My love of barbershop started in high school when I saw videos of Max Q and OC Times performing online. I ended up auditioning and being placed into a quartet during freshman year. This allowed my fascination with the art form to blossom. Barbershop has been a consistent joy and hobby of mine for more than six years now, and as a marketing major at Ohio Northern University, seeking an internship with the Society only seemed natural.
Doing social media and data analysis here has really opened my eyes to the important role that community plays in sharing barbershop with others. Much of my data analysis work is getting into the nuts and bolts of how people explore barbershop-related content and emails. This has allowed me to see that much of the barbershop content explored online impacts Barbershoppers when they get together to sing. The highlight of the internship so far has definitely been watching the enthusiasm expressed by people tweeting with the #BHSLV hashtag during the convention. The widespread interest in barbershop hit home for me through people from all over the world tweeting and posting while watching the webcast.
I love describing my internship with friends and family because it gives me an opportunity to show them the impact that an online presence can have on an art form. I have noticed that Barbershoppers and non-Barbershoppers alike want to learn more about the online community and how to become more involved when I describe the internship.
The impact of the Society’s work has become much clearer to me, and it has allowed my passion for marketing and music to grow even deeper. The efforts of BHS employees are truly inspirational. Being amongst others who share passion for Barbershop Harmony has been an educational and wonderful experience for me that I will cherish forever.