pay round-trip mileage at $.30/mile. The coaching session will be offered in 2-hour increments after which time the coach may choose to extend the session at his discretion. Please inquire should your group prefer to use someone specific. We will do our best to accommodate every request.
Here are the current members of the Coaches Guild:

  • Paul Agnew
  • Chad Bennett
  • George Bower
  • James Breedon
  • Ken Buckner
  • Chase Guyton
  • Stephen Janes
  • James Kastler
  • Randy Loos
  • David Mills
  • Harold Nantz
  • Greg Patterson
  • Jackson Pinder
  • Alex Rubin
  • Zachary Simpson
  • Sean C Stork
  • Marshall Webb
Coaching Request Form

The completed form should be submitted to Steve Culpepper, VP Music and Performance

Standing Ovation Program
What is it? The Society’s program to raise performance levels of our Choruses and Quartets. The intent is to point out the good and not-so-good coupled with suggestions for future show improvement.
How does it work? Choruses or quartets request an evaluation of their public performance and provide tickets to the Review Team.

What does the critique include?

Every phase of the performance: parking and venue, handicapped access, ticketing and front-lobby staff, printed program, lighting, sound, costuming, staging and props, entrance and exits by performers, song selection, flow of program, MC presentation, choreography, vocal production, stage presence, scripting, audience reaction, musicality, guest performers.

Who are the Reviewers?

Experienced Barbershopers with solid music credentials and backgrounds in show production and management. In recent years, at least two Reviewers have attended each SOP event to give broader   views of what’s seen and heard. Sunshine Reviewers represent a wide range of talent, including Gold, Silver and Bronze International Medalists, Society Judges, Professional entertainers, Chorus Directors,  tenured BBS singers and Chapter Administrators.

Who requests a SOP Review?

Any quartet member or Chorus/Chapter leader.

How to request a Review: E-mail: standingovations@sunshinedistrict.org

Chorus Director Development

VP of Chorus Director Development – Jack Klotzbach

The VP of Chorus Director Development (VP-CDD) coordinates chorus director education opportunities for the district.  There are director resources on the BHS website located HERE.
The VP of Chorus Director Development promotes Director’s College at Harmony University, and assists attendees with scholarship applications as appropriate. This program encourages continuing education of our directors.

The VP-CDD may also be able to assist in director recruitment, pointing chapter leaders to appropriate director search guidelines,  or helping match potential directors with chapters in need.

Communications & Information Technology (Marketing & Public Relations)

Vice President for Communications & Information Technology – Roger Smeds

Do you need marketing tools for your chapter, chorus or quartet? Just click on the following link to the Barbershop Harmony Society for Marketing and Public Relations Documents (Ads, Posters, Manuals, etc.) http://www.barbershop.org/resources/document-center/marketing/
We also have the availability of sending email to all district members or sub-groups such as Chapter Presidents, Secretaries, etc through Constant Contact. Please contact me for assistance.
Every chapter is strongly encouraged to submit items, action photos and chapter happenings to the Sunburst, our quarterly on-line official publication of the Sunshine District Association of Chapters of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Just contact me or editor@sunshinedistrict.org. Roxanne Clapp is the editor.
Have ideas for the District website http://www.sunshinedistrict.org? Contact Roger Smeds, webmaster.

Membership

VP of Membership – Saurin Shah

If you are interested in starting a chapter, please contact me.
If you would like some ideas on how to make your chapter meetings perhaps more compelling to visitors as well as members, please contact me.

Contest & Judging

“Whether you aim for the gold, or want an objective benchmark of your abilities from year to year, the Contest and Judging system helps everyone get more from the hobby.”
All competitors are scored in three categories, Music, Performance, and Singing. Full information about each category can be found in the C&J Handbook.
The District Representative for C&J is Paul Agnew. If you have a question concerning anything about the contest experience, he can probably find the answer for you. The Sunshine District is fortunate to have five certified judges including the Contest and Judging Chairman. If you ever thought about becoming a judge, contact Paul to express your interest. The next candidate cycle begins in January and applications have to be submitted (with all letters of recommendation) before December 15. It is not too early to start making plans. The judging program is looking for well rounded individuals that are very active in Barbershop with experience in directing and/or coaching and singing. Also, if you have Project Management skills, a Contest Administrator may be just the thing for you.
Check out the convention events on our district calendar for information about our conventions. You don’t even to have to ‘compete’ to take advantage of the opportunity to sing for the greatest bunch of people you will ever have for an audience! You can ‘compete’ for evaluation only (nothing goes on the score sheet) and get some great coaching or you don’t even have to walk on stage to get some great coaching and maybe even get a chance to sing at the afterglow!! So, think about it, this is YOUR convention. We want you here!!
If you do intend to compete (for score), make sure you are very familiar with the Contest Rules. Here is a link to the C&J manual. Please make sure you are aware of the rules. Again, if you have questions, just ASK!! We will find the answer for you.
Previous Performances:

Sunshine District C&J Links:

All contest entries are now through Barberscore, the BHS system of contest entry. Please contact me for any assistance you need with the system.

 

Other Barbershop Links:

Competition Results

OFFICIAL SCORING SUMMARIES

Spring 2024 (March 22- 24, 2024)

Fall 2023 (October 13 -15, 2023)

Spring 2023 (March 17-19, 2023)

Fall 2022 (October 21-23, 2022)

Fall 2019 (October 25-27 2019)

Spring 2019 (March 8-10 2019)

Fall 2018 (October 25-27 2018)

Spring 2018 (March 9 – 11 2018)

Fall 2017 (October 27 – 29 2017)

Spring 2017 (March 9 – 12 2017)


Fall 2016 (October 28 – 30, 2016) – aka Matthew

Spring 2016 (April 29 – May 1, 2016

Fall 2015 (October 9-11, 2015)

International Competition 2015 (June 30- July 4, 2015)

Spring 2015  (April 10-12, 2015)

Fall 2014  (October 10-12, 2014)

International Competition 2014 (July 1 – 5, 2014)

Spring 2014  (May 2-4, 2014)

Fall 2013

Spring 2013

BHS Orlando Midwinter 2013

Fall 2012

Spring 2012

Fall 2011

Spring 2011

Fall 2010

Spring 2010

All Barbershop Harmony Society Chorus and Quartet Contest Scores

Documents
Download QR Code – Sunshine District Homepage

Education

When the Barbershop Harmony Society talks about education, it’s not just about learning to sing. It’s about bringing music back into the family at home, at school, and on stage.
In the Sunshine District, we have sponsored thousands of kids in music education festivals around the state and at our annual Harmony Explosion camp each June.
We also teach many aspects of music and harmony to our membership such as music theory, voice placement, sight reading, and lots of other parts of a musical education they might not realize they are learning.
Education means bringing music back into the home. Fifty or sixty years ago, music and singing in the home was as common as television is today. Families would gather around a piano and sing songs from sheet music they’d buy for ten cents. When is the last time your family gathered around for a sing-a-long? We’re here to bring that back by educating the public to the joy and pleasure of simple melodies and quality family time.
There’s a Barbershop or Sweet Adeline Chapter in your area. Why don’t you check them out and let them demonstrate how much fun you can have in song? Visit our Chapter locator today.
You’ll be glad you did!

Society Code of Ethics, Policies and Procedures
The Barbershop Harmony Society, of which the Sunshine District is a member publishes a Code of Ethics as well as related Policies and Procedures on their website. Please click a button below for more information.

 BHS Code of Ethics

Society Operations Manual