My singing story... Deb Straight

My cousin has been a barbershopper for as long as I can remember and for years I enjoyed listening to his chorus and quartets perform, but I never even thought about the possibility of doing it myself.  In fact, I didn’t even know the opportunity existed, and I guess I’ve been trying to make up for that lost time ever since!

While on active duty in Okinawa, I sang with two church choirs which kept me singing at least 4 times a week and upon return to Hawaii I was eager to continue my singing.  So, in 1999, I searched for a singing group to fill that niche.  It was then I began my affiliation with the then Satellite Sweet Adelines chorus, Na Leo Lani.

A few years later our chorus president, who was a dual member with the Greater Auckland New Zealand Chorus (GAC), got a few of us energized to give competition a try...something satellite choruses don’t do much, if at all.  About 8 of us became dual members of GAC and competed with the them at the 2004 International contest in Phoenix. After that competition, a few of the “Hawaii gals” assisted the “Kiwis” in navigating Arizona and California on a short and scenic road trip which eventually landed us as invited guests at a BBQ hosted by the San Diego Chorus.  It was there that it became known the “Hawaii gals” were looking for opportunities to sing with larger choruses and compete. Without hesitation, the San Diego chorus offered us an opportunity to audition and join them on the 2006 contest stage in Vegas. Nine of us took them up on the offer, returning proudly with our 6th place international ribbon and a burning desire to
perhaps do it again.  In 2008, 4 of us were once again on stage with the San Diego chorus but this time we were lucky to have the International Competition in Honolulu so we could share the excitement of our 7th place ribbon with our family, friends, and fellow singers.  Still with the competition bug, 2 of us joined the San Diego chorus on stage for the 2010 Houston International, and 2 of us (and maybe even more) look forward to being on the risers with the San Diego chorus again when the International Competition returns to Honolulu in Nov 2013.

Since my journey began in the world of barbershop, I don’t believe my feet have hit the floor. I’ve visited and sung with choruses throughout the US, and NZ, currently hold membership in 3 Sweet Adeline choruses (one of which is the newly chartered Honolulu Blend Show Chorus), and I love quarteting! There is nothing quite like the bond/sound formed amongst your fellow singers when you sing those 4 notes that form a perfect chord that rings…ah, music to my ears.

In 2003, I traveled to my first Barbershop Harmony Society Convention in Montreal to watch my cousin perform. In 2008, my cousin was thrilled to visit Hawaii to attend his first Sweet Adelines International competition and watch me perform with the San Diego chorus. Barbershop harmony is truly a huge part of our lives and we are lucky to share the joy of this common experience.

Deb Straight
Bass, San Diego Chorus (2006)
Bass, Na Leo Lani Chorus (1999)
Bass, Honolulu Blend Show Chorus (2007), chartered in Feb 2012!