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Page 10 InCider Press October 2006 |
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I first started singing at age five in church and began harmonizing in the second grade. My mother and father were both very musical as my father played the guitar, violin and the organ and my mother played the piano. I learned to play the saxophone in the 6th grade and played in the school band until I graduated from high school. I was in a swing band and played for dances in the southeast part of Kansas. I have always sung in the church choir. I was drafted into the Army, became a radio operator and spent most of the time in Korea in 1952 -1953 during the Korean War. Dorothy and I were married in Albuquerque New Mexico in 1956. We have 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. I graduated from Kansas State in 1957 in Agronomy but was a Social Worker most of my career. I enjoy playing golf and am a sports enthusiast attending all KSU home games of football, basketball, volleyball and baseball and sometimes some of the high school games. In 1962, while living in Modesto California, I was invited to the local barbershop chorus on a guest night and was hooked on barbershop singing. I joined the Modesto chapter and sang in their chorus until I moved to Chanute Kansas in 1967. There wasn’t a barbershop chorus within 100 miles of Chanute so I dropped my membership until 1981, at which time a friend and I attended a chapter meeting in Kansas City, where a member suggested we start a chapter in Chanute. We followed his suggestion, chartering Southeast Kansas Shavers in 1982 and I became the first president. In 1987 I moved to Tucson Arizona and became a member of the large (110 voice) Sunshine Chorus until moving to Manhattan in 1992. In Modesto, Chanute and Tucson I sang in several quartets and substituted in others. I have always sung baritone as I enjoy the harmony and it fits my voice. I have been to contests 11 times in the various chapters and try to attend all the chapter sing outs. I enjoy the barbershop style of singing and will continue to sing as long as my voice holds out. George Dickerhoof Bari ♪ |
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Meet member, George Dickerhoof |
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I was born and raised in rural, northwestern Connecticut, and was formally introduced to music with piano lessons for several years during grade school. The net result of those is I can't "play" the piano, but I can read music, and peck out my part when learning to sing a song. In high school and college I participated in glee clubs, then joined a community mixed chorus in the New London, Connecticut area while I was living and working there for a short time. While pursuing graduate work in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania I joined a German-American club and sang in its men's chorus. We sang some songs in German, and most of us learned them phonetically. The most important aspect of the club is that's where I met my wife Helen, who has always been supportive of my barbershopping activities. It was also while we were in the Bethlehem area that our two daughters were born. We moved to Manhattan in 1966, so that this year we're celebrating 40 years of enjoying this community. I was on the faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering at K-State until I retired in December 1999. After about 10 years in Manhattan I heard that a barbershop singing group was forming in town. As soon as my schedule permitted, I attended a meeting of this group, and have been attending ever since as a charter member of the Chapter. It might be of interest to note that, for perhaps the first year, I often sat beside Gene Wiley in the baritone section, of all places. In 1980 I accepted an invitation to join "The Silver Lining" with Bob Swenson (T), Bill Hanson (L) and Tom Hart (B). I knew nothing about quartetting, but they were reasonably patient as I learned. We rehearsed fairly regularly and performed for groups occasionally over a period of several years. Although we've been inactive for twenty years or so, we have continued to maintain our registration with the Society. The "Manhattan Music Machine", with Myron Calhoun (T), Bob Swenson (L), and Jim Lindquist (B) was registered in 1985. Don Thomson filled in when Myron accepted an overseas assignment, and has been with us ever since. The fact that we've been together for 21 years is less due to the quality of our music; I think, and more a testament to the fact that we get along together and enjoy each other's company. I've been an active chorus member for the past 30 years, and have held every office on the Board, including several years in some of them. I have greatly enjoyed singing in the "Little Apple Chorus", especially in the past few years as we've gotten more members. Pete Cooper Bass ♪ |
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