Every three years, all Society judges and candidate judges wishing to certify are required to attend Category School. Held during the three days prior to Harmony University, judges and judging candidates receive instruction and testing; they also officially acquire, maintain or lose their certification.
Category School is also the point in which any formal tweaks to the scoring or interpretation of the rules are formalized and calibrated among all judges. All tweaks, shifts in focus, or other modifications are based on the prior three year's feedback from competitors, judges, audiences, Society leaders and others.
A new Category Description has been formulated. It has not changed as much as it has been condensed and focused on the barbershop performance as an art form.
Comedic performances and length of performances are being studied as to how they entertain our barbershop audiences.
Presentation Category will:
• Continue to reward performances that exhibit clear performance plan
• Reward performances which communicate passions and emotions
• Identify performance skills that build communication with the audience
• Acknowledge entertaining performances
• Nurture stage worthy performances, actions, and attire