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Tell, place, and show the youth outreach story

Ideas on how to tell our youth story.

By Brian Lynch, Public Relations Director

This special issue of The Harmonizer looks at ways you can bring the sound of barbershop harmony to new audiences, young singers in particular. Wouldn’t it be nice to share that sound with everyone in your community?

You can; and the target of your efforts, the youngsters, can be the occasion for your success in reaching the rest of the world.

Why? Because everyone cares about kids. Watch the news, read the paper; there’s always a story about our children. Little wonder: as parents, we devote the better part of our lives to teaching, nurturing, supporting, cheering for them and grieving with them. We strive to build a better world for them.

Kids are important. Doing good things for kids is important. PR is doing good, then getting credit for it.

Let’s get famous!

TELL the story: “Barbershop singing is for people of all ages.”

That’s Number One, and it’s really just a variation on the constant theme, “Barbershop is easy, it’s fun, and you can do it, too.” The goal is to dispel any notions that barbershop is outdated, a lost art, for old people only. It’s for everyone, and each can experience it in his own way, and through music, we “grow young together.” Try these phrases:

• “Barbershop music offers the instant gratification of locking a chord and feeling the goose bumps. You can try it and succeed quickly, and that’s a lot of fun.”
• “Young men quickly discover that young women like young men who sing—especially when they sing gentle, sincere, simple love songs.” (Come to think of it, that’s why older guys are in it, too.)
• “Melody and harmony are the heart of barbershop, and that’s increasingly rare in this era of techno and rap. It’s another way young musicians can stand out in a crowd.”
• “Teenagers who become involved in barbershopping are some of the most self-confident, mature young men you’ll ever meet. It comes from being on equal terms with men their fathers’ and grandfathers’ age. Instead of saying ‘Hello, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Green,’ they’re slapping hands and saying howdy to Chuck and Stan, the two guys they stand next to on the risers. The best role models are peers—and that’s how young singers are treated.”
• “Barbershop is good, clean, fun. It’s a great activity for fathers and sons to enjoy together.”

PLACE the story where it will be seen

It’s not just the “home runs” (TV, newspaper features) that count; hitting some singles can run up your scores, too. Look for smaller outlets such as newsletters, bulletins, and other small community publications.

• Shoppers, weeklies, neighborhood newspapers—the “my picture’s in the paper!” newspapers.
• Library and community-center guides and events bulletins.
• The “Today’s Teen” or “Outstanding Students” feature of the local daily—make sure the student’s involvement is prominently mentioned.
• Many cable systems have channels devoted to school activities, including concerts. Get a free ride!
• High school newspapers are a particularly important outlet for this story. They impart legitimacy and prestige to the students, and reach other potential singers. While you’re at it, contact the school yearbook, too, for a long-range dividend.
• PTA publications reach an audience of committed, interested parents—a vital audience.
• Some schools have alumni publications. Story pitch: “Remember the fun you had singing in the Jefferson High School concert choir? Well, that fun continues today, in barbershop harmony.”
• Encourage music educators with whom you work to submit stories detailing their experiences to the regional or state music journals.

SHOW the story with powerful images

Know which thousand words your picture will replace! Instead of leaving it to chance, create images that convey the friendship, the fun, the universal appeal of barbershop harmony.

•Juxtapose and contrast: young singers alongside older singers, father with sons, stripes & canes alongside baggies and Doc Martens.

•Make pictures about people. Don’t worry about getting one long shot of the assembled throng. Concentrate instead on capturing candid shots of people having fun, learning, enjoying, mentoring, sharing, etc. A picture of a coach actively involved with a quartet tells a story.

•Take lots and lots of pictures at every event. Film is cheap; time and opportunity are expensive.

•Use items from Clip Art. Experiment with the new images; recombine them, color them, place them in different backgrounds.

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