Barbershopper of the Month

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Karen Caldwell as our January Barbershopperette of the Month.

While the Barbershopper of the Month is traditionally given to one of the guys in the chorus, Karen deserves special recognition.

​Karen has been a bedrock of our chorus for over 10 years, going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure we are successful.  The most recent example was her effort to prepare for our Singing Valentine’s event. During the month of January and beginning of February, she ensured the quartets were organized and ready to perform and allocated time during rehearsal to provide us with opportunities to practice the Valentines songs.  She also bought Singing Valentines for others, which directly supports our chorus. The evening before, she helped prepare the roses, cards, and ribbons together for the next day.

This year Karen took the extra step of arranging for the quartet My Other Brother to sing at the Jet City’s annual Sweetie Pie Social at Todd Beemer High School to promote our Singing Valentines.  She put together a table that was nicely decorated and ensured we were located well for maximum visibility. It provided another avenue for us to publicize our organization and we sold four orders that day.

Karen’s dedication and passion to our club is unrelenting.  She always has a great attitude and it is with pride that Harmony Kings present our January Barbershopperette of the Month award to Karen Caldwell.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Rich Harvey as our January Barbershopper of the Month.

Rich Harvey came to us In September of 2016 from Spokane, Washington’s Pages of Harmony. In the short period of time that Rich has been with us, he has continued to make a significant positive impact on our chapter.  This is the second Barbershopper of the Month recognition. Because he’s just that good.
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Rich Harvey is the quintessential go-to and can-do guy in the chorus.  Yes, he is has recently been voted in as vice-president of finance, so you would expect him to be busy supporting the chorus.   But it is his activities outside the VP responsibilities that sets Rich apart.

With no identified person to run the Singing Valentine’s program, he stepped up to organize every aspect of it, then went out and sang.  Because we only had one day of singing because of the late start, we expected a very low number of orders. Instead, we received 30 orders, at par with previous years.

He is always in attendance at rehearsals and helps set up risers and take them down.  He positively contributes to our singing while on the risers: always ready, always attentive, always offering improvement suggestions.  He is actively involved in the My Other Brother quartet and receives voice lessons to improve his contribution to the quartet and chorus.  It is the exception when he is not at a sing-out.

Rich can always be counted on to lend a helping hand.  For example, he helped the chorus move from St Luke to Journey Church, moving equipment and supplies over, and then taking several large items to Enumclaw for re-purposing.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our January BOTM award to Richard Harvey.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Jim Fellows as our January Barbershopper of the Month.

Jim began his barbershop career officially in 2014. He joined Harmony Kings as an excellent Bass, and a faithful member. Shortly after his arrival to Harmony Kings he sponsored a new member and earned his first Man of Note Award. In addition to barbershop Jim has also sung with Illumni Men’s Chorale,and Northwest Sound Men’s Chorus.

Jim has been active in community performances and helping behind the scenes for many Harmony Kings events. He is co-founder of Harmony Kings newest chapter quartet “Silvery Tides”. The quartet began with new members that dubbed themselves “The Oobie Newbies” for an afterglow, and that soon led to the formation of “Silvery Tides” which is actively preparing for performance.

We are proud to recognize Jim, specifically, as a new coordinator for our Singing Valentine fund raiser. In December we announced that our Singing Valentine co-chairs wanted to retire in 2018, and we needed two volunteers to learn the ropes to take over next year. Jim was one of the men that volunteered. Before he knew it he was processing orders, answering phones, answering emails, and moving more into management. January marks the beginning of Jim’s Singing Valentine Career, and we appreciate how he jumped in, with both feet, to create a successful Harmony Kings Fund Raiser.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our January BOTM award to Jim Fellows.

Congratulations, Jim!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Karl Kraber as our February Barbershopper of the Month.

Karl began his Barbershop Career in 2011, singing with the Seattle Seachordsmen. However working in Olympia made it difficult to continue. As Karl settled into his new job in Olympia he met Harmony Kings’ Membership VP Bill Esworthy, and the conversation turned to barbershop. Shortly afterward Karl joined Harmony Kings as a member of the bass section. Officially, Karl joined us in 2016, but has been highly involved in many aspects of Chapter Life.

Harmony Kings is recognizing Karl for the month of February for his incredible behind the scene work for Singing Valentines. The chapter has been looking for ways to expand our outreach to the community with Valentine performances and Karl became instrumental in helping bring in 46 Valentines this year.  (Proceeds to benefit Harmony Xplosion)

Karl was one of the first to raise his hand when the Singing Valentine co-chairs needed. Karl took on a new task for the event by calling all of last year’s “senders” and “receivers” to see if they wanted to, have a repeat performance, or “get even”.
To top it off Karl has been working with the VP of Membership to design a new welcome package for guests and potential new members. Karl Kraber has rapidly become invaluable to the Chapter.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our February BOTM award to Karl Kraber.

Congratulations, Karl.

Darrell Thompson: March Barbershopper of the Month 

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Darrell Thompson as our March Barbershopper of the Month.

Darrell is relatively new to Barbershop, but not new to singing. Jim Fellows, a friend and new HK member himself, invited Darrell to join in 2014. Years before Harmony Kings, Darrell took a continuing education course called “Music For Men” at Pierce College where he sang baritone in one session and lead in the next. It’s Interesting to note, that Darrell began his Harmony Kings’ career as a baritone, but now lend his melodic voice the lead section.

Darrell works for Holland Brooks Builders as a Project Manager, and was able to use his skills for our recent fund raising auction for Harmony Xplosion and other chapter missions. Darrell was able to use his love of deserts, and organizational skills to help our fund raising efforts. He was instrumental in heading up one of the many steering committees that made our auction a huge success.

