I sing in both a barbershop quartet and a barbershop chorus consisting of 15 members. Our large group performs about 10 times a year in a variety of venues including senior gatherings and rest homes. Our quartet also entertains seniors in like settings. We have a book of about 35 songs we sing a cappella from memory with only a note from a pitch pipe to start us off. We are invited a few times a year to sing the National Anthem to start a ballgame or other event. We never charge a fee. Mike

I think today's barbershop are the myriad of groups like Pentatonix and Straight No Chaser.

There is no doubt that the audiences love a cappella groups, singing in harmony.

There are many barbershop groups that sing modern songs a la the barbershop era.

I think barbershop can live, in its current form, for maybe another decade. I hope the talented singers make that gradual shift to current songs and modern dress, while still entertaining.

I enjoy Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikowsky, Copeland, etc. Timeless songs. But, even orchestras have gone "pop" with Arther Fiedler and the Pops, John Williams, and the numerous mashup with rock bands. Perhaps if the Nashville symphony orchestra had embraced country, maybe they wouldn't have needed a $10 million bail out?

I’m in a Barbershop group as well. We have an incredibly talented and pedigreed director and we have many contemporary/non traditional songs that have been written to qualify as Barbershop (or close enough). One of our newer ones is Piano Man, for example…at over 5 minutes long!

We are male-only, and are certainly dealing with recruitment/retention issues. I’m 43 and I’m the youngest regular/consistent member. We have a few others in their 40s, and a handful that are younger that come occasionally. This Monday I believe we had 16 members present. We do have new members trickle in, some younger, but the competition with other activities for peoples’ time is fierce. Our board next year will be focused on improving our numbers.

Co-Ed Barbershop groups appear to be doing much better on recruiting and retaining members. Our local female group has three times our number if not more. That is a touchy subject though.

I never heard any Mozart nor Rossini when I got a haircut.

The women of barbershop are, or used to be, called the Sweet Adelines. I was a member of a Sweet Adelines group many years ago. I think there were
16 or 18 in our group. It was a fun group of gals.