2017 Annual Report EVERYONE IN HARMONY Where has the Society been?

Barbershop harmony began as an African-American tradition, and was popularized as men Late 1800s would assemble in barber shops all across America and harmonize the songs of the day.

The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber 1938 Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. is born.

The win the 1939 first International Quartet Contest.

The (1950 Quartet Champion) brought barbershop to the mainstream in their roles 1962 in The Music Man on Broadway and film.

Barbershop harmony begins to spread across the globe. Affiliate organizations are formed and now include Great Britain, Australia, About this annual report 1986 Sweden, Germany, Finland, Spain, Ireland, Holland, New Zealand, and South Africa. It’s GREAT to be a Barbershopper! We are excited more than In 2017, we ever with the progress we’ve made to spread the joy of singing to millions of people all around the world. Waterstreet Junction wins the first introduced 1992 College Quartet Contest. Our increased awareness efforts continue to take off. We our new are bringing together a community of Barbershoppers and barbershop fans we’ve never seen the ‘likes’ of before: Barbershop goes to the silver vision for screen. American Harmony Our Facebook page approached 30,000 ‘likes’ for the year. documents four different quartets 2009 on the “road to gold.” the future of Our YouTube subscribers just exceeded 50,000 people, and 31.2 million minutes of content was streamed for the year. the Society: The Barbershop Harmony Society The reach of our most viral posts and videos extends well into celebrates 75 years of harmony Everyone in the millions thanks to high-profile performers like at the Toronto International quartet with Mike Rowe and Main Street quartet. 2013 Convention. Fittingly, Toronto Northern Lights wins chorus Harmony. gold medal. We are continually investing in educational and outreach activities to attract more singers. In this report, you’ll see how The Barbershop Harmony Society Barbershoppers across the U.S. and around the world are using unveils the Vision of Everyone in the power of song to create healthy communities and to work Harmony, ushering in a new era together to bring Everyone in Harmony. 2017 of inclusion while embracing and ...... celebrating our roots. 2 3 The power of singing

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86 More opportunities to sing The power of partnership

$100,725 The moment a member joins the Society, It’s hard to sing without music! In 2017, we published they are plugged into one of the largest more than 300 titles from the Hal Leonard catalog, communities of singers on earth. In 2017, our many of which were in multiple voicings (TTBB, SSAA, Harmony Barbershoppers were given more tools to be the and SATB) with varying levels of difficulty, and we also best singers they can be, and were provided produced a new Suntones songbook with nine new Foundation 13 contributed an ever-growing infrastructure through which to titles and accompanying learning tracks. $100,725 to express themselves musically and creatively at the Harmony ‘13 ‘15 ‘17 conventions and events across the Society. Our partnership with Hal Leonard University The number of music continues to bring our music to scholarship More singing opportunities such as the an ever-growing, ever-changing program in educators/front-line All-Chapter Chorus and our contests and directors who attended choral world, with just under 2017. conventions means a stronger community of Harmony U has increased by $40,000 of music sold to 29 ten-fold since 2013 communities, a richer culture, and a natural countries outside the United States. strengthening of member retention.

The Maple Leaf Chord Company from the Ontario District directed by Ray Danley performed in the first-ever Seniors Chorus Festival in San Antonio.

We’re improving skills We’re creating “The whole experience and reaching more singers was an awakening of giant lifelong singers proportions for me as a music “Being a part of the Next Generation Chorus was through barbershop educator who has been in the the brightest highlight of the week, as well as the Opportunities at Midwinter, trenches for the last 30 years. highlight of this entire year. Being in a room with International, and District The journey that was HU has such passionate individuals, who all want harmony By giving more music educators and certainly given me a renewed to be a part of the rest of their lives, gives you an conventions continue to frontline directors an opportunity to perspective of this art called enlightening feeling that I have yet to shake out. provide avenues for singers barbershop singing.” When I return to my small youth chorus ... I plan on dive deeper into barbershop, we’re trying to pass that feeling on to them.” of all ages to pursue their bringing more barbershop to more May L. - Music Educator musical and artistic goals, Anonymous - HU Belmont Attendee students than ever before. .... and experience the pure joy .... of singing with others. 4 5 Healthy communities of artists

“I was hired as the front-line director of West Towns in February of 2013. At the We’re providing more leadership time I was hired, I knew nothing about barbershop. WTC hired me anyway with the condition that I attend HU every summer. At my first district contest in 2013, we training and educational scored 808 (67.3%). Five HUs and five contests later, we won the ILL District trophy this past weekend with a score of 950 (79.2%). In the past two years alone, our resources for chapters. scores have gone up by 98 (8.2%) points. While our guys have put in a LOT of work, I attribute much of this success to HU. I come home each summer with more ideas on We have increased certified leaders in the how to improve our chorus.”

field, resources for quartets, and district- Carrie Marcotte - Director, West Towns Chorus, Bolingbrook, IL led events. We’ve created extensive new offerings for officers including videos on grants, copyright guidance, and monthly Harmony University online materials.