We are proud to honor Darrell for his outstanding contribution to the auction committee, and his ability to deliver the right dessert to the right table at the right time. Seriously, Darrell demonstrated his ability to meet the challenges with grace and professionalism.

Darrell is active in many aspects of Harmony Kings, which includes serving on the board, assisting other committees, performing at community performances, participating in the Annual Division Convention, and the Harmony Kings annual show. Most recently he became the lead of a brand new quartet. He has also moved a few risers along the way.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our March BOTM award to Darrell Thompson.

Congratulations, Darrell.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Emil Minerich as our April Barbershopper of the Month.

Emil is  of one our newest members. He completes his first year in August 2017, but he has already made himself an indispensable addition to Harmony Kings. To be around Emil for any length of time you’ll discover that he is Mr. Enthusiasm.  Emil always has a good word for everyone, believes in the Harmony Kings’ ability to improve and is willing to work toward that end.

Harmony Kings is delighted to recognize Emil for becoming our official Chapter Greeter. Emil greets members and guests alike with a warm handshake, and introductions when needed.  Emil not only assists our Membership VP with attendance, he also makes guests and members feel at home!

Within an extremely short time, Emil was lugging risers, serving on committees, and finding untold ways to help the chapter. He served a pivotal role on the Auction Committee to raise money for Harmony Xplosion Northwest: A capella Youth Camp. He stepped up to serve on the Music Team to give a new members perspective.

In everyday life Emil is the owner/operator of Skyway Model Shop of Seattle. When he’s not singing Barbershop he spends time traveling to hobby shows around the country.

Emil is a great Ambassador of Harmony in both his singing and business career. We are pleased he found us.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our April BOTM award to Emil Minerich.

Congratulations, Emil.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Bill Esworthy as our May Barbershopper of the Month.

For the past 12 years Bill has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and has been singing, and singing and singing. He is an active member of the Federal Way Harmony Kings, Olympia’s Puget Sounders, and Bellevue’s Northwest Sound Men’s Chorus. To help fill in his spare time he sings with quartets Harmony Knights, and Sing-cerely. He has also sung with Voice Male, All The Kings Men, and Obsessive Chord Disorder (OCD). 

Over the last 12 years, Bill had sponsored 7 new members into the society. Bill also serves on two chorus leadership boards as VP of Membership and Development for both Harmony Kings, and Puget Sounders.

We are honoring Bill for his incredible work on the Harmony Kings 56th Annual Show this May. This was the first year that Harmony Kings incorporated PowerPoint presentations with our songs. Bill, (along with Karl Kraber) organized the pictures, built the slides, and coordinated the presentation with the show technicians.  Bill also found the time to work with Ken Antonius on the 2017 Show Programs. So just to keep Bill busy, he is taking over our Show Programs for the 2018 annual show at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center (FWPAEC). 

Bill also serves as the bass section leader in Harmony Kings, and is working to improve our bass sound at every opportunity, and serves on the Music Team as well.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our May BOTM award to Bill Esworthy.

Congratulations Bill.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Ric Ewing as our June Barbershopper of the Month.

Ric is new to Harmony Kings, but made a strong impact from his very first visit. In Barbershop years, Ric has been of service to Harmony Kings for two years joining in April of 2016. His ready smile, rich bass voice, and enthusiasm for the group made him a welcomed addition to our organization.

Professionally Ric is a retired Optometrist, who spent many years in Kennewick, where he participated with the Richland Players, a well-known local Little Theater group. Ric sang his way through High School, and has been in several Church choirs, as well.  He was also active in Jaycee’s.

Ric has also become involved in the quest to complete the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center, and is active at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club.

As you can tell, Ric makes a difference wherever he goes. He is a willing volunteer and joins us for many of our community performances.

We are honoring Ric for his spirit of hospitality.  He, along with another member, realized that our hospitality chairmen was set to retire, and would be leaving the position soon. So with very little fanfare, Ric began helping to administer our very important cookie and coffee break.  (As we all know, cookies and coffee keep Barbershoppers happy.) No matter how large or small the task Ric has been a model of volunteerism to all our members.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our June BOTM award to Ric Ewing.

Congratulations Ric.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Dale Ehrenheim as our July Barbershopper of the Month.

Dale joined Harmony Kings May 31st, 2016 and immediately jumped into Community Performances, and rapidly learning the repertoire.  He also spent a great deal of time pitching in for the little details, and committees that make Harmony Kings run. He most recently served on our very successful Auction Fund Raising Committee to support our Youth In Harmonyinitiative. Although he only joined in May, he was on stage in June for the 55th Annual Show, “Reminiscing”. It was at that show, when the chapter was looking for quartets to performance on the afterglow, Dale and three others formed a new quartet on the spot… the “Oo-bie Noo-bies”. (Each of the four members of the quartet were new to Harmony Kings at that time) The four men had so much fun they stayed together and formed “Silvery Tides”, even coming up with names for each member… Hi and Low Tide, Ebb and Flo.

We are honoring Dale in July for his dedication to Community Performances. He seldom misses an event or the opportunity to sing with Silvery Tides. He has also done quartet fill-in work, to ensure our community audiences get to see a quartet in action. He has also done an admirable job as a Harmony Kings Master of Ceremonies.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our July BOTM award to Dale Ehrenheim.

Congratulations Dale.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize George Wilkinson as our August Barbershopper of the Month.

George is the man that’s always there when you need him. He has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for the past 9 years, and a member of Harmony Kings that whole time. In his own quiet way he makes an impact on Harmony Kings members at practice, performances, annual show, and barbershop conventions.

He has also sponsored two members into the society earning two “Men of Note” awards. Harmony Kings is recognizing George for his outstanding faithfulness to our community performances.

