What is Young Voices in Barbershop Harmony?
Young Voices in Barbershop Harmony is a Pittsburgh-area youth chorus festival, inviting local high school students to learn more about singing barbershop harmony. They’ll learn the ropes of ringing barbershop chords from a gold medalist quartet!
Meet your clinicians
Instant Classic is a barbershop quartet comprised of David Zimmerman, Theo Hicks, Kohl Kitzmiller, and Kyle Kitzmiller. They are four good friends with a passion for barbershop harmony, a cappella music, and music education. Be prepared to enjoy a variety of music from several decades and styles, including vocal jazz, musical theater, pop, and even R&B!
The quartet began singing together in college and first competed in the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) International Collegiate Quartet Competition in 2009. The group has since become the 2011 Cardinal District Quartet Champions, the 2012 International Collegiate Quartet Silver Medalists, and in Pittsburgh, PA they earned the title of the 2015 International Quartet Champions. They have also been recognized in the Cardinal District as Quartet of the Year in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017. They are also all proud members of their home chapter in the BHS, the Greater Indianapolis chapter (Circle City Sound).
The group has performed all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom, and Australia. They have appeared on National Television in the US, including opening for the Sing-Off Tour in Indianapolis in 2015 and performing as a featured act on the Today Show in 2016. They have also served as guest clinicians and teaching quartets for Youth in Harmony Camps (such as Camp A Cappella), Harmony University, and Harmony Academies around the world since their formation. The group features arrangements by all four of the quartet members and has recorded two albums – “Instant Classic” and “Instant Classic: Start of Something Big!” You can purchase hard copies of the albums at the end of the show or find their music through online music stores such as iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Play, or directly from their website.
To keep up-to-date with the quartet, you can find updates on their website www.instantclassicquartet.com, or LIKE them on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/instantclassicqt.
Schedule of Events
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Student arrival
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Introductions and overview of the day’s activities
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Mental warm-up
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Physical and vocal warm-ups
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Tag #1 and step-out quartet activity
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Introduction to Song #1
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Break - transition to sectionals
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Sectionals for Song #1
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Transition back to full ensemble
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Full ensemble activity for Song #1
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Lunch
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Tag #2 and step-out quartet activity
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Introduction to Song #2
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Transition to Sectionals for Song #2
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Sectionals for Song #2
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Break - transition back to full ensemble
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Full ensemble activity for Song #2
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Remaining song work and full set run
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Snack Break
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Review and celebrations
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Show, featuring:
student ensemble
performances by Vocal Confluence and Instant Classic
Parents, friends, and the public are welcome.
This is a ticketed event. Each ticket is $15. All students participating in the festival will receive one complimentary ticket for the show.
Ross Elementary
90 Houston Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Location
Are you an educator and want to get involved?
Reach out to our director, B Rauch, and we can get the process started!
Thank you to the Association of International Champions for making this event possible!
The AIC provided a generous grant to allow this event to happen and to bring in our gold medal quartet, Instant Classic, to teach and perform for the youth singers in the Pittsburgh area.