We have an online community that continues to grow.

28,533 Page Likes District involvement +14% growth over 2016 All Districts provide localized facebook.com/barbershopharmonysociety education and training to create healthy communities of artists. These are the top new Programs like Outstanding in Front, materials that were The chapter experience the Standing Ovation Program, and Harmony College help to inspire produced for chapters in In 2017, the Barbershop Harmony community leaders on administrative 2017: 49,939 Subscribers Society certified five new Leadership and musical skills and achievement. Facilitators, a community of trained Some Districts - like Northeastern • Financial Reporting Guidelines +52% growth over 2016 experts who are passionate about and Evergreen - offer additional programs that provide a more • Financial Reviews How-To youtube.com/barbershopharmony1938 The quartet experience making a difference through thought • Science of Riser Placement leadership. These facilitators - now regional approach to the Healthy grown to 19 in the field - help Chapter Initiative. • The Power of Positive Coaching The new Quartet Guidebook • Chapter Secretary Manuals resource and an ongoing improve the Barbershop experience for chapters and members. The Healthy Chapter Initiative • Effective Chorus Rehearsals commitment to quartet coaching (HCI) is a Society-led initiative that and instruction at Harmony • Chapter Program Guide Over 100 chapters have provides a plethora of volunteer University (Belmont and Online), leaders, tools, and other resources to • Copyright 101 4,249 Followers Midwinter, and International are participated in services provided by the Society’s Leadership Operations create a strong membership pipeline, • Meaningful Gestures a reflection of the investment a higher level of artistry and musical • Share the Wealth 20% growth over 2016 in enhancing the quartet Project Team (LOPT). credibility, and an overall successful, • Outreach Grants instagram.com/barbershopharmonysociety experience so critical to the healthy community of artists at the Society’s core identity. (Pictured above are Facilitators Bob Cox, John Donehower, Karl local level. .... Chapple, Wendell Glass, and Ric .... Keaser.) 6 7 Local impact, global reach

We’re advocating for music educators and creating more Publications & Outreach teams collaborated this summer to revise the entire list of awareness within to be approved and Heather Nail of Valley included in the new New York State School communities. Southwoods Freshman Music Association (NYSSMA) Manual, High School, West Des BHS was represented at regarded by many educators as the premier Moines, Iowa, was two American Choral source for Solo-Ensemble content. honored with the Directors Association Barbershop Harmony Divisions (Western and Society/NAfME Music Southwest) by both Educator Award. Central Standard and Westminster. Their performances were so well-received that they garnered two invitations for ACDA national events in 2019. Pratt Street Power and GQ quartets appeared at the 2017 Collegiate Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, as part During the 2017 of the annual Hill Day convention in Las Vegas, event sponsored by the During Harmony several groups visited National Association for University, groups Opportunity Village, the Midwinter Convention Music Education (NAfME). provided free community Children’s Hospital of attendees in San Antonio performances at Nashville Southern Nevada, and participated with visits to Farmer’s Market, Yazoo Three Square Food Bank to the Children’s Hospital Taproom, Morningside of share the joy of singing. of San Antonio, Brooke Belmont Assisted Living, Army Medical Center, and the Frist Art Museum. Children’s Rehabilitation Institute, Seton Home, St. PJS Home, and Ronald McDonald House - San Antonio.

Total number of individual engagements with the ...... stories shared here: 8 9 1,209,308 Local impact, global reach

Scaling inclusion through grants D E The grants program has community connections. to increase inclusion across continued to expand its Grant applicants are the Society, the baseline Francisco Núñez, educational outreach to empowered to make more of participants established world-renowned applicants, giving them a quality connections with in 2017 will allow us to music educator and better understanding of music educators in their measure and expand upon founder of the Young their participation numbers, communities and often the diversity of applicants People Chorus in New how to use narrative voice, see high return rates of going forward. York City, was our guest and how to talk about their participants. As we continue conductor at the Midwinter Convention in San Antonio. Photos below are from the Acappellooza summer youth camp held at the University of Missouri - St. Louis

Throughout the Society, we support outreach efforts by providing sheet music, workshops, camps, and festivals to the uninitiated Barbershopper, especially music educators and youth. In addition to grants provided by the Barbershop Harmony Society through the generous donors of Harmony With funding provided We’re helping to Foundation, Districts also support by Harmony Foundation establish barbershop these efforts through individual International, a total of scholarships to participants, $100,000 was awarded and singing as a including the Harmony Youth in grants for barbershop valuable community Explosion Camps that are hosted groups to explore the by more than half of the Districts power of singing as a resource. .... in the Society. .... community asset. 10 11 Everyone in Harmony