Wherever we go, George is there lending his voice to the bass section. George didn’t miss one opportunity to sing with Harmony Kings in the month of August, including our debut at the new Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center.

A few years ago, George briefly left his quiet ways, and served as an Mc for our annual show. Suffering from a serve cold didn’t stop George from his duties, and the show went on. George is a trooper.

George is a strong supporter of Harmony Kings and is a tremendous ambassador for our chapter and the Barbershop Harmony Society.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our August BOTM award to George Wilkinson.

Congratulations George.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Terry Millsap as our September Barbershopper of the Month.

Terry might be best described as a worker that get things done, but doesn’t make a “Big Deal” about it. He has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 6 years, and has spent his entire career with Federal Way Harmony Kings.

When the chapter needs someone to volunteer a truck, to transport and set up risers, move the PA system from one location to another, or set up equipment, Terry is ready to handle the job. Terry also volunteered to Emcee an Afterglow on very short notice. Terry had never emceed a chapter event before, but that did stop him from doing a great job.

In September, Terry was the first one to think about the 2018 Singing Valentines. Not only was he thinking Valentines, he was thinking way outside-of-the box. He started working on an arrangement of “Let Me call you Sweetheart” that included 4-part acapella and ukulele accompaniment.

Terry has written and produced an original Christmas song that he shared with the Chapter last year.
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n September Terry also joined the chorus for many of our Community Performances, and supports the Harmony Kings in many simple yet significant ways. Terry is apparently camera shy as well, because it took several visits to the Chapter Facebook page to find him photographed by himself. His image is in hundreds of group shots, but seldom by himself, proving he is a real team player.
It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our September BOTM award to Terry Millsap.

Congratulations Terry.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Vance Plymale as our October Barbershopper of the Month.

Vance is a rather new Barbershopper having joined Harmony Kings just 8 years ago in our lead section. However, since joining, he has served on the Harmony Kings Board as Board-member-at-large, and has brought in one new member to the Barbershop Harmony Society. He also attended last year’s Regional Leadership Academy to learn more about music, performance, and our art form.

Vance has an extensive musical background as an instrumentalist. (This means he reads music!) When the call goes out for a Chapter quartet activity, Vance is always ready to join in as a quartet lead.  At most every community performance you’ll see Vance in the front row, giving it his all.

Up until just the last few months, Vance has been riding his motorcycle to chapter meetings. However, he wears his leather jacket even when he arrives by car.

Harmony Kings is pleased to honor Vance for the month of October for making every rehearsal, and every community performance. We make sure there is always a place on the risers for Vance… because rain or shine, he makes our performances. At our October Appreciation Concert, Vance was running late, and was worried that he missed warm-up. To dispel that situation we continued our warm-up in the “green room”. So Vance didn’t miss a thing.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our October BOTM award to Vance Plymale.

​ Congratulations Vance.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Kevin Hartley as our November Barbershopper of the Month.

Kevin Hartley has been involved in Barbershop most of his life. He grew up in a Barbershop family, and carries on the tradition. Kevin will tell you he’s been a paid member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 21 years… but he has never missed a year.

We are pleased to honor Kevin in November for his dedication to Harmony Kings in many different ways. He has a very active Barbershop life. Kevin lives in Olympia and commutes to Federal Way for Harmony Kings. On Tuesday you’ll find him with us, and on Thursday’s he sings with the Olympia Puget Sounders. Every Other Friday, he sings with a quartet of the same name. Kevin has found a way to balance both chapters and family life, too.

Kevin has also spent considerable time quarteting with, most recently, From the Top, and Off the Couch. Along the way, Kevin has sang and served with Rainier Valley Harmonizers, and Puyallup Valley Harmonizers, and has sponsored two men into the society.

In Olympia he is the President of the Puget Sounders, and in 2018 he will also serve as the Bass section leader for Harmony Kings.
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Kevin always goes above and beyond the call of duty: Not too long ago, Harmony Kings had a community performance without a director. Kevin stepped in and led the chorus through its paces, as if he’d always been there.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our November BOTM award to Kevin Hartley.

Congratulations Kevin.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Adam Shepard as our December Barbershopper of the Month.

Adam is new to the Barbershop Harmony Society, but he has already made an impact. Adam found Harmony Kings in an unusual way. It started with a mailer from the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center listing Harmony Kings as a resident arts group. This led Adam to the internet to “look us up”… and then he visited a Chapter meeting.

After three visits Adam indicated his desire to have an audition for membership. The audition proved to be a more time consuming adventure than anticipated, as the music team was unable to hear him for a couple of weeks. Since Adam was brand new, the only song he knew was our contest ballad. Most auditions consist of a basic barbershop song from the “Barberpole Cat Book I”…. but Adam audition with our contest ballad. (Many of our members were still in the learning process)

Since Adam joined us in November he had to scramble to learn our community performance repertoire and holiday songs, as well. He made every performance in November and December, and became active with our riser crew, and other internal non-singing activities.
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We are pleased to recognize Adam in December for volunteering to help administer this website, and for editing two pages during his training. Adam took time away from his family, over the holidays, to learn the administrative activities of the website, and for that we truly appreciate his contribution.
It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our December BOTM award to Adam Shepard.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Scott Clark as our January Barbershopper of the Month.

Scott Clark is new to Harmony Kings, but he jumped right in with many contributions. Scott has been with Harmony Kings for three years and has helped the Chapter in many ways.

Scott’s rich warm voice adds to our bass section. Scott also helps set up and tear down risers and sings in many of our community performances. He is also singing with the newly formed Harmony Kings VLQ. (Very Large Quartet)

Harmony Kings is recognizing Scott for his leadership role as our new Communications VP and Chorus Manager. After his election to office in October 2015, and before he was installed, Scott began looking for Chapter singing opportunities.  By early January 2016 Scott negotiated our first community performance of the year and introduced us to an entirely new audience as entertainment for the Hexcel Corporate Holiday Party. This also gave us the opportunity to sing in the Tacoma Convention Center.

