Worldwide Barbershop Quartet Association

What's My Name?

MAY 2026

Issue 26-05

Greetings!

What's In a Name:

For the past several months I have been using a different title that many of you have suggested for this newsletter. Now, it is time for you to vote. Here are the options:

1. This Month's Pitch - October
2. Notes for the Month - November
3. Tag Time News - December
4. News in Tune - January
5. Pitch Pipe Press - February
6. Old Songs, New Notes - March
7. The Monthly Pitch - April

I'll let you know the winner in the June issue.

Roger Heer, WBQA Newsletter Editor

NEW BARBERSHOP CHESTNUT LEARNING TRACKS ADDED

CHESTNUTS — The WBQA Free Arrangements with Learning Tracks

Check out the Chestnuts page here for all the Chestnut arrangements, including some new ones:

• "The Girl Who Lived Right Next Door" — Steve Delehanty

• "A Cup of Coffee, A Sandwich, and You" — Clarke Bean

• "Nothin' Could Be Finer Than To Be in Carolina" — Brian Beck & Ken Hatton

• "Two Songs in 3/4 Time" — Jay Giallombardo

These are wonderful charts for quartets and lodges. Use them in shows, warm-up songs, and just for fun! Donate to help support new arrangements and the recording of part tracks. All the info is on the Chestnuts page here!

[You must be a member to access the page. Not a member? Register to have free access to over 60 Barbershop songs, many with learning tracks.]

Jay Giallombardo

Chestnuts Committee, WBQA

LODGE ACTIVITY

Railtown Rascals Lodge, St. Albans, VT

One of our 'Pending Lodges' working through steps 1 to 5 in becoming a fully official WBQA Lodge.

Do you know 10 other guys who like to sing? Check our website 'Lodge' page to see what it takes to become a Lodge. Need some help? Contact George Gipp who would love to hear from you and help you become one of our Lodges across the country.

OUR NEWEST WBQA QUARTET: Harmonic Edge

. . . . . . . . . . . Gary McBride - Lead. . Mike Nichols - Bari

. . . . . Russ Blackstone - Tenor . . . .Michael Honeyman - Bass

AVAILABLE NOW - CLICK HERE TO ORDER

NEW MEMBERS - APRIL

• Bill Sutherland, Erie, PA
• Jose Salgado-Torres, Atlanta, GA
• Joe Vanderark, Surrey, BC - 'Cloverdale Chordsmen'
• Steve Daniel, Decatur, AL - N.Alabama Lodge #12
• Tom Savinelli, Cromwell, CT - Table Four Four Quartet
• Wes Marchena, Brookfield, CT - Table Four Four Quartet
• Reuben Barnes, Newington, CT - Table Four Four Quartet
• Rick Nevill, San Antonio, TX - San Antonio Lodge #1
• Douglas Rutherford, Surrey, BC - Surrey Lodge #9

Welcome to our new members!

Be sure to let your Barbershop friends know about us. You might want to forward this email to them so they can see what's happening. And tell them to go to our website at WBQAsings.org and on the bottom of the Home page, click the link to sign up to receive the Newsletter.

MARCH BOARD MEETING NOTES

• Convention Committee - The committee recommended and the Board approved to keep the price for the 2027 convention the same as last year. The price for the Convention is $185 before December 1st, and $199 after and the Quartet Contest Only ticket is $45 before December 1st and $49 after.
• Drake Pugh, Marketing VP noted a dramatic increase in both our public Facebook page as well as our InstaGram page.
• Drake Pugh also announced his resignation from Marketing Vice President due to other commitments. He will still remain on the Marketing Committee. The Board voted to accept his resignation and acknowledged his many accomplishments during his short tenure.
• Membership VP Steve Shannon discussed ways of bringing whole groups into WBQA after the recent large number of new members from Iowa who signed up last month.
• There was concern that there was an increase of spam emails being sent using the emails posted on the website. The Board voted to remove this information and develop a form to enable members to contact a specific Board member while keeping his email information confidential. General requests for information may be sent to the secretary at wbqasings@gmail.com.
• Guest Chris Sizer spoke to the Board with a suggestion that the organization should pick 5 or 6 Barbershop Chestnut songs to promote to all of our lodges and members and suggested that at the next convention we could form a Brigade or mass sing of lodge, quartet, or members in general. Chris will work with the other members of the Chestnuts Committee, and have its chairman, Mel White, present it to the Board for approval.
• Treasurer Sean Preatzel spoke to the problems with our current bank, Bank of America, and that he would pursue searching for another bank that would better suit our needs.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:

• Member Database - Find other members, find Lodges or find quartets. Link to the database is in the restricted Members page. When signing in, your member number MUST include the preceding letter - Ex M1234. Try it. First time? You will need to click 'Reset Password' after entering your member number. You will be sent a link to the email address on file to reset or create your password.
• Missed a newsletter? Check the 'Documents' tab' for the latest Society Newsletter, the Quartet Corner Bulletin or the Lodges in Motion Bulletin.
• Please, please, please DO NOT click on the 'Unsubscribe' link below. If you do, you will no longer receive any communication from your Society. We can only send you a 'Resubscribe' link ONCE!

Roger Heer, Secretary WBQA and Newsletter Editor

Worldwide Barbershop Quartet Association

Visit Website - WBQAsings.org , ,,,,,, Email Us: wbqasings@gmail.com

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