San Antonio’s Friends In Harmony Chorus “We must unequivocally turn demonstrates Everyone in Harmony. away from any cultural vestiges of Friends in Harmony, led by Artie Dolt, embodies the exclusion. We must become radically essence of the Society’s male-only experience, modeling the type of chapter that openly welcomes all men inclusive and diverse, across cultural, (audition-free) who wish to come and sing barbershop ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, and share the risers with like-minded gentlemen. social, economic and generational lines.” Excerpt from the Strategic Vision, released June 2017

The Ambassadors of Harmony united with the community in Ferguson, Missouri.

In a city that had become synonymous with racial tension, singers of all backgrounds gathered together to show how the universal language of music could transcend barriers.

The Grand Central Red Caps Quartet were recognized and honored at the In 2017, both young men International Convention in Las Vegas. and women were invited to participate in the Youth Chorus We recognize the Grand Central Red Caps Festival. Demand for the and all those who were excluded in our past. By acknowledging this regrettable program increased because decision in BHS history, we can catalyze music educators could now .... our efforts toward an inclusive future. .... bring all of their ensembles. 8 13 Financial sustainability

We’re building diversified revenue streams and investing in our future.

While focusing on revenue and expense By ensuring the financial health of the Society, we are better equipped to achieve our mission and vision. reduction is critical for Society operations, we We are continuously striving to improve operations and revenues, and the generous philanthropic support provided Total Society revenues deliver greater impact through our programs. In 2017, we by the Harmony Foundation provide the other two-thirds of would not be who we launched new initiatives to “lean” our operations as well our revenues. are without the in-kind as invest in our future. For example, Harmony Marketplace $6,328,000 services contributed refined its business model and executed a project to Revenue for Society program and other activities was up transition hundreds of unpublished arrangements to $123,000 from the budget due to strong investment gains directly to the Society’s published charts following negotiations with Hal Leonard. in 2017 plus $23,000 more than expected in royalties and programs. other revenues. Revenue from our Midwinter Convention was Diversifying our revenue streams is important for the long- $83,000 above plan and the Society Board of Directors was term sustainability of the Society. Less than a third of our able to be $8,000 under plan by finding cost savings where Events overall revenues come from membership dues currently. possible. Events, chapter services, other program-specific earned $1,544,000 24.4% Harmony Foundation 2017 Contributions to Society 43.0% $1,040,915 Society programs