Scott has also been active in Chapter music retreats, our annual Federal Way Appreciation Concert and our Annual Shows. While Scott provides so much help to the Chapter, he also works full time, is a college student, and has a leadership role in his church.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our January BOTM award to Scott Clark.

Congratulations, Scott!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Wes Aman as our February Barbershopper of the Month.

Wes began his Harmony King journey in 2014 in the bass section. He has been active in community performances and many special events. He took special interest in our 2015 Singing Valentine fund raiser and offered several suggestions to improve our campaign.

In 2016 he became the co-chair of the event with Dick Shenk. Wes worked specifically to increase Singing Valentine visibility through weekly newspapers, posters, and word of mouth created by our members. This year the Singing Valentine event was three days long and the SV committee managed 10 quartets, and 34 Singing Valentines. Wes assisted with quartet organization, and helped built the travel logistics for the weekend. In addition, Wes encouraged Jim Button to join the Singing Valentine committee handling incoming calls and processing orders.

The Harmony Kings Chorus requires lots of man-power and fresh ideas, and Wes Aman provided many new insights to our annual fund raising efforts. It is refreshing to have members take the initiative to try something new, and Wes Aman is only one example of the increased desire for new members to move the chapter in new directions.

Wes not only helped organize our effort, but also found the time to sing bass in a couple of quartets. We are very pleased to recognize his contributions to our chapter.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our February BOTM award to Wes Aman.

Congratulatons, Wes!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Don Rau as our March Barbershopper of the Month.

Don Rau has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and Harmony Kings for 24 years. He serves Harmony Kings as the tenor section leader, and a board member at large. He has been a member of the board since 2006. In 2006 and 2007 Don held the position of Vice President of Music and Performance and is the resident note taker of many committees.

Frequently Don gathers a group of four “newbies” together and says let’s sing this as a quartet. This encouragement of new members is a trait more of us should learn.

Don began quarteting in 1998 in such quartets as:

Company of Friends, Out-of-the-Blue, Puget Sound Connection, Country Squires, Voice Male, All The Kings Men, 4 Heaven’s Sake, The Melodyans, FourEvergreen, The Town Squires, and he currently sings with Harmony Knights. And yes, he sang tenor in all of these quartets.

We honor Don for his outstanding help as tenor section leader. Members of his section had this to say about Don, “He is very encouraging and helpful to new members. He encourages us to stand in front of him so we can hear our part.  Don is also worthy of Barbershopper of the Month because he is at almost every chorus practice and sing-out, sings in multiple quartets (formal and pickup), blows the pitch pipe for the chorus (most of the time), and is an assistant director.”

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our March BOTM award to Don Rau.

Congratulations, Don!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Art Graham as our April Barbershopper of the Month.Art joined the Federal Way Harmony Kings and Barbershop Harmony Society in April of 1997.
Over the past twenty years Art served on the Harmony Kings board as Chapter Treasurer from 2006 to 2008 and Assistant Treasurer 2012. In 2014 Art resumed his duties as Chapter Treasurer.Along the way Art has sponsored 2 new members into the society. His quartet experience includes singing tenor in “Affinity Four Sound” and “What Do You Want To Know 4”? Art has a fine bass voice, which makes him a great tenor… and he has lent his voice to the tenor section since the beginning.Harmony Kings honors Art Graham, in April, specifically for his dedication as a member of the Division II Contest and Convention Committee. Art represented Harmony Kings on the committee and served as the Treasurer of the event.  Art is one of three Harmony Kings members that assist the planning, promotion, and the structure of the convention. This committee has provided a high quality event three years in a row. Art’s hard work behind the scenes helps the Convention to run smoothly regardless of any turmoil that might be bubbling under the service.In his off time, Art volunteers for TaxAid Services in Enumclaw assisting with tax preparation for members of his community. Art also maintains a strong relationship with 4Culture and the City Of Federal Way insuring that Harmony Kings Services are available to the community.It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our April BOTM award to Art Graham.Congratulations, Art!**Special mention goes to Jim Burbidge and Joe Hawe, previous BOTM recipients, for their service to the Division II Contest and Convention as they provide a quality experience for all participants.

 Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Dave Gale as our May Barbershopper of the Month.

Dave began his Barbershop journey in July 1997. For 13 years Dave has sung Baritone with Harmony Kings, but has also handled the Bass line when needed. Dave has also served on the Chapter board of directors as Treasurer in 2013 and Chapter VP of Music and Performance in 2014.

When it comes to quarteting, Dave has sung with many pick-up quartets, including performing on the Harmony Kings 2014 Annual Show. Currently Dave is the baritone with the registered “Tale Draggers” quartet.

Harmony Kings is pleased to honor Dave as our BOTM in May for his work as one of our Assistant Directors. Dave serves as the HK warm-up director, preparing the chorus vocally for a night of singing. He has the responsibility of reminding the chorus of what we learned last week, and leading us into new areas of vocal improvement. Occasionally Dave finds himself leading an entire Chapter meeting and always offers his best smile and a word of encouragement.

If that’s not enough, Dave is the Chapter Music Librarian. He takes on the thankless job of organizing our music, maintaining guest books, and insuring that every member has music. He is one of the many “official” greeters of our guests as he provides them with the current repertoire and helps them find a place on the risers.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our May BOTM award to Dave Gale.

Congratulations, Dave!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Mike McKee as our June Barbershopper of the Month.

