Old stereotypes die hard but even the most stubborn of them fade away eventually. In fact, if you look hard enough, you can make out a smattering of young, smooth-faced barbershoppers in designer threads taking their place among the crowd of silver-haired crooners.
Though it is one of the most tradition-bound of musical genres, barbershop is currently experiencing a rejuvenation that some are hoping will help change public perception for good. Quartets and choruses around the country are actively courting young singers and promoting them as the art form's bright new hope.
“It's not that we dont like the traditional stuff, but we want to make barbershop appeal to new audiences," said Sean Devine, a member of OC Times, a Southern California quartet formed in Costa Mesa whose members are in their 20s and early 30s.
“We want to push the envelope. We're interested in performing songs from the '50s and '60s and all the way up to the present, which for barbershop is pretty revolutionary."
This week in Anaheim, the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Convention will showcase a competition of groups from around the world. The convention, which runs through Sunday, is an annual event and is the biggest barbershop gathering in the country. Other young-ish local quartets scheduled to make appearances include the Crush (also from Orange County) and L.A.-based the Vagrants.