Membership dues and other activities Donor’s Choice In 2017, we launched 32.6% Local impact, global reach $440,190 the strategic vision of $2,062,000 $2,722,000 Everyone in Harmony $380,000 36.5% This partnership Harmony Marketplace $818,000 Grants 42.3% program gives donors and a new cloud-based 2017 Annual Dues Breakdown Harmony Foundation Contributions $601,000 Youth Chorus Festival (YCF) the option to provide Youth Contest (YBQC) membership subscription $120 Harmony University $410,000 financial support to Contributed/In-Kind Services $385,000 districts and chapters management system, Member Services and Member Programs $38.84 Investments Income/Other $201,000 at the local level. which were significant Generous donors have BHS Outreach Programs (Grants, Youth, Advocacy) $24.37 Chapter Services $178,000 Healthy communities of artists the option to designate financial investments for Harmonizer Subscription $15.95 Outreach $129,000 11.5% $120,000 9.7% up to 30 percent of our future. IT, Administration, and Operations $12.38 their contributions to the Healthy Chapter Initiative (HCI) Music/Leadership Training (includes C&J Program) $9.60 district or chapter (or Partnerships & Advocacy Communication and Marketing $8.81 both) of their choice. Music for schools Power of singing Music Library, Publications, and Clearance Services $7.25 HR, Audit, and Legal $2.80 $100,725 Harmony University scholarships ...... 15 14 Financial sustainability Thank you Together, we made 2017 a great year. Thank you to our wonderful staff and the countless volunteers at every level who give for the joy of giving. Thank you to all 2017 Post-Audited Financials – Fiscal Results plan by approximately $200k due to significantly below plan the charitable donors, the committee members, the top registrations to the 2017 International Convention. This was due craftsmen of the artform, and the Joe Barbershoppers who Fiscal year 2017 was a year of continuing change and to a combination of the change in destination, recency to the last give so much. investment in strategic planning, program development, International Convention in Las Vegas in 2014, and general Las completion of systems upgrades, and staff development and Vegas attendance fatigue caused by other barbershop events in Las Thank you to the impromptu coach who helps a new Vegas (e.g., Sweet Adelines International hosting their International expansion. While results by program varied during the course of quartet feel ready for its first public performance. To the Convention in Las Vegas for the past three years). Near record the year and had variances to budget, the overall post-audited singers who linger with grateful patients in the hospital results for the year reflected on-plan performance: net loss of attendance at Midwinter (San Antonio) resulted in a substantial ($601k) compared to the ($600k) budget deficit approved for improvement over plan to help offset below plan results from long after the performance is over. To those who hang up the year. International. fliers on behalf of a local school choir, to the members who sold tickets to give those young singers a bigger The following is an overview of Program-specific financial results Marketplace Comments: audience … and their school a bigger donation. To the for 2017 compared to plan: Marketplace continues to refine its business model and improve members who made the local connections, to those who business-line pricing strategies, cost alignment and improvements to carried the risers, selected the music, booked the venue, Membership Comments: product offerings. A key operational expense and project in 2017 and balanced the checkbook: thank you for reading this Contribution from Membership programs (before labor) was the Unpub to Pub project transitioning hundreds of unpublished annual report. continues to be strongest income source for the Society, though arrangements to published charts following negotiations with the program continued to struggle in 2017. Total pre-labor Hal Leonard. In addition, certain product launches in 2017 contribution of $1.9 million on $2.1 million of revenue, but underperformed expectations, resulting in lower sales volumes for $207k below prior year. Revenues were down primarily due to sheet music sales. Year-Over-Year and actuals to plan were off as continued membership declines offset by implementation of the Book and related launches did not replace the stronger Society President check and dual membership fees together with a solid growth results achieved for the Polecat II songbook in 2016. These results in the number of Associates. Expenses were up modestly due to were offset by increased Music Clearance Services and Merchandise increased printing costs and postage expenses associated with revenues. Overall Marketplace contribution exceeded plan by $13k the “Everyone in Harmony” announcement and inclusion in the for 2017, an improvement over prior year by $135k. summer version of The Harmonizer. Shared Services Comments: Outreach Comments: The Shared Services budget experienced the largest positive The Outreach revenue budget for the year slightly exceeded plan variance of $87k compared to plan and $51k above prior year primarily due to small increases in outreach grant funding, Youth due to above plan total investment income and strong investments Chorus Festival registration fees implemented for the first time in gains offset by increased costs associated with technology-enabled 2017, and stronger than budgeted Association of International solutions that increase productivity. Champions (AIC) Show revenue. Any significant deviation from budgeted revenues is unlikely given the revenue budget is largely Governance Comments: based upon grant awards from HFI. Overall cost of Outreach The Governance budget reflects a positive $8k variance to budget before labor resulted in Program cost of ($608k) compared primarily due to positive variance associated with the Fall 2017 to a planned loss of ($634k). The improved results over plan Board meeting and various unused budget line items, offset by the largely were a matter of expense management and/or program increase associated with an unplanned Spring 2017 Board meeting “pauses” to maximize the outcomes of the program. and higher than expected travel expenses during the year.

Harmony University Comments: Wages and Benefits Comments: Despite lower than budgeted revenues (primarily due to lower Total wages and benefits were approximately $100K below plan than planned attendance at the weeklong Harmony University levels primarily due to certain open positions (IT, Member Services, (HU) event), the Harmony University (Education) program and receptionist positions) coupled with some improved costs contribution exceeded plan based upon expense management relative to budgeted benefits costs. We continue to examine wages initiatives across all program areas. Harmony University (week- budgets to ensure that staffing positions are sustainable and can be long event) increased contribution over prior year, but fell slightly supported by long-term staffing strategies. short of 2017 plan due to lower than planned attendance. The Society continues to focus on ways to promote different ways BHS Investments Comments: to engage participants to expand demand for HU. Chorus In connection with the 2017 budget, the Board approved certain registrations and attendance can have large impact on revenues operational investment projects to continue strategic planning work that can be difficult to manage if a registered chorus backs out started in 2016. In addition, the Board approved system upgrade of HU. investments for the Member Center and BHS financial systems. For the year, investment project expenses were below budget by $10k Events Comments: and systems upgrade costs were below plan by $35k. The 2017 International Convention was originally scheduled to be held in Minneapolis, MN until the planned contest venue Additional program descriptions and program-related financial was closed for renovations. While we were fortunate to be information can be found in the Society’s Form 990, which can be TWITTER FACEBOOK able to relocate the International Convention to Las Vegas and found at www.guidestar.org. the AXIS Theater, Events-based contribution was lower than www.barbershop.org @barbershopnews @barbershopharmonysociety #everyoneinharmony