If we were to categorize Mike McKee it would have to be that he is willing to step outside his comfort zone and tackle new thing in new ways. Here are some examples: without any prior experience Mike began coaching high school water polo and continues to this day. Without any prior experience Mike and his wife Arlene recently took up square dancing.

All of this leads us to Mike McKee, Barbershopper. In November of 2014 Mike attended a Harmony Kings Chapter meeting by invitation (Dave Williams invited him after visiting us once) and in January 2015 became an official member.

In early 2016 Mike stepped out his comfort zone, once again, to become the Harmony Kings Annual Show Chairman. Here’s what one member had to say about Mike:

“He barely got his feet wet as a Barbershopper when he agreed to be chairman.
He has a great sense of leadership and wonderful project management skills.
He was able to foresee issues and ask all the right questions.
He updated our organization’s current technologies and opened new doors
(to) better efficiency and cost savings measures, such as our outdated mailing list.”

In real life Mike is a software engineer for CONNX in Redmond, and is an avid bike rider. Not only does he commute to work on his bike he is also a long-distance biker. For the past seven years Mike has served as adjunct faculty at Seattle University in the Masters of Software Engineering Program.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our June BOTM award to Mike McKee.

Congratulations, Mike!

 Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Ken Antonius as our July Barbershopper of the Month.

Ken Antonius joined the Federal Way Harmony Kings in 1999 and has been active ever since. Ken has spent most of his 17 years serving in a leadership role with the Chapter. He was Chapter President in 2007, has served as Immediate Past President, Board Member-at Large and Board Member. Ken took on the task of Show Chairmen in both 2006 and 2007.

If we need to set up, tear down, or move risers from one location to another, Ken is always on hand to get the project started and completed. Ken is also in charge of the “Cookie Rooster” (a typo from the past that lingers even today) and makes sure that Tuesday night snacks are ready for the Chapter meeting. In addition, Ken proved quite the chief as he volunteered to work the Harmony Kings U.S. Open Concession stand.

Ken has sponsored two men into barbershop including his Grandson Ty. Ken’s wife also helps the chapter by brewing the coffee and setting up the “snack bar”. When it comes to Singing Valentines Ken is always ready to put together a quartet and sell Valentines to support Chapter benevolences.

Ken is responsible for the Chapters participation in the “Oh Say Can You Sing” contest in 2015 at the Puyallup Fair. Ken helped the Chapter win a spot on the 2015 Patti Labelle performance, and organized the 2016 effort. With extremely short notice Ken prepared the chapter for the audition video. We recognize Ken for all his hard work every month of the year.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our July BOTM award to Ken Antonius.

Congratulatons, Ken!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Steven Azevedo as our August Barbershopper of the Month.

Steven Azevedo joined the Federal Way Harmony Kings in 2011 and has been active for the past 5 years. It doesn’t stop there, Steven sings in three registered quartets, Generation Gap, Obsessive Chord Disorder (OCD) and First Edition. Just found out: Steven will be signing with Harmony Knights Quartet at conventions this October.

Steven found his way to barbershop through our director Karen Caldwell when he was a student at Auburn Mountainview High School. He joined Harmony Kings when he was 14 years old. Now 19 years old Steven sang with Northwest Vocal Project, and is a current dual member of Bellevue’s Northwest Sound Men’s Chorus. But it doesn’t stop there; Steven is also Camp Counselor at Harmony Explosion Summer Music Youth Camp, and an Eagle Scout.

Steven also devotes a lot of time participating in our community performances, filling in with quartets, and recently began learning the art of warm-up directing. Steven is always willing to try new things and learn from those around him. He has become a natural “spark-plug” for vocal music, acapella, and all things barbershop.
Harmony Kings is honoring Steven in August for encouraging young men to join our hobby and our Chapter. He is also our BTOM of the month for astounding our chapter by producing very valuable learning tracks for the song “You Raise Me Up” for our upcoming annual show.  Steven sang all four parts of the song, to allow other members a quality learning experience.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our August BOTM award to Steven Azevedo.

Congratulation, Steven!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Donavan Skaggs as our September Barbershopper of the Month.

This is a first because Donavan doesn’t sing. That doesn’t mean he can’t.

For the past year Donavan has worked behind the scenes as the Harmony Kings Social Media Adviser. Now his joins the board as the first Community Board Member at Large. You can see the results of his work at the Harmony Kings You Tube Channel.

Throughout high school, he preferred being an instrumentalist (trumpet, French horn and piano), but he did sing for his sweetheart while in a band. Donavan and his sweetheart Teresa just celebrated their 30th anniversary

Donavon served as president of the Auburn Mountainview Band Parents Association, and became known as the parent who produced CDs and DVDs for fundraisers. His media business “Silent Knight” reflects his interest in the performing arts.

That’s how he came to the Harmony Kings.  For Harmony Kings 2015 show “Love Letters” Donavan’s daughter, Rachael was part of the cast, so it was only natural to attend. After the show his son Rodger sang a tag with the headliner “Coda”.  Now Rodger is a Society member and Baritone with the Harmony Kings and its Donavon’s job to bring Rodger to chorus.  Donavan refused to join us on the risers, saying, “I can do more for you behind the scenes.”  So one evening, Harmony Kings asked if he would help out with Marketing, since we had needed for an advisor to the board and he was always there on Tuesday night anyway.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our September BOTM award to Donavan Skaggs.

Congratulations, Donavan!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Bob Edwards as our October Barbershopper of the Month.

Bob is the Harmony Kings that you never see during the annual show. Bob is our stage Manager working with the lighting, sound, and curtain technicians. It’s a job that requires technical knowledge and experience, as well as a knack for working with people. Bob has been stage managing since high school, and has been Harmony Kings’ stage manager for over 30 years.  His expertise includes Barbershop, Sweet Adelines Chorus shows and Little Theatre. Bob is a retired Marketing Manager for the US Postal service. Bob and his wife Karen, have two grown sons and two wonderful daughters-in-law and four grandsons.

