I like barbershop. I love those old, corny, sentimental songs. The harmony style is eay to pick up and not hard to experiment with. There is a major element of barbershop singing in the U.S. that is highly competitive, just like sports - and that tends to exclude those who just want to sing for the fun of it and don't want to spend time and money on costumes and transportation.

I've noticed that many of the quartets sing very little barbershop nowadays - they seem to do more doo-wop arrangements, and more recent songs (1930's-1960's). I love doo-wop.

So I guess what I dislike about barbershop is the competition, and the exclusion of those who don't want to sing in competition. I like singing and sports for fun, not for the thrill of winning.

-Joe Offer-