Bob joined the Barbershop and Harmony Kings 36 years ago. He has also served as the Vice President of Chapter Development, and Chapter Public Relations Vice President. Bob has also sponsored 4 men into the Barbershop Harmony Society, thus earning 4 Men of Note awards.

Harmony Kings is pleased to honor Bob for his supervisory role in our recent Federal Way Appreciation Concert with Jet Cities Chorus. Again, we found Bob working behind the scenes. He was responsible for organizing the riser crew, setting up the staging for this annual show, and then supervising tear down and clean-up.  When he’s not behind the scenes stage managing Bob lends his voice to our bass section.  Bob truly is one of our unsung heroes.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our October BOTM award to Bob Edwards

Congratulations, Bob!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize David Williams as our November Barbershopper of the Month.

Three years ago David found his way to the Harmony Kings as a lead. As a newer member he joined the HK Board of Directors in 2016 and was re-elected for 2017. Always looking for new outlets of learning he recently moved to the tenor section to help add sparkle to the Harmony Kings’ sound. Within his first year of Barbershopping David recruited one of his friends as a member and earned his first Man of Note Award. In 2015 David sang with the Chapter VLQ (very large quartet) in our 55th Annual Show held last June.

Our hobby requires a lot of moving parts, with many small tasks to accomplish. David has demonstrated his ability to accept these challenges and accomplish them in a professional manner.  David is always looking for ways to learn more about our hobby and has attended Harmony College Northwest twice and the Division Regional Leadership Academy this past October. (Just guessing David is a life-long learner with a desire to know what makes things tick)

David is the sole proprietor of Fairwood Financial Services in Renton, WA. So when he’s not calculating taxes, he is frequently singing with Harmony Kings. David has also assisted the chapter by providing our annual financial review.

We honor David for his participation in the HK Survey Committee, charged with making recommendations for improving chapter meetings and for his leadership abilities on our Charitable Auction Committee, and for participating in our November Chapter performance.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our November BOTM award to David Williams.

Congratulations David!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Rich Harvey as our December Barbershopper of the Month.

Rich Harvey found his way to the Barbershop Harmony Society in 2012. He began his barbershop career with Spokane, Washington’s Pages of Harmony. While there, he found time to service on the Page’s board of directors as Vice President of Membership and Development, and the challenging job of Chapter Treasurer. He also sang with two quartets In Harmony and Front Porch Swing.

In September of 2016 Rich showed up at a Harmony Kings rehearsal and became a member in September. During September and October it was clear that Rich was dedicated to Barbershop, and Harmony Kings. Since he has joined, he has become a valuable member of the Chapter, singing Baritone, and identifying chapter needs. Not only does he find chapter needs, he works to provide solutions.

We are proud to recognize Rich’s desire to improve the chapter and his boundless energy. In October of this year he agreed to serve on the board, as Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations.

Rich actively participates in HK Community Performances. In December, he also realized that the chapter used song books for Christmas and immediately volunteered to hand them out at rehearsal, transport them to Community Performances, and return them to storage. In December Rich jumped in feet first to learn his new duties as a vice president, offered innovative ideas, and found three other guys to sing with. Rich is proof that you don’t need to be asked to do something; you just need to find a need and provide a solution.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our December BOTM award to Rich Harvey.

Congratulations Rich!

Federal Way Harmony Kings recognized Lanny Gleason as our January Barbershopper of the Month.

Lanny has served as our chorus manager and Vice President of Communications for the past several years. He handles public relation duties for the chorus when we receive performance requests. Lanny also “works the phones” on the chapter’s behalf, posts the events calendar, reminds us of upcoming events, and is one of our artform’s biggest cheerleaders. He always has a smile on his face, loves what he does and loves the Harmony Kings. Lanny is our go-to guy, adding energy and warmth to all that we do. He single handedly accepted, coordinated, and encouraged our chorus to audition for America’s Got Talent, a project that begin in late January and culminated with Harmony Kings’ February audition.

Congratulations Lanny!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter recognized Dick Shenk as our February Barbershopper of the Month.

Dick began his barbershop career in 2006. He has served in many capacities and is always ready to lend a hand. Over the past years, Dick has helped with, in various ways, our two major fund raisers: our Annual Show and Singing Valentines. Last year and this year, he has worked to strengthen our visibility with Senior Centers and Active Senior Living Homes, and has also been involved in building our annual show Senior Bus Program.

Dick attends many of our Community Performances and adds his rich voice to our Bass section.

Finally, the Harmony Kings are pleased to recognize Dick for rescuing our 2015 Singing Valentine fundraiser. He single-handedly chaired the event, organized quartets, and sold Valentine appearances. He was a hero in every respect.

Congratulations Dick!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter recognized Roger Steeds as our March Barbershopper of the Month.

Roger came to barbershop in 1986 and has been an active member ever since, starting with having a place on the Board in 2000 and serving as Chapter Secretary for many years. Roger is our direct link to the Barbershop Harmony Society in Nashville and is instrumental in helping new members of our chapter learn how our organization works.

But more than serving on the board, Roger does hundreds of things for Harmony Kings that often go unnoticed. Roger comes to our rescue in many ways including opening our rehearsal space early, making last minute pick-ups and deliveries, and finding the missing Christmas music!

Roger is active in rehearsals, community performances, special events, and chapter improvement. When a question comes up about chapter responsibilities to the Evergreen District or the Barbershop Harmony Society, Roger is our “go-to” guy. He is also our liaison with St. Luke’s Lutheran Church for rehearsals and performances. Even though these activities aren’t big and flashy, they are absolutely vital and important, and Roger handles them with very little fanfare.

Congratulations, Roger!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter recognized Jim Burbidge as our April Barbershopper of the Month.

Need a baritone? Then you need Jim Burbidge! For 39 years, Jim has been singing barbershop, currently singing with both Harmony Kings and two quartets: The Town Squires and Generation Gap. Jim is also the spark-plug of the Harmony Kings, as he emcees our community performances with energy and enthusiasm. Jim always is willing to help new members get started in barbershop, especially with our on-going Youth in Harmony outreach programs.

Jim also earns this honor for his leadership, organizational skills, and tireless efforts for another successful Evergreen District endeavor: the Division II Convention and Contest. This year, Jim coordinated with the Seattle Seachordsmen’s leadership to put on a spectacular event for barbershoppers and non-barbershoppers alike. The convention included a high school a cappella contest that introduced students to our hobby and craft. This year marks Jim’s third year as the Harmony Kings chairmen of the annual convention and the Evergreen District presented Jim a 2015 Tall Timbre Award for his effort.

Jim always gives credit where credit is due, and always acknowledges the members that helped with this convention.

Jim Burbidge is a true Gentleman of Harmony and it is with pride that Harmony Kings presented our April BOTM award to him.

Congratulation, Jim!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Todd Jameson as our May Barbershopper of the Month.

For 31 years, Todd has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society…
which means he joined when it was still called the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBQSA). For 30 of those years, Todd has been a member of the Harmony Kings.

Todd’s professional career began as a hod carrier while he worked his way up to brick mason. This training (of course?!?) led to 27 years in the IT department at Boeing.

Todd keeps very long hours at work, causing him to arrive late to rehearsals, but he always knows his part, contributes to the presentation, and asks all the right questions (you know, the ones no one else is brave enough to ask!). Todd is also very active as a youth facilitator at his church.

As a member of the Society, Todd is an active quartetter with many years of service to the society, the chapter, and the community. His first quartet was Company of Friends. He is also the bass in the long running Town Squires and the newly formed Generation Gap.

Todd has contributed so much to our Chapter that we are very sad to learn he is moving to St. Louis, Missouri in June. But this won’t be the end of Todd’s barbershop journey because 24 miles up the road is this small chorus called Ambassadors of Harmony…and we know that Todd will be there! Our loss will be the Ambassadors’ gain.

For the month of May Todd has been the spark plug of the bass section, always arriving with a smile on his face, his notes learned, and a strong desire to get to work.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings presented our May BOTM award to Todd Jameson.

Congratulation, Todd!

In addition to Harmony Kings and Harmony Knights, Dave sings with Messiah Lutheran Church Choir in Auburn, Cora Voce in Tacoma, and with the Boeing Employees Choir from 1999-2008. David has also enjoyed choir tours to New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, and Austria.

The Harmony Kings are recognizing David for turning the concepts for our annual show into a script. As
co-creator of our “Love Letters” show (with Bob Wilkie) he wrote the script and all its revisions, coached the chorus on musical cues and timing, and directed the young actors from Auburn Mountainview High School. He often found himself playing a part during rehearsals when a female actor was unavailable…he did a pretty convincing job as Mary Lou, the telegram girl.

David is a valuable member of Harmony Kings, and contributes on many levels including community performances. It’s our pleasure to recognize David for his outstanding contribution to our 54th Annual Show… “Love Letters.”  Thank you, David, for all you do.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our June BOTM award to David Foss.

Congratulation, Dave!

Special Mention!

In addition, Harmony Kings recognizes our director Karen Caldwell for her tireless efforts and organizational skills during our recent U.S. Open Participation at the 4th hole concession stand. Thank you, Karen.

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Howard Simmons as our July Barbershopper of the Month for his faithful participation.He is extremely active in all our community performances, and in our special and chapter events. He was a founding member of the Green River Chordcasters (the Harmony Kings’ original name) in 1961, and a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 44 years.

Howard is always on the risers ready to sing, and always has a quip to lighten the mood. His barbershop experience is very deep, and he has added his insight and experience to many chapter activities. When it comes to Singing Valentines in February or community performances–like Narrows Glen Retirement Home or Tacoma’s Memory Haven–Howard is always ready to lend his voice, not to mention participating in almost all community performances throughout the year.

In addition, Howard stays active singing with the Mid-Day Melody Men, and has joined the Harmony Kings newly formed VLQ (Very Large Quartet). Not willing to rest on the past, Howard is always willing to learn new vocal techniques and musical arrangements. His smiling face draws people to him, and adds to audience enjoyment at our performances.

At a recent community performance we had a chance to introduce each member of the chorus individually to the audience. When it was Howard’s turn he announced he had being singing with the group since 1961 and was 39 years old. We all believed him!

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our July BOTM award to Howard Simmons.

Congratulations, Howard!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Paul David Carter as our August Barbershopper of the Month.

Paul is a new member of Harmony Kings but has been singing with the Society for ten years. He has vast experience with both quartet and chorus performance. Harmony Kings first became acquainted with Paul in 2014, when his Collegiate Quartet U-Betwas looking for performance opportunities in preparation for the Collegiate Quartet Contest. Paul sent out a notice to the Evergreen District that U-Bet was looking for “gigs.”

At the same time Paul’s notice went out, Harmony Kings was developing a show centered on a brief history of SPEBQSA beginning in 1938. The producer of the show caught the notice and inquired about being part of the show. U-Bet agreed not only to sing on the show, but they learned a special number and acted as well.
Fast forward to July 2015 when Paul visited a Harmony Kings Chapter meeting, and shortly afterward indicated his interest in joining. As the Harmony Kings music team began a conversation with Paul it became clear that he would be a remarkable in-house coach for the Chapter. In late July and early August Paul stood in front of the group for the very first time and conducted warm-ups. On August 11th, the Board of Directors of the Harmony Kings created the position of Chapter Coach and named Paul to the position.
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Paul has expressed his desire to give back to the Barbershop Harmony Society and Harmony Kings was a great place to start. Since taking on the post of Chapter Coach, he has also directed the chorus in rehearsal and performance. He is also working with the chorus on improved singing, blend and balance, and building confidence. He is also coaching Chapter Quartet Harmony Knights. We are grateful for Paul’s gifts and his willingness to share those gifts with us.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our August BOTM award to Paul David Carter.

Congratulations, Paul!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize John Fry as our September Barbershopper of the Month.

It was 1980 when John Fry first joined the Barbershop Harmony Society, and he has been active ever since. Very active ever since!

In 35 years, John has introduced four new singers to barbershop harmony, has served on the Harmony Kings Board of Directors, and has attended most of our community performances.

It is hard to imagine a community performance or Chapter meeting without John Fry’s wonderful bass voice as part of the mix. In fact, he is so faithful to Harmony Kings; he hardly misses a meeting or opportunity to sing for the public. John is one of the men you can always count on.

John took a leadership position in 2011 as the Board Member-at-large. Soon after taking office, he accepted the position of Vice President of Membership and Development. He held the membership position three times.  Along the way John continues to hold the position of Chapter Historian with stories, and information dating back to the founding of Harmony Kings. John helped develop many of the long standing programs within our chorus.

Each February you’ll find John in his tuxedo, singing Valentines to people throughout our community.

His input has helped guide the Chapter to new experiences. John is a strong influence within the group, and helps us to remember to always give our best to this hobby that changes so many lives.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our September BOTM award to John Fry.

Congratulations, John!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Joe Hawe as our October Barbershopper of the Month.

In 2004, Joe joined the Barbershop Harmony Society and began singing with Olympia’s Puget Sounders Chapter. When Joe moved to the Federal Way area in 2008, he joined the Harmony Kings and has sung with the group ever since.

Joe served his first term as President in 2011, followed by a second term in 2012, and is entering a third term on the Board as Immediate Past President. A guiding influence within the group who makes significant contributions each month of the year, Joe has consistently advised the Executive Committee and has organized many events.

Joe is currently working on organizing a VLQ (Very Large Quartet) to offer Harmony Kings’ members a new vocal experience. He was also the 2013 Show Chair and chaired the nominating committee for the past two years. For “fun,” Joe is a member of the Evergreen District Division Two Convention and Contest Steering Committee, and has served on the Convention committee for the past two years (and signed up again for 2016).

In addition, Joe is quite the party planner, having successfully organized social events, potluck banquets and afterglows. He has even pulled off last minute events with ease.

As you can see, Joe Hawe is a very active member of the Harmony Kings and we honor him in October for his work behind the scenes to make chapter life more fun and rewarding.
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It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our October BOTM award to Joe Hawe.

Congratulations, Joe!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Ken Kilborn as our November Barbershopper of the Month.

Ken Kilborn is one of the quiet members of Harmony Kings. Yet every new member that joins us spends quality time with Ken. When Ken is not singing his sweet baritone, or adding his support to a Community Performance, Ken is selling clothing. He’s not a haberdasher by trade, but he is instrumental in making sure our members are in uniform, looking sharp, and ready to sing. Every month Ken quietly works with new member to make sure the tuxedo is just right, that the white tie is appropriate, and the vest is the right shade of red.

For 18 years Ken has been an active member of Harmony Kings, and commutes from the Gig Harbor area to sing every Tuesday night. Ken has been involved in our annual Singing Valentines program and has delighted many couple over the years.

Recently the Harmony Kings were thinking about a “new look” and Ken spearheaded the committee that tackled this important project. Working with other member of the chorus he helped extract the opinions that led us to our new black shirt and white tie look. It’s often the little things that make a big difference, and Ken facilitated a new uniform that was versatile and sharp.

When a member needs a new denim shirt, or needs to know where to get the proper black shirt, and white tie. They all find their way to Ken Kilborn. With grace and skill Ken keeps us looking sharp!

But wait there’s more: Ken also handles ticket sales for our annual show and serves on the show committee.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our November BOTM award to Ken Kilborn.

Congratulations, Ken!

Federal Way Harmony Kings Chapter is pleased to recognize Brad Lathrom as our December Barbershopper of the Month.

Brad Lathrom is new to Harmony Kings, but he jumped in and began contributing on his first day. Brad has been with Harmony Kings for two years and has already made his presence felt in many positive ways.

Singing tenor made him highly sought after for quartets and VLQs (Very Large Quartets) and it wasn’t long before he became an very active member of a chapter quartet. Brad sang with distinction with Obsessive Chord Disorder (OCD) and competed in the Evergreen District Division II Contest in 2015. He also sang with Harmony Kings at District Convention in Spokane.

Brad served on the Harmony Kings Board as the 2015 Board Member-at-Large. Brad was responsible for reminding board members to vote for the Barbershopper of the Month (BOTM), and assisted with tabulating the results. In selecting Brad as our BOTM of December the board had to go behind his back, but we are very pleased to acknowledge Brad and all his hard work!

Brad is active in his church and also spends time operating his business, Pochel’s Maytag Home Appliance Center, so he stays very busy. In addition, Brad has a great sense of humor. When you look him up in the Barbershop Harmony Society membership roster, Brad lists his age as 116 years old.

It is with pride that Harmony Kings present our December BOTM award to Brad Lathrom.

Congratulations. Brad!